Prince

Aurora

“See you on Monday, Aurora” Melissa, the receptionist on the 14th floor of West Tower bade her goodbye to me.

“Take care, Mel” I waved as she departed from the floor as the clock in my office struck 10.

The employees of West Tower take off at 6 but as one of the managers I never had that liberty. My eyes were straining from the constant use of the laptop and my back hurt from sitting, even in a most comfortable chair all day.

With my assistant, Gary, I would’ve been able to finish the work an hour ago but it’s the weekend and I didn’t have the heart to make him stay overtime while his friends got drunk and wasted in a club. My fingers were numb from sending emails and signing all the documents that needed my approval and my head was throbbing, making me tired and weak.

I typed the final email to Tuscany, confirming the partnership between the two companies, one of the major projects that’s going to drastically effect our business for the best or worst.

Allaric, the sales manager on the 12th floor was hell bent on getting this project for his benefit but it was a surprise when the board of directors chose me, hurting every men’s ego in this company, Allaric being one of them. It would be a shame if I lose and I’ve been working on this relentlessly, so I could say I wear heels and outfit and still get the job done.

I signed some more documents and looked into the employee’s records that are worthy to be placed in this project before packing up my things. I looked out of the glass window in my office one last time, the beautiful view of New York city, before exiting my office, locking it behind and making my way towards the elevator. My heels echoed in the deserted dim lit floor and every horror movie I saw played at the back of my head.

I sighed when I got into the elevator and saw the way I came from being much darker than it was few seconds ago. I released a sigh as the elevator went down to the parking lot. The parking lot was barren except the CEO’s Ferrari at the corner and my BMW parked at my space with my name sign hung on the wall.

Getting in quickly, I placed my bag and the files at the passenger seat and started the engine. The night security waved me a goodbye from his booth and I smiled back, driving out of the lot and into the cold night of November. The roads were free of traffic and I made a stop at my favorite Italian restaurant, Bella Olives, to get dinner before hitting the road again to drive home.

The sound of muffled music was in the air when I turned to my lane and when I reached my driveway, I saw the cause of the music and smiled. Pressing the gate remote of my house, I waited for the gate to open and looked at Jaden, Valarie’s boyfriend singing in a mic while his friends played guitar and drumstick on the top of a pickup truck.

Valarie’s windows were shut but her parents were out, arms around each other and enjoying their teenage daughter living her perfect teenage life. I drove inside when the gate opened, humming to the song he was singing and parked at my usual spot instead of parking it in the garage.

Taking my bag, files and dinner, I walked to the two-story house I bought 2 years ago. Switching on the lights, I placed all my things on the dining table before running up to my room. Jaden was still singing and his smooth voice was clear when I stepped into shower for a quick hot bath. My rigid muscles relaxed under the warm shower and I felt my headache reducing.

“Oh darlin’, darlin’, baby, you’re so very fine... You know that I won’t stop, until I make you mine...” I sang along, washing my body and when the music stopped, I heard a soft thud and immediately stiffed and turned toward the bathroom door that was closed. “It’s all in my head” I said to myself and finished my shower.

The bedroom was just the way I left it and I panicked for no reason, the house fell silent without the music and when my phone rung from the dinner hall, it was loud and clear as it reached my ears. Slipping on my pants and a black sleeveless top, I jogged out of my room, running down the stairs in excitement, knowing it’s none other than my father who would call me at this hour.

I picked up at the last ring and placed the phone in front of me as my dad appeared through face time “I would’ve called the cops if you hadn’t picked up, honey”

I chuckled, sitting on one of the stools, looking at his baby blue eyes that slowly relaxed after seeing me fine. “I was upstairs, Dad. Tell me how was thanksgiving yesterday? I’m sorry I couldn’t talk to you last night. I came home pretty late”

“I wish you made it this year, honey,” he said from the other side. “Lorraine made the best turkey yesterday, you would’ve loved it”

“I’m sure I would’ve, Dad. How’s Sam and Tom?” I asked, referring to my step siblings as I placed my phone on a phone stand.

