Chapter 88

"What's the latest update?"

Aldo hung up as he turned to her and returned his phone to his pocket. "They've been moved from the villa"

"Oh, thank God!" She exclaimed, sitting on the couch. "We were almost caught"

"Nah, not yet"

"Is he not gonna return home today?"

"I don't know. Chester is suspicious of us"

"What? What do you mean?"

"I can't really share full...." His phone beeped, interrupting his conversation. He removed his phone and the head message read in bold letters. "A WARNING FROM PRESIDENT CHESTER"

*********

"You should go home and rest" Gerald suggested.

"Nope, not yet, not until my daughter is found"

"I've never seen you so worried about someone. You care a lot about Perkins Group yet you do not even worry as much as this."

He turned to his window reminiscing on the scenario that happened two nights before the anniversary. He had gone to her room that night and found her struggling to read a book, it was beautiful to watch a 5-year-old child try to teach herself how to read. The best feeling is that this child is his.

"Hi Adriana, what are you doing? Do you need any help?" He remembered quizzing, walking up to her.

She closed the book and clung to her teddy bear. "I will be fine myself. Why are you not asleep? You have a lot of preparations to do. Your anniversary is in one night time"

He chuckled and stroked her hair. "I came to see how my darling is doing"

It was at that moment she removed a folded paper from her book and gave it to him. "My mother is an artistic person. I read a lot of poetry because my mother usually used it to express her love, pain, and sadness and I began to fall in love with poems as well. This poem is a replica of what I wish to say to you, fortunately, someone polished my words better, although I added a little of my words. You should read it when you're out of here"

"When are you going to tell me more about your mom?"

"She will reveal herself to you, give her a little time. Goodnight" she whispered and covered the blanket over her face.

He took the paper and walked away. Out of curiosity, he opened the paper outside her door and it was really a poem.

He was stunned at Adriana's words as sweats ran down his spine. This was deeper than he thought.

"If you push me away, I won't be here.

When you decide I'm worth it. I won't be here.

When you decide that I'm all you need to have a good day, I won't be here.

I was not born to be a second thought.

I'm my mother's favorite child and my brother's favorite sibling. I refuse to be treated like I'm worthless"

How could a child say something so deep? He wondered.

Just as expected, he was so busy the following day and he had no time to discuss it with her. On the morning of the anniversary, she walked up to him and held his hands softly. "Can I hug you?" She had requested.

He obliged and hugged her. She tucked another folded paper into his pocket. How did he not connect the dots easily and notice she was giving him signs about leaving?

It was hard to arrive at that conclusion. First, she sounded like she was being pushed away and the next note sounded like she was going to leave.

"I am so afraid time will steal you away and I can already hear his hurried footsteps"

He had grown to become so fond of her, although he wasn't still sure if she was his biological daughter. The aura around her was always very peaceful and relaxing and he missed that. Sometimes, when he had a crazy day at work, he would just go to her room and watch her sleep or play with her or engage her in a conversation if he was lucky to find her awake.

She's only a child but her empathy towards others is golden.

"Where could you be, dear child?" He muttered.

*******

"Shit! Chester is saying if I get married to you on his behalf, I will automatically become your husband. Is he even ready for this union?"

She angrily threw the flower vase from the table beside her to the floor. "Arghhhh!!!"

******

"I miss Chester. I didn't know I would leave so early. I thought we would leave after the wedding" Adriana confessed.

"Mother never wanted to witness their wedding, you should have been prepared" Adrian responded.

"I don't believe Chester will come after us and even if he does, he must be looking for me"

"Mother doesn't believe that we have to obey her"

Aryan scoffed at his sibling's conversation. "Why can't we just relocate to Guyana, this is one strange and scary city on the map"

"Right. Guyana is our home"

"We cannot go to Guyana because Chester already knows about there" Olivia responded, walking up to them.

"We keep running away like we're some sort of criminals. What's the big deal about telling Chester, Adriana is your child, I'm your ex-wife and the boys are yours?" Adrian wondered.

"He will kill us, just like he tried to do to me before you were born"

"I don't believe he will" Adriana objected.

"Sounds like some story composed to scare toddlers" Aryan chipped in.

*******

He alighted from the car and ran to the building where they were directed. He found Adriana plucking out some beautiful flowers in the garden.

He stared at her panting hard. "I found you. Oh, my God, I did!" He exclaimed softly. "Who is she with?" He rhetorically asked.

Like the universe wanted to give a response, Olivia walked out of the house and called her to come in for lunch.

"Olivia Gael?!" He whispered angrily.

"I silenced the men. It seems she ordered guards to ensure better safety" Gerald explained.

He scoffed as he began to fold his sleeve and walked up to the house.