"What happened, Edan?" I asked, my voice showing no emotions at all.
"Nothing..." He continued, "Christian, my biggest rival of all time, the only enemy I hate so much... I heard he is after you, Ramona. He wants to use you in some way. I don't know how but he wants to. I called you to be wary of him, okay?”
“If he ever tries to contact you, just let me know. And, please don't listen to him no matter what he tells you."
"Okay," I said, not that I was going to obey him. He took a sigh of relief, and then made himself sound as if he really cared about me, saying,
"Ramona, I know I should have been with you at this moment. But, I'm stuck with some urgent work. I'll be back soon. Please take care of yourself, okay?"
"It's okay, Edan," I said, "Take your time and don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."
After throwing out these words, I hung up. As soon as I hung up the call, my phone rang again. This time from an unknown number. I recalled what Edan told me as I instantly picked up the call.
"Hello, who is this?" I asked,
"I'm sure your husband would have given you a million reasons not to talk to me but I'll give you only one to talk," a deep male magnetic voice sounded from the other end, each word carrying the weight of millions, forcing me to listen more.
"Are you Christian Williams?" I asked, my voice laced with suspicion and anxiety.
"Yes," he replied, "I'm the one who knows what you don't."
"What do you want from me, Christian?" I asked.
"Want something from you? Nothing! I just want to give you something." He replied, his tone mysterious but sounded sincere.
"I know what you have lost and that nothing can compare to it. But, what I know might give a direction to your life. Do you want to take a risk and meet me?"
He asked in a deep magnetic voice. He had something in his tone that was sending shivers down my spine but I agreed to our meeting.
***
The time and location that Christian shared on my phone led me to a very extravagant auction, running in a very luxurious hotel. An act of showing off your wealth and power. Having been raised in a well known Mafia family, I was completely aware of these cultures.
In the name of charity, undercover agents and people involved in illegal business gathered in these kinds of events to share some information or meet some people who they couldn't meet in broad daylight.
After coming out of the cab, I asked the chauffeur to leave. I was standing nervously near the main entrance, because I knew entry to these kinds of events needed special invitation but I was empty handed.
The guards were staring at me as if I was a trespasser. I could feel their eyes scanning me from head to toe, sizing me up. I knew I had to think fast, or I'd be turned away at the door.
Just as I was about to come up with a plan, a sleek black car pulled up beside me. The window rolled down, revealing a familiar face - Edan. The chauffeur opened the door for him. He came out, holding Lyra’s hands affectionately.
Lyra smiled at the faces staring at them with adoration. She had held her baby in her arms, and a dozen guards dressed in black and laced with weapons followed them.
Seeing such a high class security after Lyra forced me to think how Edan kept telling me to stay inside the castle for my security but didn't bother to keep any guards for me and here he was, arranging dozens of guards for his beloved.
I was still standing at the entrance, listening to the sneers and whispers of the guards while Edan walked past me with his ‘family’. I was standing so close to him but his gaze was too occupied staring at Lyra to even notice my presence.
However, his ignorance had no effect on me. My heart was already dead. I didn't feel hurt anymore. I was about to turn and leave, thinking it was a bad idea to trust somebody on a phone call, that someone called me from behind.
I turned back only to find a man dressed in a well tailored grey suit.
"Need a ride?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
I raised an eyebrow, surprised by his sudden appearance before I said, "I think I need more than a ride, Mr. Williams?"
