Chapter 4~ Where is she?

“Sir, we’ve got a problem. Someone took a photo of Miss Hamilton and Miss Hart arguing in the lobby. Everyone thinks Miss Hamilton was blackmailing Miss Hart and took her money.” Thomas Hudson, Oliver’s assistant, rushed into his office, showing him the tablet.

“What did you say? Claire blackmailed Jessica for money?” Oliver growled, glaring at Thomas. His eyes dropped to the tablet and his stomach churned as the headlines caught his attention. 

[DESPERATE CEO’S EX DEMANDS CASH FROM HIS RUMOURED FIANCEE]

[HOW DESPERATE CAN CLAIRE HAMILTON BE?]

Following those headlines were long articles about the incident. The pictures attached showed how Claire held the cheque in her hands and others showed her leaving. 

Flames of fury danced through Oliver’s eyes and he hissed, “Who did this?” 

“T-the reporter is anonymous, Sir-”

“Have all this nonsense taken down within five minutes. I don’t want to see anyone talking about Claire and dragging her name all over the internet,” Oliver instructed in a low dangerous voice. 

Jessica Hart kept clinging to him as though she was a koala clinging to a tree when all he wanted was to be left alone.

The only reason he tolerated her was because she was Adam Hart’s daughter. He was the biggest investor and Oliver needed his backing for all the shareholders to vote in his favour. 

 “I’ve sent the links to the tech team to take down the articles. But… Sir,” Thomas hesitated before continuing. “Do you think she did it?”

Oliver didn’t respond. Instead, he gave his assistant a cold glare that made him gulp, beads of sweat coating his forehead. 

“Should I call her-”

“No, let her be,” Oliver responded flatly. 

Thomas glanced at his boss. He hesitated before asking the question that was niggling at the back of his mind. “Are you really serious about your break up, sir? It’s not too late to change your mind. You’ve been together for eight years-” 

“Mind your own business,” Oliver hissed, his face devoid of any emotion. 

…

After not contacting Claire for a few days, Oliver couldn’t help it. He wanted to check up on her and see how she was doing. He had taken down the viral news but he knew she could still be having a hard time.

However, as he looked at the darkness surrounding Claire’s apartment, his eyebrows creased. ‘Hasn’t she come home yet?’

It was at 7:00 pm and Claire never used to sleep that early, so, why were the lights off?

After waiting for two hours and the place still looked like no one was in, Oliver stepped out of his car and knocked on the door. When there was no response, his heart rate accelerated. 

Claire lived at a complex of apartments so Oliver knocked on the next door and when Claire’s neighbour opened it, Oliver asked with an urgency to his tone, “Have you seen Claire? I can’t seem to reach her.”

The neighbor replied, “She moved out.”

“What? To where?” Oliver asked, his heart sinking as a bad feeling settled in his stomach.

“I have no idea…” The neighbor closed the door and Oliver’s stomach twisted and turned.

He took out his phone and called his assistant, Thomas Hudson. “Where is she? Where’s Claire, she’s not at her apartment.”

There was an urgency to his tone. Fear flitted through his eyes as he feared the worst… she couldn’t have left because he hurt her, right? He didn’t mean to…

A few minutes later, Thomas called Oliver and reported, “She’s no longer in Brentwood city, Sir. Miss Hamilton left a week ago.” 

“Left to where?” Oliver snapped, his heart racing erratically in his chest. “She doesn’t have anywhere else to go!”

Oliver tuned his assistant out as his heart sank. Were the rumours true? Did she really blackmail Jessica for money?

“Sir…”

“Check the surveillance in the Company’s lobby. I want to know what happened,” Oliver spit out his order and cut the call.

He didn’t look into it because he didn’t believe that Claire could blackmail anyone. 

His heart squeezed and a wave of emotions rushed through him. Hurt, disappointment and anger. 

How could she easily leave like that? Did she even love him? It seemed so easy for her to pack her things and leave. What happened to fighting for their love? He was doing whatever he could to protect her from the threat that was looming over her and then what… she demanded for money and left?

After doing all he could to become powerful so he could protect her, she just turned her back on him before he could even have a chance to make it up to her.

The next day at the company, Thomas told his boss, “Sir. I’ve watched the footage. This whole thing seems to be a setup. Miss Hamilton didn’t get the cheques. However, there was an elderly woman who picked them up.”

Oliver’s stomach twisted and turned at those words. ‘So, she didn’t accept the money. Then, why did she leave?’

At that thought, Oliver’s eyebrows suddenly creased as a sense of unease settled in his stomach. Claire wouldn’t leave Brentwood City for no reason. Could they have gotten to her? Did she receive threats?

His mind reeled with several thoughts. What if his actions ended up putting Claire in more danger in the end? Would he ever forgive himself if something happened to her?

He glanced at his assistant, his eyes reddening as he ordered in a deep voice, “Find her.”