Billionaire's Delimma: Beyond The Lies

Disappearance

Lauren found solace in her latest discovery,a new life growing in her which reignited her will to live. However, her joy was short-lived as anxiety crept in. She was worried about people's reactions, the public critics and the potential fallout when the truth finally emerged, as pregnancy is not something that can be hidden.

“How would they react?” Lauren wondered, her head consumed with assumptions. The thought of facing her family and friends with this … . She wondered how her father would feel about it and considering the previous trouble she'd caused, Lauren decided to hide her child from the world.

In light of her decision, Lauren started making discreet preparation for her disappearance. She knew it wouldn't be easy but she felt it was necessary.

First, Lauren returned to her therapist, determined to overcome her addiction and regain control over her life. It was also a strategic move to gain her father's trust, securing access to her finances.

Dr. Linda was surprised with her return, “Lauren I wasn't expecting you to come back so soon. What brings you back?”

Lauren's eyes met with her therapist and she replied with confidence. “I'm here to confront my demons.”

Dr. Linda wasn't convinced at first, she was curious about her return and remained cautious. She had seen patients use therapy as a ploy before. But as the sessions continued, Lauren's consistency and commitment cleared all her doubts.

As Lauren progressed with her healing, Dr. Linda was impressed with her breakthrough and wondered what might have initiated this transformation. She was thrilled to see Lauren improving and filled Lauren's father in with her progress.

Little did Dr. Linda know that Lauren's transformation was the beginning of her secret journey, one that would lead to her disappearance.

Juliand who had been keeping tabs on Lauren every move was caught off guard by her sudden development. Her rapid progress had jeopardize Juliand’s carefully laid out plan. He realized that he was out of time and needed to come up with a new plan soon.

Bryce, who had been waiting for Lauren to return back to the city, was impressed on hearing of Lauren's improvement. He assumed that she had come to terms with Trevor's death and was now ready to move forward to rebuild their relationship together. His thoughts were right, however, Lauren's change has nothing to do with him.

With her plan in place, Lauren knew it was time to flee. Besides, her growing belly has become extremely difficult to conceal as her pregnancy was now visible. She gathered her belongings and fled town using the fake ID she had gotten for a professional.

As Lauren fled, she was overwhelmed with emotions. Fear gripped her heart, loneliness filled her soul and the burden of being pregnant wore her down. Above all, she felt sorry for her parents knowing they would be devastated by her disappearance.

The thought of them suffering, unsure if she's dead or alive filled her with remorse. However, Lauren saw past her emotions and held onto her child's future.

Anne went for her routine visit, unfortunately she didn't meet Lauren but saw a sealed envelope.

She opened it and read the content;

“Anne, I'm sure you'll be the one to find this but if someone else happens to see it, it's okay. Well if you're reading this, it means I've probably arrived at my new destination. I'm sorry for leaving the way I did and I didn't mean to hurt anyone. Please you guys shouldn't bother looking for me, I'll be back soon.”

"Anne,

I'm sure you'll be the one to find this but if someone else finds this, I hope you'll understand.

Well if you're reading this, I know it's because I've finally found the courage to leave. I'm sorry for leaving without a goodbye.

My heart aches thinking about the pain I've caused. Dad, Mom, I love you both so much. I know this isn't the goodbye you deserved.

Please don't search for me. I need this time to heal, to find myself again. I promise to return when the time is right.

Take care of each other.

With all my love,

Lauren"

Anne was in tears when she finished reading the letter, she couldn't understand why Lauren had to leave. Anne went back to the city with a heavy heart and shared the news of Lauren's disappearance with her family and friends.

She expected worried faces or tearful eyes from her family upon sharing Lauren's letter. Instead, she was met with an unsettling numbness, like they weren't moved by her disappearance.

Behind closed doors, Mr. Clarkson was worried about Lauren's disappearance and had hired someone to look into it discreetly. The results delivered were futile as Lauren left no loose ends.

He decided to reachout to her therapist, Dr. Linda to ask if she had noticed anything off with Lauren's behavior before her disappearance. Her reply wasn't different from the previous, but it gave Mr.clarkson an insight.

