She turned around, picking up Peaches, turning around. She sighed, not knowing whether to thank him or not. She took a step in his direction when someone else's voice caught her ear. "Atty," a happy voice caught her ears. Autumn knew whose voice it was, "Rowena," she whispered.
"Oh my god, Atty," Rowena rushed down the steps, eager to see Atty. She lost her footing and slipped, sliding all the way down to the bottom.
Autumn ran toward Rowena, helping her stand up. "You, okay?"
Rowena didn't care that she had fallen. She jumped up, dusted herself off, and hugged Autumn tight, crushing her and Peaches. Peaches got excited and started jumping between Autumn and Rowena, licking their faces. Rowena didn't let Autumn go, even though Autumn was jokingly gasping for air and trying to wiggle out of her hold. "I need air, Ro."
"You have had it for this long. Now let me hug you," Rowena patted Autumn's hair. She had missed Autumn so much. When she received an offer overseas out of the blue, she was skeptical of it, but when she checked the employee list, she found that her friend was working there, and without another thought, she signed it. When she was picked up in the jet with the dog, she wasn't sure why, but now everything made sense.
They were so engrossed in each other that they didn't notice Zyler standing there. He cleared his throat to get their attention. Autumn pulled back, and Rowena, for the first time since she had arrived, laid her eyes on Zyler. Her jaw dropped in surprise.
She drew Autumn in closer, her voice a hushed whisper in her ear. "What in the world is Zyler Stone doing here?"
Autumn didn't exhibit any surprise. She was aware of Zyler's notoriety, though the extent of it remained uncertain. "Have you heard of him?" Autumn inquired as she walked towards the car, her baby cradled in her arms.
Rowena stared at Autumn, her expression one of incredulity. "Heard of him? Zyler is an incredibly famous figure, Atty. He's renowned and obscenely wealthy." Rowena closed her eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath. "Is he the person you've been working for all this time?"
Autumn nodded, and she could tell Rowena was thinking about something. "Why are you here? More importantly, why am I here?" Rowena wasn't naïve. Zyler wasn't an ordinary man to hire Autumn without proper qualifications. Rowena's gaze danced between Zyler and Autumn. His intense stare at Autumn resembled a cheetah eyeing its prey, making Rowena's thoughts race.
A million thoughts ran in Rowena's head. What was the reason that she was brought there in a private jet? No employer cares about his employees to this extent.
"We should leave," he uttered as soon as the trio reached the car. Autumn was about to sit with Rowena in her car when Zyler cleared his throat as a warning. Autumn turned to her friend, "I have a meeting with some investors we need to attend, Ro. I will join you later," she hugged her friend again, but Rowena narrowed her eyes at Zyler, shooting him a look of anger mixed with warning, but Zyler only smirked in return.
"Bye, Atty," she waved goodbye and sat in her car. Autumn returned to Zyler, and he opened the door for her.
"Sit," he commanded, and she did as asked. The car kicked into motion as soon as he rounded and sat inside.
"Am I not going to get a thanks?"
Autumn knew this conversation would come up. She didn't want to thank him. Why should she? He was the one that separated her from her life, and now he gave it back to her. She fixed her stare on his tapping shoes instead. Unaware of all the tension, Peaches lay his head on her neck, happily napping.
"For?" she feigned innocence.
Zyler chucked. "You are turning into an actor, baby," he laced his hand around her waist, pulling her close to his body. Her curvy body nestled into his side while his left arm caged her.
"For bringing this wretched dog back to you," he kneaded her waist, and Autumn squirmed.
She tilted her head upward, meeting his enigmatic blue eyes. Gratitude was the last thing on her mind, held back by her unwavering pride.
"You know?" He raised his hand, intending to touch Peaches, but Autumn, aware of his discomfort around her baby boy, swiftly moved the dog to her other side, inadvertently waking him. Peaches caught sight of Zyler and emitted a low whine, followed by a menacing growl.
"It's alright, baby," Autumn reassured the pup, her fingers gently caressing his fur to soothe him and prevent any escalation. She became wholly absorbed in comforting Peaches, focusing on the dog. Unbeknownst to her, Zyler seized the opportunity to instill fear, reaching for his gun and caressing it while maintaining an unwavering stare into the dog's eyes.
The dog growled further, not backing down. "What is the matter, mutt? Want me to put you to sleep?" Zyler chuckled; his comment laden with a sinister undertone. Autumn shot him a glare that could have incinerated him if her eyes possessed that power. She understood all too well the sinister connotations of Zyler's use of the word "sleep."
Her voice dripping with determination, Autumn issued a fierce warning to Zyler, her protective instincts in full force. "You will not get anywhere near him," she declared, her resolve unyielding.
Zyler's once playful demeanor vanished, and he grabbed Autumn by the neck, his grip tightening ominously. "Watch yourself, doll," he warned in a cold, harsh tone. "I don't appreciate my doll showing affection to anyone but me. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your baby." He spoke with deadly seriousness.
"I would love to see you try," she challenged, her gaze holding his gaze captive. If it were anyone else, Zyler would've blasted their head for challenging him, but he couldn't do it to his dahlia. He menacingly tapped his gun as a warning before returning it to his holster. The dog, trembling with fear, sought refuge closer to Autumn, seeking comfort in her protective presence.
His phone rang, jolting him out of his thoughts. He slipped his hand into his pocket and retrieved the phone, sliding the green button to answer the call. "Hello, Cole."
