Chapter 78

*Sierra*

I got up in the morning and went to see Cynthia at her old place at The Purple Mirage. I commented on it and she told me that she occasionally came back here so that the place doesn't feel neglected. I went to my old house and saw it was now bare.

I went back to the hospital where I found Llewellyn waiting for me. He was worried as I had left in the morning without telling him. I hugged him to apologize and explained he was sleeping and I didn't want to wake him up.

Jayden walked up to us and we followed him inside. He asked me a question and I told him I went to see Cynthia at The Purple Mirage. I entered the room and stood by Brian's bed. I stroked his cheek but he was still asleep.

There was a nurse who was checking his vitals. Jayden joined me and asked the nurse a few questions.

"Is something wrong?" Jayden asks. I saw Frankie looking a little distressed.

"Lisa hasn't reported to work for the last two days. I sent someone to The Purple Mirage but she isn't answering the door nor is she picking up calls. How is Brian?"

"He is still sleeping but he is fine," Jayden answered. "If she doesn't show up today, we will gain access to her house and alert the authorities. We can still do your blood test."

"What do you mean Lisa is missing?" I asked.

Frankie looked at Jayden who nodded, "Lisa hasn't reported to work since Tuesday. Her phone is off network and as you heard she isn't opening the door."

I got up and left the room holding my phone. "Hi Cynthia, can you do me a favour? I know you have already left the Purple Mirage but can you go and see if Lisa is around."

"Even better, I have a key to her place, she hasn't been to work though for a few days, I assumed she was on her leave days. Let me get there. I will tell you when I arrive."

I hung up and headed to the washrooms. When I was done with my business I stepped out of the stall and bumped into Olga. I stood frozen and watched her warily. The way she was standing there waiting for me meant she knew I was around.

"The little chicken came back home to roost? What are you doing here?" she asked me, "Didn't I ask you to stay away from my man?"

She took a step closer.

"I came to see Brian," I said, moving away from her and going to the mirror. "You don't have to worry I am not here to stay."

"We don't want you here," she said. "If I were you I would leave town immediately and never come back."

I unclenched my hand and faced her, "Look, you seem to have the notion that I am afraid of you. I am not. I left town not because of you."

She walked up to me, "Well maybe you should be?" She grabbed my arm and sunk her nails into it. I felt her break skin but I stared back at her not flinching. "How is Brian?"

"He is fine, I have to go." She squeezed harder.

"You remind me of a Chihuahua," I said ignoring the pain, "All bark and no bite."

She increased her grip and I swung my hand. It connected with her cheek and she stumbled back nursing her cheek in shock.

"I am not afraid of you," I said. "If you want more of that, you know where to find me. I will be here until Brian is released."

She threw daggers at me but walked out of the washrooms. I let out the breath I was holding and felt my knees start to quiver. I supported myself on the wall and regulated my breath. For a moment there I thought we were going to fight. It was a small consolation that I managed to slap her. I looked at the marks on my arm and I wiped it.

My phone vibrated and I saw it was a video MMS from Cynthia. I watched the clip and the text attached to it.

"Sierra, what's wrong?" Jayden asked me as I walked back to the ward.

"It's nothing," I said and started to walk away but he grabbed my injured arm making me flinch and yell in pain. Llewellyn walked in on us and he launched himself at Jayden.

The two started exchanging blows for no reason and I started yelling for them to stop. Finally my screams brought a few security guards and Dave who separated the two. They were taken to different rooms and a nurse attended to me after she saw the marks on my hands.

I went to check up on Llewellyn first who looked bloodier than Jayden. The nurse assured me that he only looked worse than he really was. When the nurse left I asked him why they started fighting and he told me that he thought Jayden was forcing himself on me. I assured him that no matter how crude and rough he may appear, I was safe around Jayden just as much as I was around him.

I also reminded him of what we had talked about in the beginning when he had expressed romantic interest in me and I turned him down. He assured me he remembered and that he was okay.

"The loser in a match is the one who is usually fawned over," he said and shooed me away. I smiled and went to Jayden.

"You two are just like high school teenagers," I said walking up to him looking at Dave first and then him.

"Llewellyn told me why you fought but honestly," I let out a sigh. "I thought it was clear that Llewellyn and I are just friends. He knows that too after I told him. Why would you just assume things?"

"I thought-"

"Do you know how much he has helped me these last few weeks?" I asked him. I saw his glance shifted to my arm and was ready to comment about it.

