Chapter 85 Ruined Everything

Chapter 85 Ruined Everything
EILEEN POV:

The professor droned on in class. I had been genuinely excited since the beginning of the semester, but midway through, the professor had a family emergency and someone else stepped in to take over.

The classes were paid for and all I wanted was to finish my degree and do something with my life.

When class ended, the students took a deep breath of relief. The students moved quickly, and I packed my bag at a slower pace. Since Arthur’s stunt, a lot of people have been staring at me. Which meant, I preferred to walk the hallways when classes were already in. 

I slung my bag over my shoulder and stepped out of the classroom to find my bodyguard waiting outside. It took me by surprise. Usually, he was more discreet, staying ten or twenty feet away, but with a full view of me at all times. 

I had never felt more secure. 

But something about how he avoided my eye when I called his name made me cold all over. 

“What is it?” I asked slowly. 

“Mr. Presley asked you to call him first thing.” 

I didn’t have a good feeling about this. I pulled out my phone, which had been on silent for all the time, and found I had a message from Leigh and Dominic. Curiously, Lucy hadn’t texted me. I took a sigh of relief. 

“Did Arthur make another statement?” I grumbled under my breath as I dialled Dominic’s number. 

He picked up on the first ring. “Hello?” I hesitated to ask. 

“Are you in your car yet?” he asked. 

My eyes flashed to the bodyguard. He must have heard Dominic’s words, because he motioned me to walk ahead of him. I eyed him suspiciously as I spoke into the phone. 

“No, I just came out of the class and found him looming at the door. Did Arthur do something?” I questioned. 

Anxiety bubbled in my chest, but I didn’t allow it to take over. Knowing Dominic, he already had someone working on it, and the problem would be solved soon. 

“Good, keep him close to you,” he said slowly. I heard traffic in the background and furrowed my brows. I thought he had meetings in the office all day. 

“Can you tell me what is going on now? You’re being too hush-hush right now.”

He cleared his throat. “I know…” he answered softly. “I just need you in the car right now.”

“Alright,” I dragged the word out. 

“He will take you to where I am going. And I need you to stay calm and collected because he might speed.” His explanation made me even more confused. “Trust him to bring you to me safely. And trust me that everything will be alright.”

I heard his voice crack towards the end and I froze.

“You’re scaring me,” my voice was barely a whisper. 

“Everything is alright. Everyone is safe.” He paused. “There has been an issue with Arthur and I don’t have enough information to tell you what… it is.”

The car was parked right in front of the building gate. Odd because cars were not allowed near this building at all. 

I gulped as I slid into the car. 

The bodyguard promptly locked it and rushed to the driver’s seat. 

“Are you inside?” he said after a beat. He must have heard the door shut. 

“I’m seated.” Because I knew I needed to be when he broke the news. But nothing prepared me for what he was about to say. 

“Leigh and Lucy went out with the kids this afternoon. They had a team of bodyguards but–”

I sucked in a breath. Someone was hurt. No wonder Lucy hadn’t texted. Something had happened to her. What about the kids? What about Leigh? 

My mind went into overdrive. It took a lot of effort to focus on Dominic’s words. 

“Arthur slipped past them somehow and took the kids. And Lucy.”

Silence. Utter silence. 

“How,” I choked out. 

It made no sense. I had finally come to terms with my reality. I had full faith in the people Dominic had employed. But how could someone unprepared like Arthur get past them and take my babies? How could he take Lucy with him? 

Lucy was a fighter. She would rather bite and bash Arthur’s head in rather than going with him.

“He had a car.” He sounded in disbelief.

“And Dan? Where was Dan?” If Dan had been around, Arthur would have never gotten any close.

There was another pause. “Samantha had an incident recently, so he went there.” In that moment, despite having no clue what was happening, I couldn’t help but blame Dan for being absent.

“I don’t understand,” I said frankly. 

“Miss Sharp,” I heard the bodyguard’s crisp voice cut through the fog. I looked up and found him staring at me through the rearview mirror. His face was filled with worry.

“I’m fine,” I tried to say, but sobs ripped through my throat instead.

“Eileen?” I heard Dominic call through the phone. It had fallen to the floor and his voice grew more distant. 

Sobs wracked through my body as the worst possible thoughts gripped me. 

“Eileen?” He called louder. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but soon, I heard the bodyguard speaking into his earpiece. 

“She is… alright.” Right. Because there was no word to describe the storm brewing in my heart. “I will take her to the location.”

“Yes.”

I tuned him out and crossed my arms across my chest. “Where are we going?” I asked finally. 

The sobs died down and all I was left with was questions and depression. I had already imagined the worst. There was no other way.

“We are going towards the highway,” he informed softly. 

“The highway?” I repeated. 

“The cops are chasing the car, and they have asked for Mr. Presley and you to be around… to persuade the assailant.”

The assailant. When Dominic told me he wanted Arthur gone forever, I was surprised he planned on jail time. But he promised it would never get so far. He was confident Arthur was incapable of hurting us.

But here he was…

We had pushed Arthur too far, and now he would take out my whole family for it. 

It was all my fault. I had brought him into their lives. I had ruined everything.