"I've managed to dig up some information on the woman," Cole began, his voice low and cautious. "I couldn't find a name or address, but she's in her twenties. I had to break into the records; even then, it was slim pickings. Just her age and some basic features, nothing more. No name, no date of birth." Cole tapped a few keys on his laptop, bringing up April's limited record.
"I want her out of there, and I'll handle it personally," Zyler declared, his impatience evident as he drummed his fingers on the ground.
"Security is incredibly tight. It might be close to impossible," Cole warned, fully aware of Zyler's determination but also mindful of the risks involved.
Zyler let out a chuckle, his brow furrowing in thought. "Liam is a busy man, Cole. He'll have to step out at some point. If not, we'll create a distraction. Cut the power to the entire area. Jam their backup generator in that wing. By any means necessary tonight, I'm getting her out."
"And once I have her, Liam will be on his knees." Zyler knew victory would be his soon. Women are a means to an end.
Cole sighed reluctantly. "Alright, I'll start planning."
Zyler ended the call with a click, slipping his phone back into his pocket, his gaze drifting outside. "Liam Hart is in love," he muttered, his words audible enough for Autumn to hear. Zyler was certain of it; he himself had fallen victim to love's entanglements. Love had a way of making even the strongest vulnerable. Something significant was afoot if Liam was willing to emerge from hiding and go to such lengths for a woman with high-security protection. With his female siblings deceased, it wasn't likely to be his mother.
"Whatever it is, Liam," Zyler continued, his tone filled with determination, "I have your hair, and tonight, I will have you."
Autumn's heart ached for the unknown woman caught in the middle of this dangerous game. It wasn't fair; women weren't meant to be pawns or collateral damage.
Their car halted at his mansion, "where did you take, Ro?" she asked, opening the door.
"She is safe. She is somewhere," Zyler's riddle answers pissed her off. "I want to know."
"And you will when you are a good girl," he kissed her forehead, instructing her to get down. "Have dinner, and go to bed," he closed her door, driving off.
.............
At the hospital
"I want you to keep her sedated as long as possible," Liam instructed the doctor assigned to April's case.
"Is that safe for her?" Liam asked, not wanting to put April's safety in jeopardy.
"It is. Her mind isn't really responding to anything we are giving her. She is very fragile. Seems her brain shut her off, not wanting to relive any memories," the doctor stared at her MRI and CT scans.
"Then this is to protect her," Liam justified his heart. "I don't want her to know her baby is gone," he was about to ask the doctor about her chances of getting pregnant again when he received a call from his secretary.
"What is it?" He rested the phone between his ear and shoulder, signing the chart for April.
"Sir, your father is up," Liam's heart leaped into his throat.
"How is it even possible?" Liam wasn't okay with Ryle being up. He hated his father to the core, and when he struck him with a rod, he was sure his father would be in a coma for the rest of his life.
"I am not sure, sir. He is asking for you," his assistant stared at the weak Ryle, who was hoarsely saying something.
"I will be there," Liam walked out, warning his security to watch over April strictly. With a heavy heart, he got into his car driving to his destination, not knowing destiny helped Zyler.
..............
"Is everything ready?" Zyler put his gloves and mask on.
Cole pressed some buttons, bringing the hospital live feed onto the screen. "It is. For some reason, Liam isn't there. Once you step out, I will cut the power to the area, and from there, it is in your hands," Cole handed an earpiece to Zyler.
Zyler slid open the van door, stepping out. "The power will go out in 3, 2,1," Cole pushed another button, ending the power supply.
The dimly lit hospital corridors seemed to pulse with an eerie silence, the atmosphere shrouded in an unsettling stillness. Zyler moved stealthily through the labyrinthine passages, his every step masked by the disquieting hush. The dim lights from the cars on the road flickered intermittently, casting elongated shadows that danced menacingly along the cold, tiled floors.
Every corner of the hospital was heavily guarded, with security personnel stationed like sentinels. "Where are you going?" a guard stopped Zyler, resting his hand on Zyler's chest.
He grabbed his gun with a silencer attached and shot him in the stomach. The guard dropped onto his knees, clutching his stomach. Zyler's unblinking eyes watched him writhe in pain. Before the guard even had a chance to press the signal, Zyler fired the bitch up, putting another bullet into his forehead.
As Zyler approached the room where an unconscious woman lay, his heartbeat resonated in his ears like a chilling drumbeat, quickening with each passing moment. He reached the door, its sterile white exterior contrasting starkly with the looming malevolence. A sense of eerie familiarity washed over him, though he couldn't tell how or why.
Swallowing hard, he pushed the door open with a slow, creaking motion. The room was bathed in an eerie blue glow from the monitoring equipment, casting ghastly shadows across the motionless form of the hospital bed. Tubes and wires snaked around her like sinister serpents, connecting her to the machines that imprisoned her in her unconscious state.
Zyler's gloved hands stayed steady as he reached for the medical equipment, skillfully disconnecting the life-sustaining apparatus that tethered the unknown woman to her fate.
With each disconnected wire, he could almost feel the life draining from her. Beads of sweat glistened on Zyler's forehead, his heart racing as he worked swiftly, determined to free her from this ominous place.
The room's flickering lights created an eerie strobe effect, casting fleeting glimpses of Zyler's tense expression as he finally lifted the unconscious woman from the bed, cradling her limp body in his arms. She was a fragile, unconscious doll in his grasp, and he backed away from the room.
With the woman's life hanging in the balance and darkness all around, Zyler cautiously walked out of the hospital's maze-like corridors. His footsteps echoed, and he disappeared into the night from where he came.
Hello, chicas. Here is another update. See you all next time.