Chapter 53 (II)

I took a long bath when I got home and went straight to bed feeling happier than I had in days.

For the first time, it felt like there was a clear solution to the Soraya problem.

Soraya this.

Soraya that.

It was so irritating.

I slept for almost the entire day and when I woke up, I barely had three hours before my date/meeting Matthew.

I had heard through a mutual contact that he liked women with curly hair.

So I curled mine.

If Matthew wanted polished and sophisticated, then that was exactly what he was going to get… that way he’d be more willing to talk as he looked at something he enjoyed.

I spent the next hour getting ready.

When I was finally done, I studied my reflection in the mirror.

My dark curls framed my face perfectly… Maybe it was time to switch things up.

The fitted emerald-green dress hugged my figure without looking desperate for attention before slipping on a pair of heels and grabbing my purse.

The restaurant his driver had pulled up in was exactly as I had expected, it screams of old money and every corner I looked I sighted a familiar face.

I spotted him immediately.

He looked exactly like he did in the files and online.

He was putting on a perfectly tailored suit and his hair was laid back in style with a very welcoming smile.

He rose when he saw me approaching.

“Georgia.”

I offered a polite smile as I greeted back, “Matthew.”

His eyes assessed me immediately with that smile still on his face, “You look beautiful.” He commented and I chuckled.

We sat and ordered drinks.

Matthew chose an expensive whiskey while I settled for bourbon.

His eyebrow twitched in amusement or was it a surprising that a woman was picking bourbon…Either way, I didn’t care.

For the next couple of minutes, we exchanged meaningless conversations, none of which touched the reason why I was here.

He was much a bore.

All this man talked about was politics, his countless investments and gave a glimpse of the kind of business opportunities I’d be exposed to if I stuck with him.

Eventually, Matthew leaned back in his chair.

“So,” he said smoothly, “what exactly did you want to discuss?”

There it was, the opening I had been waiting for all these while.

I smiled.

“I’ve heard your name mentioned recently and I really wanted to meet the man behind the name.”

That wasn’t a lie, at least not technically.

“In business circles I hope?”

I shrugged, “Something like that.”

His smile widened.

God.

I already disliked him.

Thankfully the waiter returned with our drinks just on cue.

Matthew raised his glass.

“To new and favourable connections.”

I clinked mine against his.

“To bigger opportunities.”

The conversation continued with mostly him talking.

The man sure loved the sound of his own voice.

All he did was go on and one of one of his many accomplishments… I doubt he saw me as a woman because all he did was mansplain mere words I dealt with everyday.

The longer he talked, the more obvious it became that Matthew viewed people as assets and women as handy bags… for show.

Everything was either transactional or somehow had value.

Then as the opportunity presented itself, I asked the question I’d been waiting to ask.

“You’re married, aren’t you?”

His reaction was immediate irritation.

“Well it seems so.”

I didn’t let him go despite the fact that he tried to let it go by laughing it off but I wasn’t about to allow that, “What does that mean?”

He shrugged.

“It means I’m legally married.”

I feigned being surprised, “Oh and your wife?”

He took a sip of his whiskey and for the first time that evening, his expression hardened.

“She left.”

That was it?

There was emotion behind his eyes, it didn’t look like he cared that she did too… It sounded like we were both discussing the weather.

Did he chase her out? Or perhaps did Soraya run away from a man that cared less?

I played along however, “That must have been difficult for you.”

His laugh caught me off guard.

“No.”

“If anything,” he continued, “it simplified certain aspects of my life, she must be happy wherever she is right now”

“You don’t miss her?”

Another shrug.

“I’ve been busy.”

Unbelievably INTERESTING!!!

I tried another approach to get more than just simple answers out of him, “Have you tried searching for her? Maybe she could be in trouble?”

This time he frowned, visibly asking me to drop this.

“For a while, I did.” He sighed. “I had people check a few things.”

A few things? If he wanted he could have found her big no… he just had to let his wife roam about into other pooled properties…

This wasn’t the reunion I’d expected.

I had imagined a husband desperate for answers or a man furious his wife had disappeared… a head over heels in love man willing to move mountains to get her back.

Instead, Matthew looked relieved she was gone and anything I tried pushed, his anger was evident.

“Did you love her?”

The question slipped out before I could stop it.

Matthew blinked, obviously caught off guard, “Love is a complicated word ms what I felt for my wife might have been it.”

I suddenly understood why Soraya never spoke about him.

Our conversation continued for another hour.

Eventually, Matthew checked his watch, “You know, Georgia, I’ve enjoyed this… little meeting.”

I doubted that.

“I’ve enjoyed it more.”

A big fucking lie!

His smile widened as he continued, “Why don’t we continue somewhere more comfortable?”

I almost rolled my eyes but I kept on with my facade, “What did you have in mind Mr. Matthew?” I asked mustering the most seductive voice I could muster.

“My place.”

YES!

The mansion sat behind massive iron gates with security cameras at every angle.

The kind of place was designed to impress visitors and at the same time keep prisoners from leaving.

For a brief second, the thought crossed my mind that perhaps Soraya had been a prisoner in her own home.

I immediately brushed it off.

Searching for anything that would be a clue to Soraya ever living here.

I found nothing.

Not a single photograph.

The living room displayed pictures of Matthew with politicians and high ranking celebrities.

Every wall celebrated him or maybe her pictures were upstairs.

My unease grew but at the same time Matthew was beginning to think I had nothing for him.

“Beautiful home.”

Matthew smiled proudly.

“Thank you. I personally designed every inch of this house.”

I nodded.

Yeah right.

Matthew excused himself to answer a phone call and the moment he disappeared, I moved.

I slipped from the sitting room and into a nearby hallway.

My pulse quickened as I slid into room after room and found nothing.

Until I found a narrow hallway tucked away near the rear of the house but when I got to the door. It was locked.

A strange certainty settled over me.

I didn’t know why but somehow I just knew that whatever Matthew had erased from the rest of this mansion…

Whatever evidence of Soraya being here had been carefully removed… answers were behind this door.

The truth was behind this door.

And for the first time since beginning my investigation, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what I was about to find.

Is anyone following up?