LOGIN“Kate! Kate!” He roared as he burst Into the Ave penthouse.
“I’m right here,” she said coming out from the kitchen “Just tryna see what to survive on.” She added.
“Your phone!…Where is it?”
“It’s right here.” She replied as she brought it out of her pocket. “What is…No!!” Kate screamed as he smashed it to the floor.
“Are you insane!”
“The police are tracking it.” He said panting.
“Good gracious,” Kate heaved a sigh of relief as she picked it up. “It’s still on but the screen’s broken. You destroy this, you destroy the only edge I have against Bryan.”
“And the police links me as the kidnapper. I won’t hesitate to make your life a living hell.” Avan roared pacing around the room.
“We could configure the settings, you know.” Kate said as she examined the phone for further damages.
“Right, Von!” he called out and walked towards the staircase.
“Do I get an apology or something.” Kate called after him.
He stopped in his tracks. “For?”
“I don’t know..maybe for smashing my phone’s screen.” Kate said with hands on her waist.
“Did you apologize when you made yourself an inconvenience?” Avan asked back arching an eyebrow.
“It’s …I” she stuttered.
“Yeah, I thought as much.” Kate watched as his masculine figure disappeared and she slumped into the chair with a sigh of defeat.
***
Knock knock!
“Who is it, I’m coming.”
“Hello babe.” Fiona says as Bryan opens the door.
“What are you doing here?”
“You weren’t answering any of my calls, so I decided to come see you instead.”
Bryan sighed.
“Won’t you let me in?”
He opened the door for her to come in.
‘‘Did you even miss me?” Fiona asked taking her seat on the sofa.
“Fiona, a lot has happened lately, and right now we’re just trying to find Kate, hoping she’s alright.”
“Is that concern I hear in your voice?” She cackled. “You’re talking of the woman you pretended to help whereas you were the one that put her father’s company at risk in the first place so she can be helpless and choose you.”
“It doesn’t mean I don’t care about her!”
Fiona cursed under her breath
“Babe, forget about her, you saw how she disgraced you at the wedding.”
“She was under pressure.”
“You know, what if she had a tip off about your schemes and couldn’t continue with the wedding.”
Bryan turned to look at her.
“No one else knows about it, except..”
“No, that’s not what I mean. Baby I don’t have a hand in any of this!”
“And if I find out you do..”
“Forget about Kate, just see how stressed out you are these past few days.” she said in a soft tone unbuttoning his shirt. “Let me calm you down.”
Her thin lips parted and crashed into his.
“I’ve actually missed you.” He said under her seduction.
“I know you did.”
***
“Hello ma’am, I’m afraid the phone could not be tracked. It is inaccessible.” A young man’s voice could be heard at the other end of the line.
“What, how does that even happen.” Mrs. Delaney answered sharply.
“There’s a possibility the phone has been disconnected.”
“It’s alright, thank you.” She responded accepting her fate.
Few minutes later, her phone rings again.
“Hello, I saw this number on a poster about a missing lady.” A treble voice came through the line.
“Yes, yes Kate Delaney!”
“Yeah I think that’s the name, uhm..I just saw someone right now at an eatery and she looks exactly like the lady in the poster.”
“Oh my gosh!, where?”
“The eatery is in the outskirts of Brownston, Fanny’s meals.”
“Oh, thank you so much, we’d be there as soon as possible. Please just stick to her trail. Can you send a picture of the person?”
“Yes, alright”
“Uhm, About the reward…”
“Yeah, you’d get it. Thank you so much.”
Mrs. Delaney stares at her phone and exclaims as she saw the pictures. She dialed a number on her phone.
“Bryan, they found her!”
“They took my poor baby from Lavoire all the way to Brownston, I just hope she’s safe, dear Lord.” She said as they were in the vehicle on their way there.
“Have you contacted the police, yet?” Bryan asked with his hands tightened on the steering wheel.
“Yes, they’ve been alerted.”
“Won’t the sirens alert the kidnappers, you know they could’ve just brought her out to eat and be hanging around. What if this is a trap?” Fiona inquired.
“No, the police understands the assignment, those miscreants won’t see us coming. Bryan please drive faster than that.”
After what seemed like a 45mins ride, they arrived at Brownston.
“The number’s not going through again. I’m sure this is the eatery.” Mrs. Delaney said analyzing the environment from the tinted glass of the car.
“The police aren’t here yet” Fiona noted surveying the area as well.
“I’m going in.” Bryan stated as he adjusted his shirt.
“No!” Mrs. Delaney snapped “If the kidnappers are around the area then they might recognize you… and me as well. Fiona, you should go. Look for any lady putting on a dark blue hoodie and a pair of black trousers.” She said showing her the picture on her phone.
Fiona goes in and proceeds to make an order at the counter, she then sits to eat and surveys the area while pinging her phone.
‘I don’t see her.’ she texted. After about six minutes, she stepped out.
“Not a single trace.” Fiona reported as she got back in the car.
“I got a new message. The tip-off said she left and is on a bus heading for some place. Bryan just follow this location.” Mrs. Delaney said giving him her phone.
They drive downtown in Brownston city while keeping to the trail of a particular bus.
“Kate!! Kate!!!” Stop the car here.” Mrs. Delaney runs out as she sights a lady on dark blue hoodie alighting the bus.
