Chapter 35

... Emile's pov…

Her image flashed through my mind, she threatened me with a gun to stay away from her husband, her tone was deadly that day.

'She was the only person that I could think of that could pull this off. Dickinson had promised me nothing will happen but now what am I going to do? She warned me to stay away from Dickinson and then I traveled with him. She could have heard about that too and now came for me'.

I can only hope that something will happen and I will get out of this life threatening situation.

"I need water!" I screamed for anyone to hear me. In a few moments a young man in Black hoodie and handkerchief covering his mouth stepped in holding a bottle of water and a cup.

I hesitated for a moment. What if they find no need for me again and poison me to death.

It's sealed, you don't have to worry, the seemingly young man said, reassuring me after seeing me hesitate.

"The cup might be laced with poison." I pricked up my mind thinking if any possible scenario.

"Uh...I can untie you for a bit then can you drink from the bottle" he said as he placed the bottle on the floor

"Alright" I nodded and he begun to untie me and handed me the bottle of water and I downed the water. As I handed him the half filled bottled water I used the opportunity to punch him.

Ow!

I could see his surprised expression under his masked face. Even though he will probably hit me more as I expected, I was already happy I could punch one of these riffraffs. I smiled wearily expecting him to rain blows on me.

But instead he quickly tied me in place and rubbed his face. "I deserve that and more" he said as he left the room.

"Huh ?" I watched him with a suprised expression.

...Dickinson pov…

I left Emile"s mother house heading home after being cursed at by Emile's mom several times. While in the car pulled my phone out of my pocket and tried Emile's number again.

Switched off, I groaned as I hit my hand against the dashboard. "Damn it".

I decided to make a stop at a bar alongside the road. I walked into the bar, my mind preoccupied with the stress of my day.

I just needed a drink to take the edge off. The bar was crowded and noisy, but I managed to find an empty seat at the counter. I ordered a whiskey and sat back to take in my surroundings.

That's when I saw him. He was sitting alone at a table in the corner, nursing a beer. He caught my eye and gave me a small smile, and before I knew it, I found myself walking over to him.

"Mind if I join you?" I asked.

He gestured to the empty seat across from him. "Please do."

We introduced ourselves and started chatting. His name was Henry, and he said he was a businessman in town for a conference. We talked about our lives, our interests, and our careers. It was easy to talk to him, and before long, we were laughing and swapping stories like old friends.

As the night went on, we ordered more drinks. I don't know if it was the alcohol or the conversation, but I felt my guard starting to come down.

Do you know what it is to love someone but at the same time unable to help the person? I asked laughing as I put the bottle to my lips and downed the contents.

Henry must have sensed this too, because he put his hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eye.

Yeah, I am in a situation like that too, he began. "But you know what will be will be", he said laughing it off

"You're carrying a lot of weight on your shoulders," he said. "Whatever it is, you don't have to go through it alone."

I was touched by his concern and grateful for his understanding. I opened up to him and told him about my struggles, my fears, and my hopes. He listened attentively, nodding and offering words of encouragement.

As the night went on, we drank more, laughed more and shared more. It was getting late and we were both pretty drunk, so I called my driver to take me home.

"I had a great time tonight," Henry said, as we said our goodbyes. "I hope we can do this again sometime."

He walked out of the bar drunk and laughing to himself.

I wearily called my driver and stammered a few words, B..Bayside… bar...pick me up. I said to the phone. He seemed to understand and the call ended. I ordered a few more bottles and after some time I couldn't think clearly again. The thoughts that troubled me were still there clouding my mind like a plague.

"Emile…" I muttered wearily.

I got up from the bar stool and staggered a little before collapsing to the floor. Smash, the bottle shattered and the content spilled all over the floor. As I landed on the floor a little glass pricked my forehead and blood dripped down slowly.

I could feel someone tugging at my pocket and moving to free my wallet from my pocket.

"Get lost", someone punched the pick-pocket and pushed him out of the way, Jim. He grabbed me by my arm and pulled me up then he placed my arms on his shoulder, my weight resting on him. I suddenly threw up spewing vomit all over the place.

He pulled me to the toilet and washed my face, then dragged me out of the bar and took the keys from my breast pocket, opening the car doors and placing me in the backseat. I got into the car, feeling a sense of warmth and lightness that I hadn't felt in a long time.

"J..im... d...drive m...m...e to Emile", I said groggily.

We are going home to the cottage, sir , he said.

Oh...Jim take... me to E..mile, I want to see Emile! I screamed at him.

Sorry sir but we will locate her soon he said as he started the car. We will go to the cottage for now. He said as he drove down the road.

I will fire you jim! I w...will fi..re… you! I bellowed. Jim stiffened for a moment but kept on driving.

We arrived home at my cottage and Jim took me to the bedroom and tucked me in bed. "Jim", I called out as he made to leave the bedroom. "Sorry for threatening to fire you" I said drifting to sleep.

****************************************

I stepped into the conference room, my briefcase in hand, feeling a mix of nerves and a little excitement. This was a big deal, and I needed to make sure everything went smoothly.

The room was sleek and modern, with a large table in the center and floor-to-ceiling windows on one side. The other three walls were adorned with abstract art and framed awards.

As I took my seat at the head of the table, the door opened and my potential clients walked in. There were three of them, all dressed in expensive suits and carrying briefcases of their own. They smiled and shook my hand as they introduced themselves. I recognized the leader of the group, a tall man with graying hair, as the CEO of a major tech company.

"Thank you for meeting with us today," I said, as we all took our seats. "I'm excited to discuss the opportunity to work together."

The CEO nodded, his expression serious. "We're interested in what you have to offer," he said. "Our company is always looking for new ways to innovate and stay ahead of the competition."

I pulled out a folder from my briefcase and passed it around the table. "This is a proposal outlining the services we can provide for your company," I said. "We specialize in creating custom software solutions for businesses like yours."

The three of them flipped through the pages, scanning the information. I could see the interest in their eyes, and I knew I had their attention.

"We're impressed," the CEO said. "Can you walk us through some of the specific projects you've worked on in the past?"

"Of course," I replied. I pulled out a portfolio of our past work and began to explain the details of each project. I highlighted our experience in developing mobile applications, creating cloud-based systems, and implementing data analytics.

As I spoke, the clients asked a few questions and made notes on the proposal. It was clear they were impressed by our work and capabilities.

After I finished, we discussed the terms of the potential partnership. I presented them with a detailed contract, outlining the scope of the project, the timeline, and the cost. We negotiated back and forth for a bit, but eventually, we came to an agreement.

"Great," the CEO said, as he extended his hand for me to shake. "I think we have a deal."

I smiled, relieved and excited. "I'm thrilled to be working with your company," I said.

We closed the meeting by setting up the next steps, and scheduled a follow-up meeting to discuss the project details and the team that will work on it. We also discussed the key performance indicators that will be used to measure the success of the project.

I left the conference room feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

This was a huge deal for my company, and I knew it would open up new opportunities for us in the future. I couldn't wait to get started on the project and see what we could accomplish together.

Ring!

My phone rang and I took it out of my pocket. It was an unknown number. My pulse increased. Could it possibly be…