The Billionaire's Authentic Daughter ▶️

9 0 | J U L I A

"Now tell me how may I help you?" She asked, fixing the position of a photo frame on her desk.

"Braxton hasn't been home for days. I need to see him right now. Please, do you know where he is?"

"You live with him, don't you?" She asked with slightly furrowed eyebrows. "And yet he hasn't told you that he's on vacation?"

"Vacation?" That was the last thing I expected he'd do. All these days I'd worried over his whereabouts, thought I had hurt him with the misunderstood rejection and all this time he was having the time of his life, probably chilling and relaxing somewhere while the stress it caused me might as well have ate a couple years of my life.

Or did he go on this whole vacation solely to avoid me?

Someone came with our coffees and set it down. We each took a sip.

"Where exactly did he go?" I asked, barely registering the taste of my drink.

She placed her mug on a coaster and didn't speak until she was sure the round bottom of the mug was in the center of the square coaster."From what he told me, you two seemed good friends. So I take it he didn't tell you which means he doesn't want me to tell you. Did something happen between you two?"

"We just have a misunderstanding. I need to explain myself clearly so even if he doesn't want to see me, I want to know where he is."

"He will be back in a few days, then you can talk it out with him," she said dismissively, then seeing my doubtful expression, added, "The band recently completed recording their next album and all that remains is to shoot the music videos. While the sets and concepts are being built and finalized, they all have been given a few days off to relax before the shoot. They can do so as they wish and it seems his idea of relaxing is to go on a remote island alone."

"A remote island? Is it safe there? How can you just let your singer leave without anyone? What if he's attacked there or can't get back?" Her face told me I was overreacting, although it was justified. I had no idea where and how he was living there.

"Relax. He has a house there and he can contact us if something's wrong...as soon as he gets a signal somewhere."

That didn't sound very good. "I'm not convinced it's safe for him to be alone there. Where is he?"

I was a patient person but Maggie was starting to test it and although it wasn't her fault, I felt a slight irritation at her for letting him leave for a place like that all on his own. Braxton could be pretty stubborn so there wasn't much she could've done to make him stay if he had already made his mind to leave for his island home.

"Julia," she said my name like I was a nagging kid who was starting to annoy her. "He went there alone. He said he doesn't want to be around anyone right now. I don't know what happened but he's an adult and can take care of himself. As his friend and manager, I will respect his wishes and will not give you his location because I can tell that you plan to grab the first boat there that you can find. Just be a little patient and wait for a few days."

I stared at her helplessly. It was clear she wasn't going to relent in her stand.

"Fine," I said finally. "But can I at least get another member's number. I would like to confirm with them that he's safe there."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Talk to them right in front of me. I'll call Imani–"

"Not her," I interrupted, then looked down at my lap. "She doesn't like me very much."

"Then Geun?"

"He's fine."

She picked her phone to call him but he didn't answer. "Should've known. That guy has probably thrown his phone away somewhere he won't find and gone to sleep for days. I'll try Darius. He's always available."

Which was true. He picked up at the second ring. Maggie made small talk, asking about his day and how he spent his days off and just when I thought she completely forgot about me and why she called him in the first place, she thrusted the phone toward me.

"Go on, ask him."

I glanced at his number flashing on her phone and a moment later, put it to my ear.

"Hello?" I said.

"Julia?"

"Hi, Darius."

"Are you at the studio?"

"Uh...yes. The thing is Braxton didn't tell me he was off to some island for a vacation and I was worried so I came here to check up on him and Maggie told me. But the way it sounds, the island doesn't seem safe. Do you think it is?"

"Yes, it is. He has another house there and has often stayed there for days. Don't worry."

"Alright. Thank you for telling me."

I returned the phone to Maggie. She reminded him about their shooting schedules and then hung up. "Now are you convinced?"

I nodded. "Sorry, I didn't mean that you don't care for your artists. I just wanted to be sure."

She didn't look offended, thankfully. "I'm glad he has you who worries so much over him." She looked like she wanted to ask me something but thought better of it.

I didn't prod it out of her. "I won't take up any more of your time." I got up and shook hands with her and she saw me out of her office.

Once out, I whipped out my phone and closed my eyes in concentration until I was sure I had all the digits right, then I dialled in the number.

"Hello?" This time he picked up on the first ring.

"It's Julia."

There's a pause. "Again?"

"I need to talk to you. Can I get your address? And please don't tell Maggie about this."

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