Chapter 37: Chapter 37

Kael

I could try to deceive myself by saying that the information that Sarah had gone out with friends made me a bit uneasy and disoriented, but the truth was that I was completely consumed by jealousy. Knowing that she was having fun with people her age, less complicated than me, sparked an insecurity that I preferred not to admit.

The idea of calling Sarah and ordering her to come back immediately crossed my mind, but I knew it wasn't the right course of action. I considered myself a rational and cold-hearted businessman, and acting impulsively wasn't in my style.

However, just sitting around waiting wasn't a viable option for me. The dilemma of deciding what action to take consumed me, and I knew I couldn't simply ignore the situation. Jealousy and anger were bubbling inside me, fighting to come out.

To try to calm myself, I ended up sitting on the couch in the living room. I looked at my wristwatch and realized it was still early for parties and hanging out with friends. I wondered where Sarah could be, but I couldn't find answers that reassured me.

I decided to have a drink to ease the tension. I poured myself a double whiskey without ice because I knew I needed to calm down. However, with each sip, the anxiety seemed to increase. I felt torn between acting sensibly and controlling the jealous beast within me.

I ended up grabbing my personal phone and getting in touch with Ryan. Maybe he knew more than I did, considering I had no idea where Sarah could be, and they seemed to have become friends. It was time for him to prove that his closeness to Sarah was something that benefited me too, as he had always suggested when I confronted him about that matter.

"We're not in business hours, boss," were the first words of my assistant when he answered the call.

"I'll be kind to you and let you know that this is not a good time for jokes, Ryan," I spoke, letting all my irritation show.

"Kael Graham isn't kind," my assistant protested immediately. "Maybe, despite everything and in the end, you're a good man, but I still haven't decided."

I heard the low sound of voices and deduced it must be from some TV near Ryan, and I understood that he was probably doing what seemed to be his favorite pastime: watching television.

"If I weren't quite annoyed at the moment, you'd need to explain that better. But right now, I have something more important to discuss with you."

"I hope it's not about work, boss," he complained. "I was planning to stay home and watch a good movie on TV."

"I said I wanted to talk to you, Ryan," I corrected him. "Not that I wanted you to do something for me."

"True, boss. I was distracted watching TV," he confessed.

I sighed with irritation, realizing my assistant's indifference. He wasn't even paying attention to what I was saying, but I needed his support, and it was better that he could help me.

"Do you know where Sarah went today?" I got straight to the heart of the matter.

"Was that a rhetorical question, I should know what she did that made you upset, right?" Ryan said, now seeming genuinely attentive to our conversation.

"I want to know if you know anything about Sarah going out with friends tonight," I blurted out, speaking loud and clear.

"All I know is that she had a manicure appointment for today... nothing more. We didn't talk today," he said, now sounding more interested. "But how could she have gone out with friends if she doesn't have any?"

"This is the same question I'm asking myself right now," I said, almost resigning myself to remain in ignorance.

"I will find out where she is," Ryan promised, seeming to turn off the TV, as there was silence on the other end of the line now.

"I'll be waiting, then."

I ended the call, feeling slightly more at ease after hearing his promise to find out the whereabouts of my... Sarah.

Fortunately, I managed to correct myself in time from referring to Sarah as my woman. I couldn't let that happen, not even in my thoughts, as I could get used to it and desire much more than I could have.

After a few more rounds in the living room, waiting for Ryan to contact me with some information about Sarah, I poured myself another shot of whiskey and downed it in one long gulp.

Ryan: She's at a friend's birthday party.

Kael: Which friend?

Ryan: Her name is Madison.

Ryan: I couldn't find out more than that.

Kael: Where is this party?

Ryan: You better not know, Kael...

Kael: Tell me!

Kael:?

Kael: I want to know where this party is, Ryan!

After my last message demanding to know where this so-called birthday party was happening, Ryan didn't reply, and when I started calling my assistant persistently, he simply turned off his phone.

I knew this because my messages were no longer being delivered, and the calls were automatically sent to voicemail. Or perhaps, upon further consideration, he had just blocked me. Me, his boss!

Neither option was pleasant, and he would have to give me a very good explanation for his atypical behavior because I wouldn't let it go.

How does he find out where Sarah is and not want to tell me?

Faced with this, I ended up calling Sarah directly because now I was insistent on finding her wherever she was, as she belonged to me until Sunday, and I want her now!

Sarah

Feeling my phone vibrate in the small party clutch, I quickly checked the sender before deciding whether to answer or not. I had just talked to Ryan a few minutes ago and assumed it wasn't him. My assumption was correct. Surprisingly, the caller was Kael, someone who hadn't tried to reach out to me in the past few days. I decided to ignore his call and added his number to the block list. However, I forgot to block messages, which soon started coming in.

Kael: Where are you?

Kael: Why did you block me?

Kael: I know you did it!

I found myself in a dilemma. Should I respond to Kael's incessant messages, which kept coming with the same questions? Blocking him for messages wasn't a viable option either, as I was still within the period where I had to report to him, with only two days left before the thirty-day deadline expired.