Jared's pic on top. He aka Ben Barnes looks dashing in his office attire. Doesn't he?
Oh! Although I'm wishing later. But wish you all a very happy month of Ramadan.
..............
The scorching sun is looking at New York city with fury, mirrioring Jared's mood. He still can't get over from Laura's stunt yesterday. How could that girl do that?
How could she sit there and make fun of him like that? It was his deal. How dare she to stick her nose in a matter which doesn't concern her?
Urgh.. Jared tugs his own hair. His mood is taking a worse turn at these thoughts. Blasted expresso isn't helping either.
The automatic door of his room opens revealing a very wary Reid.
'Sir. They're downstairs.' Reid says. Choosing his words wisely so that he doesn't irk the devil himself who seems like is ready to kill whoever is in his arm reach. Maybe this is the reason why Reid is standing ten feet away from his boss.
Jared turns away from the glass wall and storms out of his office room. Taking two steps at a time. Reid starts almost running to catch up with Jared.
Six persons sitting in the round table straightens their posture upon noticing Jared. He rounds Reid's table and gets inside the small room which only has a medium sized round table with ten chairs.
This room is in Jared's floor. Whenever a small meeting is needed with Jared, it is held in this room. Jared pulls a chair roughly and takes his seat. The sound echoes through the whole room making everyone's heart stop with fear.
'How the hell not a single one of you realised that our file was altered?' Jared shouts as the persons sitting in the table cringe.
'It was altered! B-but how sir?' One asks.
Jared's face gets even more scarier.
'See. This is what I'm talking about. How can you be so idiot that you couldn't even realise that it wasn't your work?' Jared shouts. Again.
'Actually we did realise sir that it wasn't our work. But we realised it after the meeting.' Another member of the team says. Trying to stop Jared from shouting at them some more.
'It doesn't matter if you realised it after the meeting. What is important is the fact that I have some fools as my employee.' Jared bellows.
'This time we were lucky not to lose this deal. But what would happen when this happens again? All of you would probably sit like a statue when someone else would insult us like that. Not even realising that you're being fools.'
When Jared has finished venting his anger on everyone, everyone keeps silent with pale face waiting for Jared's next blow.
'At Diego's sudden outburst we all were shell shocked. And it never crossed our mind to recheck the file when we had already checked it before the meeting. We couldn't have guessed that our own work can be altered at the eleventh hour. Now could we? What matters is that we got the deal in the end. Right?' Marissa Sanders, the departmental head of interior designing says.
If it was any normal moment then Marissa would've flirted with Jared. Which she never stops. But because of Jared's mood today she refrains herself from doing so. Jared never stands anyone's informal behaviour. But he never says anything to Marissa. Because..
Marissa Sanders is the best at her work in this industry. If she wants she can open her own company. It's because of Jared's request that she still works in this company. So Jared can never find a replacement for her. But the problem is, she knows that too and she never misses to use it.
But seriously! This woman always gets on Reid's nerves and perhaps even Jared's too. She can see that Jared is really angry right now. Yet she's talking as if Jared is wrong. Which he is.. But still. Is she crazy or does she have a death wish? Idiot woman thinks she's greater than anyone else.
Reid notices Jared getting rigid at Marissa's tone and choice of words.
'Just because you were my senior in university doesn't change the fact that I'm your BOSS. So remember that while talking to me.'
Marissa's lips turns into a thin line at Jared's words. She stiffly nods getting angry at Jared for insulting her like that.
Soon everyone takes their leaves after getting threatened by Jared to not to tell a soul about the altered file. They're already getting enough attention after Diego's insults. He doesn't want to add some more unwanted attention at that.
'Have you seen into the matter I told you to?' Jared asks Reid.
'Yeah. I guess the file was altered before printing the copies. I have that footage with me.' Reid says.
Jared goes back to his room and turns on his laptop. Reid hands him a CD and he inserts that in.
'Wow!' Jared says as he shuts his laptop with a thud after watching the footage.
'Laura has brain. Fake delivery boys huh. Impressive.' His tone tells Reid that Jared wasn't really complimenting but was thinking of scenarios about him strangling Laura.
He removes his black suit and rolls up his sleeves to his elbows. He gets up from his chair and places both of his palms on the table and bends. His face is saying that he's trying hard to stop himself from screaming in anger.
'Uh-um sir..' Reid calls Jared.
'What?' He harshly says.
Reid gulps and takes two steps back from him.
'Yesterday at the meeting when Mr. Martinez was leaving after shaking hands with Ms. Williams he uh he..' Reid pauses. Unsure if he should continue and what will be aftershock of it.
'He what?' Jared snaps.
'He-uh- he winked at her. It seems like, perhaps Mr. Martinez and Ms. Williams..'
'Knows each other from before.' Jared finishes Reid's sentence with furrowed eyebrows but doesn't make any comment.
Reid starts waiting in anticipation for Jared to show a reaction. Anything.
But Jared does nothing but takes his coat in one hand, places his phone and car keys in his pant pocket.
'I'll be leaving for today. If anything important comes up then call me.'
..............
As Jared is driving through the busy streets of New York, Reid's earlier words start ringing in his ears.
It seemed like they knew each other.
Know each other
Know each other
Bloody hell!
Jared takes a sharp turn and stops his car on the side of the road. The traffic police will give him a warning but it's the least of his worries.
'Those two made me a fucking fool!' Jared shouts as he hits the stearing wheel hard. A loud horn comes out of his car.
