Chapter 64: Chapter 64

NELINA

I woke up early to inform Royce about my agreement with Apple to meet her in a cafe. It was 6 in the morning when I looked at the wall clock. Royce was already in the kitchen making breakfast.

"Good morning, baby."

"Hey, good morning, my love. Come, breakfast is ready."

I walk up close to Royce, who is setting up the food on the table. I gave him a kiss on the lips as I hugged him.

"Oh, that's too sweet early in the morning. God, I wouldn't want you to leave me if you'd always be like this."

"Still no. Let's have breakfast."

"Wait, look at you. Baby, you're too cute and sexy in your sleepwear."

I looked at myself wearing my favorite pair of nighties. I forgot to wear a robe to cover my tiny shorts and sleeveless, for God's sake.

"Can we just eat now?" I said, diverting the topic.

"What to eat, you?" Royce has a trace of sexuality in his voice. His voice was seductive and irresistible.

"Come on, please. I'm hungry."

"Alright then." Royce raised a hand in surrender. He then pulled a chair for me to sit.

"By the way, I want to talk about my dad's case. I mean the unresolved accident case. I have talked to one of dad's employees before, and she wants to meet me today. There's something personal she wants to speak with me about."

"Is she talking about evidence?"

"Yeah, possibly, things that will make my speculations clear. Baby, how was the investigator you told me about? Is he available?"

"Of course, he can't say no to me. I already told him to dig deeper. It will take a little more time, though, since this case has already been closed. He has connections to get some of the confidential files and go back to where the incident happened. That's likely the things he has to do and even more as I've instructed him to find a piece of solid evidence."

"Thank you, baby. I hope everything will come together sooner. I still don't want to work today and meet Apple in the morning after breakfast."

"I'll come with you. You can't meet Apple alone. It was my mistake leaving you in the condo yesterday; I can't let it happen again."

"Baby, don't blame yourself. But it's okay, you can come with me."

"Alright, that's settled then. Now, you need to eat more for breakfast. Open your mouth, ahh." Royce acted like she was feeding an infant.

I was forced to open my mouth and take a big bite of the hotdog.

"My baby surely loves hotdog. How about eggs? You love eggs too?" Royce said with a naughty smirk on her face.

I slapped a hand on my mouth as I was choking on what I'd heard. Royce said it on purpose.

"Royce, could you be modest during meals?

He chuckled a little as he stroked my back, helping me ease my pain. I glared at him, but he acted like he didn't see me doing it.

"Baby, I was just trying to lighten up the mood. I know this situation we have now is serious and heavy, but that's not a reason we have to stress ourselves the whole day. You got me, right?"

"Whatever, I'm gonna go and prepare for my meeting with Apple. We agreed to meet up at 10 am in a cafe, she mentioned."

We arrived at the cafe that Apple told me, a quarter to 10 o'clock. As agreed, Royce waited in the car while I entered the cafe to get the files Apple wanted to personally send. I ordered matcha milk tea to have something to sip while waiting for Apple to arrive.

After a few minutes of waiting, a petite girl stood beside the opposite chair, wearing a loose dress that fell in her mid-thighs.

"Apple, it's you," I said, giving her a side cheek kiss. She did the same to me.

"It's been a long time Ms. Nelly." Her tiny voice was soothing in my ears; it fits her physically as a petite girl.

"Apple, just call me Nelly. Please take your seat."

"Sure, though it's a bit awkward for me to call you by your name."

"Come on, you're almost like a family to us. How was your drive from your place to here?"

"Smooth, I made sure no one was following me. We never know, right?"

"You have a point, Apple. Anyway, thanks for helping me. This means so much for my family and me."

"Like you've said. We're almost a family."

"Yes. Oh, what do you want to have? My treat, please," I said, pointing to the menu placed on the table.

"No, Nelly, don't bother. I only want to give this to you," she said, placing a hard drive on the table covered by her hand. I reach for it and immediately transfer the hard drive into my bag.

"It has everything you need. The pieces of information included are confidential, and I might be kicked out of my job for doing this. Nelly, this is all I can do for now."

Apple looked around as she talked to me like she was obviously uncomfortable. Poor Apple has to go through a state of worry because of the favor I asked for.

"Nelly, send my regards to your parents. It's been a long time since I had contact with your family after the terrible accident of your dad and your brother."

"I'll tell them; they'll be happy to know. My family has been living a pretty normal life than what we've had before. We're quite struggling as we need to have my dad in expensive treatment for him to be able to walk again."

Apple's face lit up.

"Nelly, that's great news. I'm sure you'll get over all of these. I really must go now. Take care of yourself and your family," she said, squeezing my hand. I nodded and didn't force her to stay.

I had no choice but to let Apple go as I knew she had to do her job, and she was in a hurry. I walked her to her car, parked on the other side, far from Royce. We said goodbye as she drove away from the cafe.

As I walked over in Royce's direction, I saw Royce waving a hand at me as he started running close to me. He kept pointing at me, but I didn't get what he meant as some customers passed by me, and the traffic noise made his voice unclear, until he was close enough.

"Nelly, come," Royce grabbed me so that I didn't have a chance to protest.

"What's happening?" I asked when we were in the car, catching my breath. Clutching a hand in my chest as it rose and fell.

Royce was unable to answer immediately as he was trying to calm his breathing rhythm.

"There were two men in the black car. That one," Royce pointed at the black Van.

"Two men tried to get close to you if only there were no customers who walked in the cafe. Thank God two cars stop, and the customers block their way to you before they have the chance."

"Baby, are you sure they are after me? I mean, it could be customers as well. You could be panicking for nothing."

"No, I'm sure of what I saw. I watched you enter the cafe and park a bit close to the door so that I could easily get to you and then check the surroundings. I noticed their car was parked a few minutes after Apple arrived."

The Van was parked a little far from us; it was parked near Apple's car. The car maneuvered to the opposite, the back on us, showing no plate number on it.

"Baby, what do you mean? It doesn't add up."

"Let's talk about this at home. I can explain it better there."