However, Frankie entered and looked at Jayden shaking her head. "You are fortunate that Brian hasn't seen his father acting like a hooligan. I leave you for less than ten minutes and you end up acting like two lions."

After fifteen minutes, a doctor joined our group and looked at Jayden and nodded.

"It was just as you suspected, her blood also has traces of a similar drug that appeared in your results too." He said.

"Chimichanga?" Jayden asked. The doctor smiled and nodded.

"No, not the chimichurri."

Frankie looked at the confused, "Is that some code or what?" I wasn't the only one confused by their exchange.

"Olga drugged us a few nights ago. She drugged everyone in the house with an intoxicant to make us sleepy as well as going the extra mile to use a hallucinogen on me." Jayden nodded and I gasped silently.

I saw Frankie nod and Lorraine walked in holding something in her hand. She looked at the small crowd before her and sighed.

"I have some bad news, Olga might have run away because of me."

"No she didn't, but please go on."

"I suspected that the baby wasn't yours so I gave her a time period to get a DNA test to prove it was. I guess she panicked and ran away."

Frankie and Jayden exchanged looks and Lorraine asked, "Is there something I don't know?"

"Olga is still around," I said before anyone could speak. Sierra turned to me.

"I bumped into her just before you got into that fight with Llewellyn. She asked me what I was doing there and I told her I came to see Brian. She asked me how he was and then left me all after warning me to stay away from you. This was the warning." I said and pointed at the small bandage on my arm.

Frankie immediately stood up and left the room with her phone in her hand. I know Jayden wanted to come over and ask about my injury but Lorraine was stopping him.

"I have arranged for hospital security to keep her out and only authorized people are allowed to visit Brian." She said came in ten minutes later. "It looks like she came here by taxi, her car wasn't seen entering the hospital compound."

"Something else I think you would like to know," I sighed and looked at Frankie, "Lisa isn't in her apartment and neither is her car around but everything else she owns is there including her driving license, passport and ID card. Cynthia gained access to her house as she has a spare after I told her that you think she is missing."

"Just what is happening today?" Lorraine wondered. "Jayden what is this about you getting into a fight?"

Jayden stood up quickly, "Frankie let us go to The Purple Mirage and find out what happened. Sierra, will you stay and keep an eye out on Brian?"

I nodded, I was right, Lorraine was the only reason that Jayden wasn't misbehaving. I went back to Brian's room and sat on the chair.

"Sierra?" his voice said after a short while.

"Yes Brian, I am here," I said happily. "How are you feeling?"

"I am happy to see you," he said. "How long have you been here?"

"I came yesterday morning," I told him, stroking his messy hair. "Let me call your Dad, he has just left."

"No, before you do that I have something to tell you," he said holding my hand. "Is Olga around?"

I shook my head and then he went on to tell me everything that had happened. I was rightfully angry when it got to the part where he narrated how Olga had pushed him down the stairs. With his story I could see just how far Olga would go to get Jayden. Now I truly believed that Jayden was innocent.

"What are you going to do? I don't want her to hurt Dad or you," he said.

"Don't worry, no one is going to hurt either of us. I will go and talk to you Dad. Don't worry Olga is not allowed to see you. There are guards stationed to protect you. Thank you for telling me this."

I took out my phone and called Cynthia to meet me at The Purple Mirage immediately. I was very fortunate that she had been given two weeks leave and was available. She agreed and I took a taxi to get there. I missed the days when I had Dave taking me everywhere.

The taxi pulled up outside my former housing block and I paid my fare and walked up the stairs to Cynthia's apartment. I knocked and she opened the door immediately.

"You look like you have tea for me," Cynthia said as soon as I entered her house.

"I need your advice on something," I began. I then told her what Brian had told me and she gasped.

When I was done she looked as angry as I was. "Only Jayden can handle this or Lorraine. You should tell him this face to face. She shouldn't get away with this at all. They came here a while ago but I think they have gone to the mansion to regroup. You may find them there."

"Thanks, I better get to him as soon as I can." I said and put my phone in my jeans waistband as I didn't carry my bag. I headed downstairs where a black car was waiting for me.

"Sierra Lane? I have been sent by Jayden to get you," the suited driver said as he opened the door. I thought that was fast and I entered without thinking.

As soon as I got in, I felt someone grab my hand and a sharp pain on my arm.

I started feeling dizzy and soon everything turned black.