Chapter 100: 100.

AUTHOR

Artemis didn’t know how long she sat in the bathroom before she heard Kieran’s retreating steps. She forced herself to stand, but her legs were shaking badly. She caught herself in the mirror, and her eyes were red and swollen, her face blotched from the crying.

She moved to the sink and turned on the cold water to splash on her face as though it would get rid of the timer that was ticking over her head.

She pressed her palms against the cool marble and took in a deep breath. She needed to pull herself together because she could not face Kieran to demand that money if she looked a push from falling apart.

When she finally opened the bathroom door, she found Kieran sitting on the edge of their bed with his face in his hands.

He looked up immediately when he heard the door, and when he saw her, he was on his feet, rushing to meet her halfway. "Hey." His voice was gentle as he spoke. “Are you okay?” he asked, his hand reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

Artemis nodded because she couldn’t trust herself to speak. The truth was burning the tip of her tongue.

“You know that you can tell me anything, right?”

Artemis nodded, forcing herself to smile. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just exhausted," she lied and stepped back.

Kieran watched her as she moved away from him and walked towards the bed. He closed his eyes, trying to be patient, but he felt helpless, and he hated that feeling.

He opened his mouth to assure her again, hoping it would get her to spill, but he was interrupted when a knock sounded.

“Who is it?”

“I need to speak with you, Mr Archibald," Michael answered. “It’s very urgent."

Kieran glanced at Artemis, who was too pale. “I’ll see what he wants and come back." She nodded, not saying a word.

He found Michael waiting when he left the bedroom. He had a grim expression. He glanced towards the closed bedroom door, then back at the man before nudging towards the hallway. “My office”

Once the door of his office closed behind them, Michael pulled out a tablet and handed it to Kieran. “The call was encrypted, so it’s hard to chase."

“But?”

“But we managed to trace the general location where the call came from. We are pulling the camera footage from the area now to see if we can get something. I’ve got our best hackers working on the case."

Kieran nodded, his mind racing. Who could it be? And what did the person tell Artemis that had gotten her so terrified?

“I want updates every hour," he said. “And check on Artemis’ family. If it isn’t work that has her scared, it might be family related.

Michael paused. “You think her family could be compromised?”

Kieran sighed, taking a seat on the couch. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’m just working with my hunch at this point.” He admitted. “She is terrified, Micheal. I have never seen her this terrified before”

The words tasted bitter. All Kieran could think of was that Artemis had lied to him because she was scared. He needed to find out the cause since she wasn’t going to tell him anything.

“I’ll have someone go to her place and check on her parents," Michael promised. “Whatever is wrong, we will figure it out."

“And her brother. He could be at school. "Sometimes, Ares spends days in school and doesn’t come home for long periods of time if they have research or exam stuff," Kieran added.

Kieran dismissed him with a nod, and Micheal left him alone in the office. Someone was threatening Artemis. At first, he wasn’t sure, but now that Micheal had confirmed the number couldn’t be traced, Kieran was certain.

And when he found out the person who was playing this game, he would make them regret it.

Kieran returned to their bedroom after a while and found Artemis by the window, staring out at the dark sky. She didn’t turn around like she would usually do when he entered the room.

He approached her and sat close to her. The frustration was eating at him when she didn’t speak to him.

“Artemis, look at me." He ordered softly, and he watched her tense.

“What is it, Kier?” She said, refusing to turn. “You are acting strange."

“Me?” Kieran scoffed. “We both know the problem is you, and you won’t talk." He didn’t mean to yell, but he did, and she flinched.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing himself to calm down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to raise my voice. I’m just worried. Something is obviously wrong, and you won’t talk to me."

“It’s fine."

Kieran reached out to touch her. His hands slid down her arms, and she closed her eyes as he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.

Artemus felt tears well up again. This was torture. Kieran was trying his best to comfort her even if he didn’t know what the problem was, and all she could do was push him away to set the stage for what she wanted to do.

“Let me take care of you." He murmured against her skin, his hands sliding down her waist. “Let me make everything alright."

“No.” The words came out harsher than she intended as she pulled away from him. She stood up abruptly. “I’m not in the mood."

Kieran watched her as she wrapped her hands around herself. “Okay. I won’t push you."

Though he said those words, it wasn’t okay. She had never refused his touch before. It felt like they were back to the starting point again, and the thought terrified Kieran.

“I have some work to finish in my office," he lied, getting up. “Call me if you need anything."

She nodded, and he left the room. As soon as he left the room, he pulled out his phone. “Make sure everything is done by tomorrow evening. I can’t be patient anymore."