“They are doing great. Tom wanted to thank you for sending him the remote-control airplane, he loved it so much, he played for hours and his mother had to snatch it from him and Sam loved that dress, she wore it yesterday and her mother wasn’t happy with her neglecting her choice of costume” my dad laughed and sat down in a seat. Behind on the wall were tools, which made me realize he’s not inside the house but in the garage, working on his old Cadillac.

“I don’t want to get on Lorraine’s wrong side. I’ll send in a brand-new Bentley for Tom for the coming Christmas” I teased, making my father laugh “I’m sure that’ll make her like me more”

“King Popping will be showing up to take his kids for a boat ride for Christmas and she’s not loving that” he said when the laugh ceased.

“Well, I feel much better about the Bentley” I said which made him laugh all over again.

“But seriously, all jokes aside, you know Lorraine will love you. She just needs some time to get used to you and you’re not helping by bailing on every occasion, kid” Dad stated strictly, running his hand over his bald head.

“I’ll try coming this Christmas, Dad, but I am promising. I’m really stressed about this Tuscany project” I told him truthfully, opening up my dinner from the package.

“How’s Allaric coping with it, eh? Must’ve been thrilled, that bastard” he chuckled.

“I heard he got suspended for two days for screaming at the cafeteria staff today. Guess, he’s coping better than I thought” I shrugged and took a fork from the cutlery holder. That is when I noticed my car keys were missing. My files and my bag were at the same placed I kept them but the keys were nowhere.

“— family business. Tom and Sam are very young and I’d feel good retiring, knowing the company is in your hands. Honey, what are you searching for?”

“My keys, Dad. I placed my things on the table and the car keys are missing” I checked inside the bag but it wasn’t there.

“Look under the table, it must’ve fallen down” Dad suggested.

“Dad, I placed all the things in the middle of the table, how can the keys fall down, whatever, I’ll check” I bent down and they keys were lying on the floor on the other side. I got up to retrieve when I heard from father.

“I was right, I take it”

“I know where I placed them,” I argued, picking up the keys and placing them back on the table and taking my seat. I opened my food bowl and swirled the spaghetti in my fork.

“Maybe you’re being delusional,” Dad said and I nodded, taking a spoon of my food. “And it’s also time you start cooking on your own. That Bella Olives is bad for health.”

“Please, Dad, I can cook” I scoffed.

“Says the lady who flew up the oven while cooking chicken,” Dad chortled and I groaned. “Anyways, it’s time up, kid. Have a good sleep, don’t work too much and think about my offer”

“Dad, ladders are the most boring business in the world” I said, munching on my food.

“Don’t you dare tell that, Rory. I, Jonathan Bennett have been in this business for 32 years. Do you know how difficult it is to lead life without ladders —”

“Dad, okay, okay, I got to go”

“Firemen’s, painters, —”

“Yeah, I love you too, bye” I giggled and disconnected the line.

I ate half the bowl and placed the rest in the refrigerator for tomorrow. Picking up my files, bag and hanging the car keys on the key stand, I made my way up the stairs when the doorbell rang. I looked at the door confused and then at the CCTV footage at the living room. Jaden was waving at the camera. I opened the door.

“Hello, Mrs. Bennett, going back to work?” Jaden greeted.

“Ms. Jaden, I was just taking them to my room” I corrected him and looked over his shoulders. The gate was open.

Jaden turned to see what I was looking at before confronting me “Oh, yeah, the gate was open that’s why I didn’t press the buzzer.”

I remember for sure the gate locked behind as I entered and even though I didn’t want to panic, I couldn’t help.

“What happened, Jaden? Aren’t you supposed to be home by now?”

“Yes, but Valarie broke up with me again. I only flirted with that waitress so I could get tickets to Fun Boys, it’s her favorite band. I even sang her favorite song, Moonlight, she isn’t forgiving me”

“Wow, brilliant band name. And isn’t Moonlight the song you wrote? About her body?” I asked in a distaste.

“Well, she seemed to like it then. Anyways, I was wondering if I could borrow your flute, maybe that’ll change her mind” he said brightly, bopping his head and his bushy curly hair bobbed along.

