Chapter 4

CASSANDRA'S POV~

My forehead creased in concern as Eden pulled away from my touch, brushing off my question with a dismissive, "Everything's fine." His eyes drifted away from mine and he turned back to his chair, his gaze seemingly lost in thought.

"Has anyone ever told you how much of a bad liar you are, Eden?" I slumped into the chair opposite him, my words falling from my lips in a desperate attempt to understand what was going on. His eyes darkened and he turned away from me.

"What's going on?" I pressed on.

Eden sighed, his fingers running through his hair in frustration. "You know how much I've been working lately, stuck in the office, never taking a break." His voice trailed off, his eyes reddening.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" I asked again, tilting my head to the side, my heart pounding in my chest.

"It's so frustrating! Very frustrating!! I lost it. I lost another order and a deal with Spectrum Technologies. You have no idea what this means, Cassandra. That corporation could have changed my life, and now it's gone." His voice cracked as he lowered his head. Then he pounded the desk, and I sat there, frozen, my heart breaking for him.

I knew there were no words that could make this better, but I also knew that I couldn’t leave him like this, alone with his thoughts. So I took a hesitant step towards him, my hand gently resting on his shoulder, only to feel him stiffen under my touch.

I knew he didn’t want comfort, but I couldn’t stay silent.

"I'm so sorry, Eden. I'm so, so sorry," I whispered. "But please, don't give up. You've been working so hard. One failure isn't the end of the world. I believe in you. You will succeed, I know it."

He raised his head to look at me, his eyes red-rimmed and weary. "No, Cassandra, it's fine. Just go home. You've got work in the morning and it's already late." He managed a weak smile as he moved towards the door, his footsteps tired. "I'll call you in the morning, okay? Goodnight."

I hugged him before he opened the door, but he didn't return the embrace, his body rigid.

Once I stepped out of Eden's office and onto the dark, deserted street, my entire body tensed. I kept glancing over my shoulder, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck rise as I scanned the shadows for any signs of danger. How I wished to go back in time, I'd have very much loved not to save that stranger.

With each step I took, my unease grew, until I finally flagged down a taxi and climbed inside, relief washing over me as the car pulled away from the curb.

~ ~ ~

I stepped out of the bathroom, slipping on my night dress as I matched toward my desk. My body felt as if it had been thrown down a flight of stairs. Groaning, I sat down on my swivel chair, pushing it towards my desk and fixing my gaze on the computer screen.

Taking a sip of coffee, I steeled myself for the long night ahead, determined to uncover the secrets behind Spectrum Technologies and its elusive owner. Despite my best efforts, the search yielded nothing but frustration and unanswered questions. The identity of the corporation's founder remained shrouded in mystery, doing nothing but to taunt me.

I felt my patience slowly slipping away. Without hesitation, I pulled the power cable from the socket violently. Slamming my hand down on the desk, I pushed myself to my feet. "Deep breaths," I muttered to myself, "breathe in, breathe out. Peace is within reach, don't let it escape you!" I repeated the words like a mantra, willing myself to find calm in the midst of the turmoil that swirled around me.

I was beyond tired. My feet ached from pacing back and forth in my room, my mind whirled with unanswered questions. I decided to give in to the exhaustion that weighed heavy on my shoulders and retire to bed. My eyes closed of their own volition, my body sinking deeper into the plush mattress. Before I knew it, I drifted off into a deep slumber.

~ ~ ~

The air was split by the piercing sound of my own scream as I watched, frozen with fear, as several knives suddenly flew towards me. In a flash, they whizzed past, my body sagging with relief. But then I heard footsteps, heavy and dangerous, coming from behind me. I turned and saw masked men emerging from several empty buildings, weapons in hand.

"HELP!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, my voice ragged and desperate. My limbs trembled as I ran, but the men kept chasing me.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME, PLEASE!" I kept shouting, my words echoing through the empty streets. But no one came to my rescue.

Just as I felt my body starting to fail me, a stranger appeared out of nowhere, yanking me away from the street. It was the same stranger I had met earlier, the Mafia Don. Without a word, he pulled me behind a pillar and started shooting at the masked men. I felt my legs go weak, my vision blurring as the gunshots echoed around us.

We ran, my heart racing, my breathing ragged. I could feel the Mafia Don dragging me, his hand strong and steady on my arm. And then, suddenly, I heard another gunshot. Everything seemed to slow down, my world now in slow motion. I watched in horror as blood began to soak my hand, dripping onto the pavement. I looked up at the Mafia Don, his face pale and covered in sweat.

"Run," he whispered . "Run and don't look back."

"Don't leave me," I managed to choke out, my eyes filling with tears.

But before he could respond, the Mafia Don slumped to the ground, his eyes staring up at me with an unspoken message.

Suddenly, I was jolted awake by the deafening blare of my alarm clock. Startled, I almost screamed as I sat up in bed, my heart pounding in my chest. It was 8 am, sunlight streaming through my window.

My hands trembled as I struggled to catch my breath, the nightmare still vivid in my mind. It felt so real, so terrifying. I looked down at my hands, half-expecting them to be covered in blood, but they were clean, safe.

With shaky hands, I reached over and hit the snooze button on my alarm, trying to convince myself that it was just a dream.

"Shit!" I exclaimed, my heart racing as I looked at the time. It was already 8am, and I was late for work. Frantic, I jumped to my feet, cursing under my breath as I stumbled towards the bathroom.

"Miss!" I heard the taxi driver shout as I jumped out of the cab, running down the sidewalk towards the hospital. "You forgot to pay your fare!" I skidded to a stop, whirling around and racing back towards the cab.

"I'm so sorry," I panted, fumbling in my purse for my wallet. "Here, take it all." I shoved a handful of naira notes at the driver, who shook his head with a smirk.

"Thanks, miss. Good luck at the hospital." With that, I sprinted towards the hospital entrance, dodging other pedestrians like a madwoman.

The hospital was eerily quiet when I entered, no sounds of bustling doctors or crying patients. It was as if the entire building had been vacated, leaving behind only silence and shadows. I slowed my footsteps, my heart thumping against my chest as I realized something was terribly wrong.

"I'm here, sir," a pleading voice echoed down the hall, and a chill ran down my spine as I recognized it as my director's.

"Call her! Where the heck is she?! I've been here for several hours and I can't get to see her yet! Call her now!" the booming voice demanded, a voice that seemed all too familiar. My breath caught in my throat as I realized it was the Mafia Don, his voice cold and commanding.

Before I could react, I rounded a corner and found myself face-to-face with several armed men, each of them looking at me with expressions that could freeze even the most hardened soul.

My heart thumped in my chest as I scanned the scene in front of me.

The receptionist was flat on the floor, trembling. My director was sweating profusely, still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. And there he was, the Mafia Don, the man I thought I had left behind last night, now standing before me with a wicked smile on his face.

"Well, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence," he purred, his voice smooth and deadly. "We've been waiting for you, darling."

A thousand questions swirled through my head, but all I could manage was a trembling, "What are you doing here?"