Beau Monde ✅

Chapter 24

Getting out of bed, my feet were a bit wobbly so I held the cabinet to support myself. I was exhausted, both physically and mentally. And if it were someone else in my shoes, they would look after themselves.

Instead, I made my way to the vanity table where I spotted the TV remote, and without a second thought, switched on the TV in the room. Almost instantly, the room was flooded by the voice of the reporter standing outside the building where the event was held last night. Behind her, there seemed to be other reporters from other channels relaying the news.

"...the entire people of Maroudi shocked by the brutal murder of man whose body was found here, at Riveredge Resort during the event held to commemorate the partnership between Hadi Groups and Fadel Affiliation."

I found myself running my tongue across my chapped lower lips and then swallowing thickly. My hold around the remote tightened, eyes never once leaving the TV as they showed the scene where the body was found. I was surprised they were even allowed to film it—considering Police seemed to be at the scene.

To me though, it only brought back the gruesome memory; though the body wasn't there...the blood was. For me, it came as full package...I could still see it vividly as if I'm staring at it right now.

"—the body of the individual murdered has been identified as Mr. Saif Jabbar; who was the assistant of Mr. Ayaan Fadel, CEO of Fadel Affiliation." I knew that. I couldn't get his bashed, and bloody face out of my eyes no matter how hard I tried. "And it has been concluded that he had been brutally murdered. There's a high chance of something bashing his head with--"

Before she could finish, I hastily turned the TV off, not wanting to hear the glory details. I don't even know why they would bother giving that much details. Isn't it enough to state that he was murdered?

Or maybe, I'm simply too paranoid because I saw it first hand, and now all I could think of was why such a thing would be done. Why now? Why him?

I want to blame it all on Ayaan. Everything has been peaceful until he showed up.

I meant it when I said his presence had flipped everything upside down. However, I couldn't even blame him even if I wanted to.

Like they said, this man is...was his assistant. Though I wasn't completely sane then, I still remember him rushing into the room last night. From the way he froze seeing the body too, I'm certain this is getting to him too.

My head was a jumbled mess as I tried to make sense of it all.

I couldn't stomach anything no matter how hard I tried; and that included the medicine I took on an empty stomach. I ended up puking it all out; at that rate, I would soon puke my intestines out as well.

I'm not sure how long I sat alone in my bed, my mind racing with thoughts that did nothing but make my head ache more. The only conclusion I came to, after all that was, whoever did that must've done it to get back at Ayaan.

But for what exactly?

And the most important question, who did it?

~*~

The following days weren't any easier for me. I thought all it would take was a few days to clear my mind and do the needful...and that maybe, that was the worst it could get. But, I only seem to be jinxing myself even more.

The only good part is, my name wasn't mentioned at all. Despite the number of people there, no one made mention of me being there. It didn't take a genius to know who did it.

Imran. It had to be him.

After all, he had always been good at handling such stuff. Even at the company, such stuff were handled under his care so getting my name off such scandal would've been easier for him even if it was a hassle for others.

The only problem was, the investigation kept hitting a dead end. Whoever it was that did the deed, I doubt it's the first time. It was too clean for it to be the first time; judging by what the reports said.

There was no murder weapon, and as well anything else that would give the person away. It lacked any loophole.

But that only rose my questions.

If the person was capable of eliminating any evidence, why leave the body there? It had to be intentional. For what reason though? To get Ayaan? Why was it placed there of all places?

If Ayaan was the target, then the person not only succeeded in getting to him but us as well—me as well.

It has to be a warning of some sort. 

We're facing crisis at the company. Shareholders are pulling out, and stocks are falling. An emergency shareholders meeting is about to be hold, one that everyone was required to be present.

And that's where I'm headed to right now.

Pushing the conference room door open, I wasn't surprised to see that most shareholders were there—though it seemed about half were yet to arrive. The minute I stepped in, they stopped what they were doing and threw curious glances at me whilst murmuring stuff between themselves.

I ignored them, yawing my expression blank as I held my head high and walked to my spot. I couldn't blame them for talking, and judging. It was the first time since the accident happened that I'm being seen in public.

And even though the news of me being there was kept under the wraps, most of them were there and as such knew I was the first person to find the corpse. That was enough to earn me looks...aside from the fact that I disappeared as well.

They probably thought I wasn't going to show up. I didn't want to. But the message of the meeting stressed that everyone had to be there, and so, here I am.

I took the second seat to the right of the head chair, right beside Imran who was already there. I hadn't seen him since that day either, despite practically living under the same roof. That's nothing news, it had always been like that.

However, as I settled down, our gazes met and it felt as though we were exchanging words quietly. His gaze held mind, as if searching to see whether I was alright or not.

I am not. Not in the slightest.

And he seemed to have seen that because his hand met mine under the table, before intertwining them and keeping it on his thigh. It was a small action, but it made my heart leap. I glanced at our intertwined hands, before looking back at him only to see had looked away; pretending as if he had done nothing.

I didn't push it, but instead looked away too and in no time, the meeting room was all filled up. You could sense the tension in the air the minute the Chairman, Imran's father walked in. One glance at his face, and you'd know hell is about to break.

I was surprised to see him there to be honest, he barely attends these meetings. He always leaves I and Imran to be in charge. Him being here though meant business.

I guess the recent activities needs urgent addressing. He tried to hide it, but it was clear he's distressed. That's new, for him that is.

I wonder what drew such emotion out of him.

He stood by his chair, practically glaring daggers at everyone in the room. His eyes met each and everyone of us, before he threw the folder in his hand on the table with a loud thump. "What I want to know, is what the hell you all were doing as this was going on?" He gritted out, the anger in his tone evident.

No one dared to speak up, too scared to say the wrong thing.

The only one that had the guts, and actually dared to speak was Imran. He must've realized too that no one would speak up. Truthfully though, he had never seem to be scared of his father.

"We're trying to rectify the issue at hand. Just give us a week at most, I assure you we'd fix the stocks we're losing and get back the investors--"

"I don't care about that!" His father cut him off, shifting his glare to Imran. Judging from the look he gave him, I knew something big was about to come. And I was right. "What I want, is for you all to explain HOW 150 MILLION DOLLARS DISAPPEARED FROM OUR ACCOUNTS JUST LIKE THAT!!"

Excuse me, what?

A hundred and fifty million what disappeared?