Chapter 2: We Need To Find Her

Alexander’s Point Of View

“Earth to Alex!”

Damien’s voice pulled me out of my drowning thoughts. He snapped his finger in front of my face, and I blinked at the screen in front of me, realizing I’d been staring at my laptop without actually reading anything.

“You were saying?” I asked, rubbing a hand over my face.

Damien leaned back, arms crossed. “What’s going on with you, man? You’ve been off all day. Who’s got your head spinning like this? Found yourself a new obsession?” He smirked.

I rolled my eyes. How the hell was I supposed to even explain this? That I’d seen a woman who looked exactly like my Trina? That my son, who was super smart, had recognized a stranger first and called her Mommy?

Damien was watching me closely now, more serious than before.

“Come on, bro. Spill the bean, you know I won’t judge.”

I hesitated. Then I said it as fast as I could. “I saw Trina.”

His brow lifted and confusion etched on his face briefly

“Or someone who looks exactly like her,” I added quickly.

Damien burst out into a fleet of laughter, but it felt uneasy. “Alex… come on. I’d have believed you if I didn’t know you long enough, I know you love Trina with all your life but It’s been what, a year? And you’re seeing her in strangers? come on man!”

“It wasn’t even me who saw her first. Nolan saw her first, he called out to her.”

Damien’s smile faded.

“You can think I’m losing it for all I care but I know what I saw. And Nolan… he’s been different ever since…”

Just then, my phone buzzed, stopping me mid sentence. I glanced down. Nolan’s school.

My heart dropped. This was odd. I hurriedly picked up

“Hello, Alexander Grey speaking.”

“Mr. Grey, this is Principal Miranda. We need you at the school immediately. Nolan’s been crying non-stop, and now he’s running a fever. He’s in the clinic.”

I stood abruptly, grabbing my keys.

“I’m on my way.”

Damien stood too. “Wait.. who was that? what happened?”

“Think I’m crazy? Good. Come with me, I’ll show you I’m not.”

The drive to the school was the quietest it had ever been between Damien and me. I could feel his anxiety radiating off him as I raced to the school.

The moment we arrived at the school, I barely remembered turning off the engine.

Nolan was curled up on the bed, shivering, trickles of tears rolled down his eyes, Nanny Flora dabbing his forehead.

“Daddy!” His voice was a weak whimper.

I scooped him into my arms without hesitation. He was burning up.

“I want mummy,” he whispered, clinging to me. “Take me to Mummy.”

My chest tightened.

“He’s been like this ever since you both returned from that meeting you took him to,” Flora said softly. “He keeps asking to see his mother. Refusing to eat. And now this fever…”

I looked down at my son. His eyes were glassy, rimmed with tears.

“I promise, I’ll bring Mommy home tonight, okay? Just rest for now.”

“Alex..” Damien called out his eyes wide with surprise

But too late, Nolan’s eye had already glistened with happiness. “Pinky pwomise, Daddy?”

I nearly choked. That had been Trina’s thing. She had taught him that, and any promise made this way was meant to be fulfilled.

I linked my finger with his. “Pinky promise.”

His arms wrapped tightly around my neck.

After a while, he finally fell asleep in my arm and I handed him to Flora. “Take him home. I’ve called the driver.”

She nodded. “But.. where are you going Alex.”

“Somewhere important, I will be back soon” I assured her

Once back in the car, Damien broke the silence.

“You really promised him you’d bring his mom home tonight? How the hell are you going to do that?”

“Just shut up and follow me Damien”

I turned the car toward the ice cream shop.

She might not be Trina, but if having her around would make my son all bubbly again, I’d make sure he has her.

When we arrived, the woman behind the counter wasn’t the lady Nolan had called mummy two days ago. Still, I stepped in line, waiting, not wanting to causes unnecessary drama.

When it was my turn, I leaned forward. “I need to speak to your manager.”

She raised an eyebrow. “And who are you to just demand that?”

“Alexander Grey.”

Recognition flickered across her face. “Oh… uh…” She offered me a small smile before adjusting her t-shirt as if to gain my attention before pointing down the hallway. “Last door on the left, sir.”

I ignored her attempts at flirting and nodded once.

Turning to Damien, I said, “Wait here. I’ll bring her out.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Here? Why?”

“Just wait Damien!,” I insisted, already walking down the hallway.

Getting to the door, I didn’t bother knocking this time. I pushed the door open.

What I saw stopped me cold.

The so called manager… Mr. Collins, had the lady I was looking for pinned against the wall. His hands were on her waist, his face far too close to hers, looked like an attempt to molest the poor girl.

This time it was quite obvious that she was struggling. Her eyes held fear mixed with tears.

The scene triggered a sickening déjà vu. The first time, I’d turned my back. Thought she was probably just messing around. Thought she was like all the rest. But now… I knew I’d been wrong. Dead wrong.

But this…

This was different. This was unmistakable.

She was terrified.

“Get your fucking hands off her,” I growled.

Collins spun, startled. Annalyn gasped when she saw me.

“Sir… I… this isn’t what it looks like!” Collins stammered.

“I said get your damn hands off her.” I stepped forward, my voice dropping to ice. “Try touching her again, and I swear you will never be able to use that hand for as long as you live.”

He backed off immediately.

“How dare you lay your hands on a woman without proper consent?” I was already seeing red at this point. then I turned to her.

She looked so much like Trina it made my chest ache but that tiny mole on top of her lip told me otherwise. Still, something about her felt… familiar. Like maybe I’d seen her long before now.

“Are you okay?” I asked her.

She nodded numbly.

“Good.”

I turned back to Collins, my voice low and deadly. “You’re done. Don’t bother coming back here. And don’t think of erasing anything. I’ll have a team here in an hour to collect every piece of footage in this building. I will make sure the owners of this fine establishment hear about this unethical behavior of yours, and you will never get a job in this town, not even as a janitor.”

Then I reached for the lady’s hand.

“You are coming with me.”

She blinked. “Wait… What?”

“You’re not staying here. Not another minute.”

Without waiting for her response, I gently but firmly pulled her from the room.

We stepped out into the parlour, her hand still in mine, some customers stared but I ignored them, Damien stood just by the parlour door typing away on his phone but as soon as he noticed us walking out the door, he lifted his head and made an attempt to slid his phone back into his pocket but his eyes landed on the lady and his eyes widened in surprise.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He said in almost a whisper.