The aroma of peppery beef stew and a hint of steaming white rice hit Avan the moment he got back to the mansion. The aroma was rich, savory and impossible to ignore. He stopped in the foyer. ‘When did I hire a five star chef.’Drawn by the mouthwatering aroma, he traced it down to the kitchen, that’s when he saw her.The soft fabric of her dress draped over her like a second skin, tracing her well defined curves with every stitch as she glided around the table top humming to a melody only her could hear. For a moment there, Avan forgot how to breathe. He found himself staring, the more he tried to look away the more his eyes kept dragging back to her.“Mm…”, Kate tasted the stew that sizzled hot from the fire. “That taste,” she paused and savored it before smacking her lips. “Almost perfect, just one more thing.”She grabbed another ingredient from the top shelf. “Ah, there you are.” A grin spread across her face. She stirred it in and tasted the stew again. “Perfect, mmm it’s really
“Why don’t you have chefs in the house.” Kate asked as she leaned against the doorway of Avan’s study.He didn’t bother responding but maintained his focus on the documents spread across his desk.“It’s always a struggle finding something to eat around here you know, your refrigerator is practically empty and there is no reasonable food stuff in store. Do you enjoy living like this?” She continued folding her arms across her chest.“I eat out,” he responded with a flat tone. “Or I place an order.” He continued, arranging the folders on his work desk.“Well, how am I supposed to survive? Also, you don’t have in-house staffs, the housekeepers come and go. I’ve gotten tired of talking to the walls all day?” She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Or is Mr. Avan hiding something.”He looked up and met the mischievous grin on her face which made him roll his eyes.“I’ll have Von stock the kitchen.” He said before gathering his files to leave.“I’ll have Von stock the kitchen.” She mimicked hi
“What the hell!” The lady exclaimed as she felt someone pulled her arm.“Kate! Oh my gosh we looked everywhere for…. You’re not Kate” She stopped trying to catch her breath.Bryan and Fiona came to a halt of their chase and were met with confused looks between the two.“That’s not Kate.” They said in unison panting. “Why! Why can’t it just be my daughter.” Mrs. Delaney cried out swinging the hands of the lady.“Hey! let me go..” “We’re so sorry for the inconvenience.” Bryan said setting her free from Mrs. Delaney’s grip. You just happened to be a lookalike of the person were looking for.”“Yeah, right.” The lady said casting them a warning look as she walked away two times faster.Mrs. Delaney collapsed into the chair devastated as they got back to the apartment. “At this rate, I don’t think we’re ever going to find her.”Bryan rests his arm on her shoulder to comfort her. ” I’d tell the police to expand the search area.”***Avan dropped a folder on the table.“What kind of terms a
“Kate! Kate!” He roared as he burst Into the Ave penthouse. “I’m right here,” she said coming out from the kitchen “Just tryna see what to survive on.” She added.“Your phone!…Where is it?”“It’s right here.” She replied as she brought it out of her pocket. “What is…No!!” Kate screamed as he smashed it to the floor.“Are you insane!”“The police are tracking it.” He said panting.“Good gracious,” Kate heaved a sigh of relief as she picked it up. “It’s still on but the screen’s broken. You destroy this, you destroy the only edge I have against Bryan.”“And the police links me as the kidnapper. I won’t hesitate to make your life a living hell.” Avan roared pacing around the room. “We could configure the settings, you know.” Kate said as she examined the phone for further damages.“Right, Von!” he called out and walked towards the staircase. “Do I get an apology or something.” Kate called after him.He stopped in his tracks. “For?” “I don’t know..maybe for smashing my phone’s screen.
‘Kate Delaney runs away on the wedding day.’‘Kate Delaney turns down Bryan West at the altar in a bid to protect their family.’‘Watch here: Mrs. Alia Delaney release statement about her daughter’s disappearance on her wedding day.’“They’re already bringing up false narratives.” Kate said looking up to Avan’s emotionless face as she played the video.“My precious daughter was threatened before the wedding but she kept it all to herself, she’s always trying to be so brave,” Mrs. Delaney let out a chuckle. “And despite the fact that she kept to her end of the bargain to not follow through with the marriage with Bryan, they still kidnapped her, oh my poor child.” She added as she wiped the stream of tears flowing down her cheeks.“We are working really hard and have involved the police to find the perpetrators of this evil. And please if you happen to see her anywhere, any clue you might have, please do well to call this number. We would not stop until my daughter is found safe and sou
Kate stood watching her surroundings, a town she wasn’t familiar with, she had no purse with her, no cards and no phone. What was she even thinking when she ran away from the wedding. Irrational survival instinct.“Wait, I’d…I’d do it!” she screamed before the escort shut the door. Avan signaled to the young man to open the door. He looked at her emotionless as she got back in the car like a rain beaten poltroon.“One way or the other, I’d have to marry a West, so what if it doesn’t have to be Bryan?” She asked tugging the hem of her wedding gown sleeve.Avan burst out a dismissive laugh.Gosh so he can actually laugh, he looked cute in this facial expression.In the next few hours there’d be news flying around town of her disappearance. Her mother would not stop at any length to make sure this wedding holds, the company is at the verge of collapse ever since her father died and this alliance was going to be the turning point of their lives. And Bryan, he won’t stop at any length to