“Jaden, that’s a fake piece for home decoration, it doesn’t play. I’ve told you several times” I rolled my eyes.

“I know,” he shrugged “I’ll just pretend playing; my friend will play a music on his phone. She’s tired of my singing, I think she’d love it if I fake it”

“Huh?” I looked at him weirdly, I knew high school kids are stupid, but didn’t know they were dumb and sweet. “Whatever, I’ll get it” I said and went in took the flute from the living room and handed it over “You can keep it, by the way. I’m sick of you asking me all the time”

“Wow, that’s so cool. Thanks, Mrs... I mean Ms. B. It’s just hard to know that a beautiful woman like you isn’t taken yet and I wish I was that guy but —”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it just close the gate behind while you”

“Sure, Ms. B” he bowed his head and walked back the same way he came from. I looked around the small space I have, checking for anything suspicious but everything looked normal. “I think it is stuck, Ms. B” Jaden cried out, trying to pull the sliding the gate.

I shook my head in disappointment and pressed the gate’s button. Jaden lost balance when the gate started to close and then he held onto the gate with his feet placed on the gate and his head looking over with a giant smile across his face “This is fun, Ms. B. We should do this often”

“Yeah, you use that flute and let me know how it goes tomorrow” I cried out.

“Will do!” he screamed back as he jogged towards Valarie’s home.

I looked at the gate and the CCTV’s I’ve placed around and sighed “Maybe I am being delusional” I locked the door and switched off the lights before running up the stairs. “This is a safe neighborhood, Aurora and your father is a powerful man, even though he has ladder business” I chuckled and got into my room.

After applying lotion to my body, I slumped on the bed flipping through the pages till sleep took in. Placing the file on the side table, I looked at the picture of Mom and Dad taken at the beach, smiling as I remembered that beautiful day well spent. Sighing, I switched off the lights, pulled the covers up, and closed my tired eyes.

I moaned in pain, feeling something stung my arm.

“She’s waking up”

“Shut up, you moron”

I tried to turn around but something was heavy and I couldn’t move my body.

“Is it done?” Asked a man.

“Almost. Yep done” Another answered and I felt the pressure die down slowly.

I almost fell asleep again but my brain was wide awake, recollecting the past few seconds and my eyes shot open and I turned around to switch on the lights. Three men stood in my bedroom and another laid next to me on bed.

Words were stuck in my throat but my body moved as I got up swiftly and opened the table drawer which turned out to be empty.

“Looking for this?” Asked the man in red jacket, also the one that stood closer to me and to the door. His index finger inserted inside the hole that had trigger of a gun, my gun. I looked at the open door, the path to my escape “You can run, we won’t chase you but by the time you find your car keys and then open the door, and make a run outside, my men will catch you and I gave them clear orders to shoot if you scream for help. Also, there’s drug in your system and you have five minutes to execute your plan, if you have one. Else, I suggest you go back to bed and just lay there till sleep takes over you. I promise when you wake up, it wouldn’t be your bed”

I bolted out of the room, and heard them laugh. I opened the door and saw two large men standing at the closed gate. Stepping back, I turned around to look at the intruders at the top of the stairs, smirking down at me.

I felt my heart beating wilding like a bird trying to escape a cage and my breathing was turning shallow and my eyes turned blurry. I shook my head and raised my hand at the wall beside the door. The guys saw me reaching and this time I smirked.

“Messed with the wrong, bitch” I pressed the security alarm.

An ear-splitting alarm went off and steel shutters started to descend down all the windows and doors. The men started running down the stairs. I wanted to run further inside the house so the all of us would be stuck inside until the cops show up but my legs started to wobble and I felt dizzy. I took a step forward and then another.

“Out, now”

“Shit, man, you grab her”

I felt someone grab me by arm and pull back. I tried to resist and place my feet firmly inside the house but whoever it was, he was strong. My head was shoved down and I fell on my stomach.

“Pull her out! Now!”

“Help me, pull her!”

“Just let go, she’ll be cut into half”

“Boss will kill us all! She’s money!”

I vaguely remember seeing all the guys quarreling among each other and I looked up to the steel shutter coming down at me before the world went dark.