Laura wasn't meddling in his business. No, no. She was actually prepared beforehand. Diego wouldn't have dropped the deal no matter what happened. Cause it was all a freaking trick!
..............
I enter the school hallway. There are students scattered everywhere.
The students loom over me. Their height suddenly increases so much that I have to bend my neck to see them.
Suddenly a familiar face along with two more guys comes into view. Robin looks at me with pure hatred.
'Look who's here. It's the murderer.'
Then Robin comes forward and snarls.
'You killed your parents. You killed that man and that kid. You kill everyone beside you. You should die. YOU KILLED MY SISTER!' He shouts.
I start backing and looking around frantically. To find anyone who'd save me. They are gonna kill me.
Soon every student starts repeating Robin's words. They start reciting loudly.
'You're a murderer'
'You should die.'
'You killed them all.'
'You're a killer.'
'You don't deserve to live.'
I become petrified as I hear their words and notice their expressions. They're gonna kill me. Oh God they're gonna kill me.
All of them start advancing towards me as I start backing without looking away from them.
'No. No. No I'm not a killer. Please don't. Don't kill me please. Let me go..' I plead not realising when I've started crying profusely.
My feet get stuck in a pebble and I fall with a thud. All of them have almost reached me.
I try to move but it's like my feet are glued and I'm paralysed.
And then all of them lung at me.
Suddenly I'm not in the school anymore but in my house. I'm standing in front of the kitchen counter and there is blood. There is blood everywhere.
I look forward and notice aunt Stella. She's wearing a white dress. Her hair is dissavaled. Blood is dripping from the corner of her forhead and wetting her whire dress.
'Aunt!' I grasp.
She starts coming coming towards me.
'You killed me Leira. You killed me.'
My face turns ashen as guilt strikes me hard. I desperately shake my head.
'No.' My protest comes out as a whisper.
'No. No I didn't. I didn't kill you aunt. You're wrong. I'm not a killer.' I frantically start saying as she starts coming towards me with open arms.
I start sobbing clutching my chest.
'No I didn't. I didn't...'
The scenery changes. And I'm in front of that road again just like all those years ago. The same red car appears on the road. Speeding towards where I'm standing. I can see Mr.Talon behind the stearing wheel. The whiff of blonde hair can be seen sitting in the passenger seat.
I stand by the side of the road paralysed. Knowing full well what is going to happen. I become horrified when I realise that unlike other times it's Ella.
And she starts crossing the road. The car comes straight towards her. I try to move my legs but they just won't buzz.
'No. No.'
'ELLA!!' Laura opens her eyes as a scream tores from her.
'Laura!' Ella calls Laura with concern as she opens the door of Laura's room with a bang.
'Hey hey hey it's okay. It's okay. Everything's alright.' Ella rushes to Laura's side of the bad.
'Oh my god! You're okay.' Laura hurriedly says with fast unsteady breaths touching Ella frantically making sure she's okay as Ella tightly hugs her.
Ella murmurs comforting words on her ear as Laura silently starts crying.
Soon Karen also comes to the room running.
'What happened? Laura honey..' Karen takes Laura's crying figure from Ella's embrace and starts caressing her hair. Ella pours water in a glass from a jug kept in the side table.
'Here.' Ella hands Laura the glass and Laura takes a small sip. She's a bit normal now. The shock from that nightmare is still raw. It's almost one month since Laura last had a nightmare.
'I told you to book an appointment with Dr. Linda. Now I'm going to do this first thing tomorrow morning. It's been a long time since you last had your session with her.' Karen softly tells Laura after releasing her from her embrace.
She stands up from Laura's bed and opens a drawer of the side table.
'You didn't even take your medicine.' Karen grasps.
'I forgot?' Laura sheepishly replies which comes out as a question.
Karen shakes her head at Laura with a small smile and leaves the room to bring light food. According to her, Laura is 'starving'.
'Everything happened because of that jerk Jared. Before you met him you were perfectly fine.' Ella huffs.
Laura gives out a small smile at Ella's childish tone. Seeing Ella in front of her is relieving. It proves that Ella's all right. And that was just a bad dream.
'I think we should vandalize Jared's place. I've made quiet some friends in here. I'm sure they would help.' Ella says like it's such a great plan.
Laura chuckles.
'There will be security guards.'
'So? Have you seen my charm? Oh forget about me.' Ella brushes off.
'We'll just call Violet. Boys worship the ground she walks on. The security guards will forget that they're guards after seeing her.'
Laura shakes her head with a smile.
'You and Jared are so alike.'
'What?' Ella shouts. 'You just ruined my bubble.' She scoffs.
Just as Laura is going to answer Karen enters the room.
'When will you go to meet Linda?' Karen asks.
'Well.. after office tomorrow.'
'Nope. You can't go after office. We have somewhere else to be at that time. We've got an invitation.'
'Where?'
'Jensen's place.'
'What? But Jared doesn't live with his parents anymore right? So he won't be there.' Laura hopefully says.
'Of course he'll be there.'
'Shit.'
..............
Looooong chapter I know. We've got insides of Laura huh. Do you know why do I update so late? It's not just because I'm busy with studies but because I go through writer's block for at least 10 days. Then I force it to go away and start writing a new chapter.
Hahaha.
I was reading - Unconditional the beginning of relevation, during writing this chapter.
Song for this chapter- Shallow by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.
Hope you liked this chapter.
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Till the next time.
- Arin.