Jonah hated that he had to bring himself forth to do this. But he was putting his foot down this time. He was not giving into the demands of the blackmailer anymore. Whatever happens, happens. "Que Sera, Sera." He assured himself.
*****
The morning sun streamed brightly through the gap in the curtains, forcing Jonah to wake up from his slumber. He groaned, burying his face deeper into the pillow, the memory of last night's spat resurfacing in his mind. Jonah sighed, the heaviness of the blackmailer's threat returning to press him down.
He was reconsidering his decision of going to the police. He could not imagine how heart broken his parents would be but he could not let this continue. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table, it was 7:30 AM. He had a full day ahead of him. He had a meeting with Victor, his new boss, at 9 AM, a meeting he was not particularly looking forward to.
Victor had bought out the firm a few months ago, and Jonah still had not quite figured him out. He felt Victor was invasive and had no respect for privacy. Especially him going out of his way to talk to his parents. Jonah had heard he was charismatic, charming, and unnervingly perceptive, but he felt there was an underlying coldness to him, a predatory spark in his eyes.
Even though he had only seen pictures, that always made Jonah uneasy. Jonah swung his legs over the side of the bed. He walked across the room, the cool tile beneath his bare feet. He poured himself a glass of water, the liquid lubricating his dry throat and quenching the thirst he had.
He showered quickly, the hot water washing away the remnants of sleep and the lingering anxiety. As he dressed, he chose his clothes carefully. He wanted to appear professional, but not overly formal. A crisp white shirt, dark jeans, and a jacket would do. He looked at himself in the mirror, smoothing down his hair. He looked tired, but he had no choice. He was going to face this, no matter what.
He arrived at the office a little early, to get ahead on what seemed like it was going to be a stressful day. The office was a busy as hell, everyone was on one activity or the other,architects hunched over their computers, designers sketching lost in their work, and the low hum of side conversations filling the air. Jonah made his way to his desk, greeted by a warm smile from his colleague, Sarah.
"Morning, Jonah," she said. "You face isn't doing justice to your dressing though, you look, I don't know..... Scared maybe, anxious would be a better word."
"Nothing much here, just a long night," Jonah replied, forcing a smile. He spent the next hour reviewing his projects, trying to focus on his work, but his mind kept drifting back to the blackmailer and his confrontation with Elliot.
He was still processing the events of the previous evening, the intensity of their encounter, the subsequent argument, and Elliot's unexpected coldness. Just as he was about to delve into a particularly challenging design, a shadow fell over his desk. He looked up to see Victor standing there, confident, aura-filled, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Mr. Hartfield," Jonah greeted, standing up.
"Jonah," Victor replied, his voice a low, smooth baritone. "I wanted to welcome you officially to the firm. I have heard great things about your work." "I am sorry I have not had the time to welcome you officially." Victor added.
"But you had the time to continuously speak to my parents. Yeah right." Jonah thought to himself. He eyed Victor's outstretched arm for a few seconds before reluctantly taking it, a fake smile plastered on his face.
"Thank you, sir," Jonah replied, feeling a strange sense of unease wash over him. Victor's gaze stayed on him a moment longer than necessary, he looked like a lion that was about to pounce on his weak prey, his eyes, Jonah could not shake it off.
"I would like to discuss about a new project with you," Victor said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Something special."
Jonah felt a shiver crawl down his spine. It felt weird, talking to Victor. He had this unsettling aura.
"Special?" Jonah echoed, a flash of suspicion clouding his face.
Victor's smile widened, a subtle curl of his lips that Jonah's stomach uneasy.
"Indeed," he said, gesturing towards his office. "A project of considerable magnitude. Shall we?"
Jonah hesitated, unsure if he wanted to have anything to do with Victor. He glanced at Sarah, who offered a reassuring nod and a small, encouraging smile. With a deep breath, Jonah followed Victor into his office, a spacious room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.
Victor’s desk was neatly organized. It looked like a stage office set, not one where actual work was done. He doubted if Victor was even a licensed architect, qualified to occupy this seat. He gestured for Jonah to take a seat, then settled into his own leather chair, his eyes never leaving Jonah's face.
"So, Mr. Jonah," Victor began, his voice smooth and measured. "This project, it is unlike anything we have done before. It's a private commission, from a very influential client."
"Influential?" Jonah asked, his curiosity piqued. "Extremely," Victor confirmed, his eyes glinting. "Someone with very specific tastes. They require absolute discretion, and a certain level of creativity."
Jonah frowned. "What kind of project is it?" Victor leaned forward, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. "They want a sanctuary. A place where they can escape the pressures of the world. A place of absolute privacy."
"A retreat?" Jonah suggested, trying to make sense of Victor's vague descriptions. "More than a retreat," Victor corrected, his eyes fixed on Jonah's. "A fortress. A place of complete control." Jonah felt a prickle of discomfort.
"Control?" Victor's smile returned, a slow, annoying curve of his lips. "They want to be able to control every aspect of their environment. Every detail, every sensation. They want absolute mastery."
Jonah shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"That sounds like a lot." "It is," Victor agreed, his voice laced with a hint of something Jonah could not quite place. "And they have heard you are the best. They have seen your previous work, your attention to detail. They believe you have the vision."
"Me?" Jonah asked, surprised. "Why me?" "They were impressed by your work on the Miller residence, particularly the integration of the security systems with the architectural design. They want something similar, but on a much larger scale."