Chapter 28 Luca's reappearance
Melissa rubbed her hand on her eyes sluggishly to wake her up from the slumber she was fall into due to the late night work she was giving herself.
She stared at her computer screen and smiled in victory to how far she had gotten which her speech for the upcoming party as she wasn’t sure she would have the chance to right another due to all her busy schedules, she turned on her phone and went through all her messages including those from Richard making her groan loudly.
“Why did you have to fall in love with me Richard, I can’t be able to handle it all.” She whispered to herself before looking around only to notice that everyone had already gone home leaving only her in the building.
She arranged her bag and was just about to leave when she heard her name being called by a familiar voice.
“Come out, come out wherever you are.” She heard the familiar voice call,
“Who could possibly be calling my name this late at night?” Melissa whispered to herself as she stepped out of her office.
Melissa's heart raced as she recognized the voice calling her name. It was Lucas, the dangerous figure from her past. Panic washed over her as she realized she was in immediate danger. She quickly gathered her belongings and made a split-second decision to escape through the back door of the company.
As she ran through the dimly lit corridors, her mind raced with thoughts of how Lucas had found her. Had he been tracking her all this time? She couldn't let herself dwell on those questions now. Her priority was to get to safety.
Melissa's instincts kicked in as she navigated the unfamiliar hallways, her senses heightened with adrenaline. She knew she couldn't outrun Lucas for long, so she needed to find a place to hide.
Her eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for any sign of an exit or a hiding spot. She spotted a small storage room up ahead and made a beeline for it. With trembling hands, she unlocked the door and slipped inside, closing it silently behind her.
In the darkness of the storage room, Melissa tried to slow her breathing and quiet her racing heart. She knew she needed to stay calm and think of a plan. She pulled out her phone and dialed Richard's number, praying that he would answer.
"Richard, it's Melissa," she whispered urgently when he picked up. "I'm in danger. Lucas has found me. I need help."
Richard's voice was filled with concern and determination. "Melissa, stay where you are. I'm coming to get you. Just hold on."
Melissa felt a glimmer of hope as she heard Richard's reassurance. She knew she had to trust him and wait for his arrival. She huddled in the corner of the storage room, her heart pounding in her chest, as she prayed for Richard to come quickly.
Minutes felt like hours as Melissa waited in the darkness, her mind filled with fear and uncertainty. But just when the silence became unbearable, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching the storage room.
Her heart skipped a beat as the door swung open and Richard's familiar face appeared. Relief washed over her as he reached out a hand to help her up.
"Melissa, are you okay?" Richard asked, his voice filled with concern.
Melissa nodded, her voice shaky. "I'm scared, Richard. He's here, and he wants to hurt me."
Richard's grip tightened on her hand, his eyes filled with determination. "You're safe now, Melissa. I won't let anything happen to you. We'll get through this together."
Richard soon took Melissa to the cctv room to see if she could identify the stranger and maybe they could find him and stop him.
“He is a ruthless person Richard, he won’t stop now that he has found me.” Melissa said nervously making Richard more worried and concerned as she isn’t supposed to be worried at her state.
“Melissa please calm yourself down, we would find whoever this Lucas is.” Richard tried to assure her in hopes that she would be less nervous but nothing seemed to be working in his favor.
As Richard played the security footage, they watched in disbelief as Lucas walked into the building and then vanished as soon as Richard arrived. The footage showed no trace of Lucas leaving or hiding, leaving Richard puzzled.
"Where did he go?" Melissa whispered, her voice filled with fear.
Richard rewound the footage and played it again, hoping to catch any details they might have missed. But there was nothing. Lucas seemed to have disappeared into thin air.
"I don't understand," Richard said, frustration evident in his voice. "How did he manage to escape without a trace?"
Melissa's mind raced with possibilities. Had Lucas anticipated their arrival and planned a quick getaway? Or was there something more sinister at play?
As they continued to analyze the footage, Richard noticed a faint reflection in the corner of the screen. He zoomed in, and they both gasped as they saw a figure lurking in the shadows.
"Who is that?" Melissa asked, her voice trembling.
Richard's jaw clenched as he studied the figure. It was a man wearing a dark hoodie, his face hidden beneath a hood. There was something eerily familiar about him, but Richard couldn't quite place it.
"We need to find out who that is," Richard said with determination.
“They were two of them and I only recognize Lucas in that room not the other man…two people are tracking me.” Melissa said to Richard who was still confused about everything.
“Who is this Lucas guy and why is he chasing after you?” Richard asked Melissa as we realized what she had just done, Richard had just found out about Lucas.
“What aren’t you still telling me? What else are you possibly hiding from me?” Richard asked hoping for once that Melissa would say the truth and confined in him about everything she was hiding.