Anarameha

Chapter 40

Pierre dressed, angrily snapping at Leearin to get off the floor and get dressed. Picking up the phone, he dialled security. They took a long time to answer which made his volatile mood even worse than it had been previously. Pierre desperately wanted to get rid of the freeloaders and the guards who spent their days and nights doing nothing but he couldn't. There weren't enough as it was and if he got rid of the ones he had, then he risked being under-protected.

It was always a risky situation, but now it was far worse. Before Ana's return to the public eye, Pierre could say that the chance of an attack was slim. Now it had risen substantially because Pierre believed that Ana would want to return her family to the throne.

"The princess has escaped. She's plummeting down the side of the building."

"She's jumped?" the guard asked. "She'll die."

Pierre scoffed at the guard's ridiculousness.

"Don't be a fool. She is wearing a flight suit. Get the men on the bikes and follow her."

Slamming the phone down, Pierre checked the mirror before standing at the door. Leearin was only half-dressed, struggling with the buttons that ran down her spine.

"I don't have time for this," he hissed. "Was this your game all along? Distract me with your body?"

"You offered this deal. You summoned me to this meeting."

"Where did she get the flight suit from?"

Leearin shrugged.

"I suppose it was in her bedroom."

Dragging a chair to the far side of the room, he gestured to it.

"Sit. We'll discuss this when the princess is back in the guest room."

Pierre didn't know how she managed to get her hands on a flight suit considering that the garments in her quarters had been selected with care. He stopped, thinking about the outfit. It was at that moment that Pierre realised that he had not seen it in the clothes that he had previously approved.

The problem was that Ana had found it even though she shouldn't have. It meant that she was somewhere she shouldn't have been. Pierre's attention turned to the woman who had finally dressed. She said her bedroom, not the guest room.

"Why did you take her to her old bedroom?"

"The princess requested to freshen up before dinner. There are only a few bathrooms suitable for such things."

Leearin didn't want to tell him exactly what the princess said. The less he knew, the better and Leearin hoped to avoid telling him that she'd been fooled by the princess.

Pierre growled as he stomped his way back around the desk. Picking up the remote, he turned on the security cameras. The wall of screens lit up with various views around the building. He could not see anything happening and definitely no sight of Ana.

Picking up the phone again, Pierre rang Theocris.

"Come here at once."

Theocris had barely answered the call before Pierre started speaking. He was not expecting Pierre to call him so soon after entering the so-called meeting. With a huff, he turned back to the office.

The guard glared at him and would not let him enter the restricted area.

"You said no one can pass."

"I know," he said dryly.

Calling Pierre, he hoped that the yelling would be minimal. It was obvious that something was going on.

"You're on the loudspeaker. Please tell the guard that you have requested me to come to your office."

"Yes, yes. Tell them to let you through."

The line went dead. Theocris rolled his eyes as he pocketed the phone. Continuing to the door, Theocris took a deep breath and entered the office. The view was far from what he expected. The maid on a chair near the window, Pierre pacing behind his desk. He looked visibly angry.

"Ana has escaped."

The advisor was stunned.

"How?"

"Dropped from a line. I can't see her anywhere."

With a heavy sigh, Theocris looked at the screens where Pierre angrily flicked his hand.

"She is wily and determined to fight you until her last breath. Perhaps this is the time to cut your losses with her. Declare her to be a fraud with a public announcement."

Theocris looked at the various views around the building. He knew that once Ana landed, she would run. They had no chance of finding her now.

"This will never be legitimised if I say that,"

Pierre's eyes carefully turned to the maid who was still in the room. Seated on a chair, she was far enough that their hushed tones would not be heard. He wanted her gone, but there was still the issue about how Ana managed to get into her old bedroom. Pierre didn't know how it happened but figured that she was just a dim-witted fool that was no match against the highly intelligent princess.

"You have two choices here. Make the declaration that she is a fraud and not the princess who you know is dead, or you fight back and search for Ana again. It will not be easy, but if you're determined to make this permanently legal, then it is the only path that you can take."

"Why not both?"

Theocris's eyes widened as his brows lifted in shock. He didn't think that both were possible, but then, Pierre was determined to make this plan happen. Becoming the leader legitimately was the ultimate goal beyond the coup. When the king would not sign the handover, Pierre had to accept that his leadership would always stand on shaky ground. When whispers that the princess was alive began to mount, Pierre grew eager to learn the truth. It's why he'd bartered an agreement with the gangster. All Garlet Moss had to do was search for the princess and advise of any solid leads on her.

As for both options, Theocris wasn't sure but wondered if there was a chance that Pierre could make this work.

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't understand."

"It's simple, Theocris." Pierre said with dark delight. "I could declare her as a fraud now while still searching. In fact, I could put a reward out for her. I can tell the public that she's a wanted criminal while offering a reward. Once I've got her back in this building, I will make another statement saying that we investigated her claims and found them to be true. We need this to go public. It will make hiding extremely difficult for her. She can't go back to her apartment, not now that we know where it is."

"She'll run to the gangster."

Pierre smiled. Yes, Ana would run to the gangster that she trusted with her life.