I woke up in the morning with a nice rest. The morning was silent and peaceful putting me in my best mood. I got up from the bed, stretched and walked over to the window. Small goldfinches and blue birds trilled in the big forest-garden that was built in some ancient era and restored by Eva when she got married and started living separately with James.
I quickly departed to the washroom, only to attend to the slight knock on the door. As the door creaked open silently, I saw Alice in an official suit waiting patiently, holding a bunch of files and papers.
"Mr. Williams has requested for your presence immediately in his room, ma'am." She said seriously.
"But I am not ready yet..." I hesitated.
"You have a different schedule today, ma'am. For the instructions, sir has called for you." She replied monotonously.
I sighed and followed her. As we reached it, she stepped aside for me to enter. I rolled my eyes. These trained guys were way too formal for my liking. Seemed like Eva was a strict person. I sighed again as I knocked.
"Come in." A deep, familiar voice said. I entered the room and saw James fixing his tie. He had some difficulty in doing the task. Frustrated he ripped it off him and threw across there room.
He looked at me and glanced at his dead tie and back at me. A chuckle escaped my lips as he rolled his eyes.
"You are going to spend the day with me today."
There goes my good day.
"Why so?" I asked curiously, not knowing what we would be doing for the whole day.
"It's about time ITEX gets its boss back. There is too much of indiscipline over three years after Eva's absence. You need to get it under control even if it is temporary."
"Three years? I thought it was five." I stated.
"I went there after two years of her disappearance to check on the company. They all had it planned. I couldn't believe they all knew that she wouldn't go back to the company and so they were just waiting for the right time. When I went there, everything had gone wrong already. I knew anything I tried would only be futile and giving them more opportunities. So, now that they have a nice surprise behind their back, it is a once-in-a-lifetime offer for us to handle them. You are almost as intelligent as her and have a powerful presence. You already know how to behave and what to do at the right time just like Eva. We just need your presence there, and hope that we have enough time."
It confused me even more.
"You mean I have to stall and take time disciplining them so that you can get time for..."
"Evidence?" We both said together.
I as a question and he as a statement.
"For what?" I asked again.
"That they instigated a murder."
"Of?" My voice trembled.
"Evelyn." He whispered.
So...
She was dead? I mean... Wasn't she? So many people against her... She was shot on the day of her disappearance... She never... returned....
Was he hopelessly, aimlessly trying to find her? And that too...A person who he didn't know was dead or alive?
"Is she even alive?" I whispered back.
"Yes. Yes, she is." He returned back to his firm voice. He was confident.
And I believed. Believed because, the person who believed that Eva was alive was James Williams.
A man of determination and unparalleled strength.
***
JAMES' POV
She descended the stairs gracefully, her spine straight with measured steps. She looked indifferent yet thoughtful, simultaneously. She was wearing a white suit and a black sequined, formal shirt underneath. Her silver watch from years ago that was preserved by Savannah was dangling beautifully from her right wrist. A trait that Eva had before. The black high heels made a soft tap sound, a rhythmic music that sounded like choreographed beats. Her walk belonged to the runaway. Her bronze and golden hair flew freely with no restraints.
She had minimal yet prominent makeup. Deep mascara with a black glimmering eye shadow made her blue eyes the most prominent feature on her face. Her lips had a dark and smooth red shade. She halted near me. I reached out to my pocket and handed her a box.
The black satin box had specs with a golden frame. She didn't have eye issues, but it was something she wore whenever she went to the company. And the box also had our...wedding ring.
She didn't open it as soon as she got it. She hesitated. Her fingers moved along with lines of the box.
Slowly, she lifted it with her two fingers. Her lips parted and her eyes widened for a fraction. But without a question, she put them both on.
***
All the way to the company, she kept fiddling with her laptop and USBs and papers and....
I was getting frustrated. The soft tapping of her toes didn't help much either. I tried to avert my attention and focus on something else but the soft drumming of her fingers, her skillful fingers fiddling with the keys on the board, her eyes moving through the 1's and 0's like a hawk, her lower lips getting chewed, the small strands of her hair that fluttered and exposed a part of her collarbone kept my eyes glued to the heavenly sight of her. I sighed. She didn't pay any attention.
Even if she was mine, she still wasn't mine.
***
As the Black SUV, stopped I tapped on her shoulder. She looked up.
"Well, it's time for some show." I said huskily.
Beep!
Something she was about to say was interrupted by a sound. She looked down at the screen again. A sudden grin came to her lips as she started typing almost simultaneously.
"You go and start with the credits. I'll go with some popcorn." She grinned, without looking at me.
I shrugged my shoulders and left with Max (my P.A.) and some guards.
I stepped on the same stairs that had thrown me out three years ago. And now, I was climbing it again. With my own authority. With my own pride.
With my Eva.
Long time, no see, ITEX. I brought your boss back.
***
"Why hasn't the pizza come yet?"
"Ugh! I'm so hungry."
"Hey! That's my drink."
The gossip sounded from the main hall of the office. There weren't much people left in ITEX after Eva's disappearance. All the talented ones had resigned from it. Only the people who were part of the plan to kill us were left. Back then, there had been no way to stop them. Their plan was too flawless. But now, the situation was different. Because Eva was back.
I bursted in through the door. The noisy environment subsided to empty. All the eyes fixed on me. The silence was creepy. To my relief, someone broke the silence.
"Well, if it isn't Mr. Williams. Long time, no see. How come did you remember your old friends today?" Jenks spoke out sarcastically.
I smirked. Boy had no idea of what was coming up for him.
"I left something on my last visit here. I came back to claim what was mine." I purred.
"Well, James...You did leave something here. I waited that day for you in the office but you never came. I guess I hadn't made my intentions clear. Never mind. You can still make it up to me. We can have some fun together..." Rachel drawled.
She was the only female staff left. Over these five years, she had grown unbelievably rich. I had my spies find out the cause. And it was the usual.
Sleeping with men.
"Thank you for the invitation but I am not as good as your usual fun partners." I grinned.
She gasped at my rude remark. I could see the effort she was making to get back at me. She got one, I guessed with her suddenly smug expression.
"I like the feisty type."
Before I could process another reply, a deep and sharp, velvety cat like voice purred into the silent hall.
"Then, you'd love me."
To be continued...