“Sometimes, individuals feel overwhelmed by responsibilities, expectations or in Lauren's case, past trauma.” Dr. Linda explained. “Lauren may have needed a space to clear her mind, heal and rebuild herself.”

Dr. Linda response was able to ease Mr. Clarkson worries, but he left

“What are you hiding Lauren?” Mr. Clarkson wondered, thinking of possibilities. Her disappearance was concisely planned. “Whatever you're up to, just stay safe.”

Juliand felt defeated by Lauren's act of disappearing and thought perhaps she knew he was onto her which led her to flee.

“Smart move Lauren, you've outsmart me,” he muttered, trying to figure out his next move.

Juliand been calculative decided to bide his time and remain in town. “She can't live in hiding forever,” he told himself. She will definitely return and I will be waiting, ready to strike.

Juliand reformed his strategy, seeking a more deceptive approach. He set his sight on Major's Corps, Mr. Clarkson's esteemed company. After multiple attempts, he meticulously secured employment. He now sought to gain the chairman's trust and to uncover the whereabouts of his daughter from inside.

Bryce couldn’t grasp his head around her sudden disappearance, he was swirled with confusion and despair. He had held onto the hope that she would return to town and perhaps, they would rekindle the spark they felt at the bathtub.

“Why Lauren, I thought you were getting better? Did I put too much faith in your recovery?” He was lost in the labyrinth of his thoughts.

Months had passed since Lauren's disappearance but Anne was still wounded by the incident. She was sober and went out drinking with her friends. As the night wore on, Anne realized she was in no shape to drive and decided to take the subway back home.

However, her altered state made her vulnerable. After she alighted the train, she stumbled her way home. Due to her drunken state, she took a wrong turn ending up in a deserted alley. Suddenly, a group of boys, apparently teens, surrounded her.

Juliand, who had worked overtime that day, coincidentally took the same route with Anne. He noticed commotion at a nearby alley. He couldn't see through the darkness but a faint cry for help echoed through the air.

His instincts kicked in and he rushed towards the alley, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. A group of teenage boys surrounded a lady, trying to take her purse and jewelry.

Without hesitation, Jualiand charged in. He threw his fist with swift precision at the attacker, taking him down. The boys retreated, fleeing in disarray.

Exhausted Juliand, turned to the lady. She leaned against the wall, trembling. “Sorry about those boys trying to take advantage of you. Are you okay? That must have been really scary.” Juliand asked, feeling concerned about her wellbeing.

The lady lifted her gaze, staring at her rescuer. “Thank you, I'm fine,” she whispered.

“Let me work you home safely.” Juliand insisted, acting as a gentleman. She was pleased by his kind gesture and gave a weak smile accepting his offer.

On their walk to Anne's home, they got caught up in a casual conversation. Anne was curious about Juliand's dressing, by that hour he was still on suit. “Late meeting?”

Juliand chucked. “I just got back from overtime actually. I recently started working at Major’s Corp. I'm just trying to climb the ranks and make a good impression by putting in more effort.”

Anne expression shifted, a shadow falling across her face. Juliand’s words meant to be carefree, had unintentionally stirred up painful memories. Juliand noticed the change in her mood and tried to enlightened her.

“You seem cold,” Juliand said. He slipped off his blazer and wrapped it on Anne. The warmth of the fabric and his thoughtful gesture, cheer her up. Anne felt comfortable having him by her side.

“Why would a lovely lady like you be sober? What's the story behind it? Juliand asked out of curiosity.

Anne wasn't forthcoming with answers. She hesitated, unsure if she should open up to a stranger. She concluded his good deeds meant that he wouldn't cause any harm. Eventually, she gave in and confided in him.

“Actually, a friend of mine ghosed us. She has been facing some challenges lately and her parents had her see a therapist. Recently, she'd made drastic improvement on her mental state and we thought she would be back in feet in no time.” Anne said, her mood gloomy.

“She’s actually your Chairman's daughter.” Anne continued, her trust in Juliand growing. “We are all baffled. Why would she run away? We can't think of any reason.”

“That explains why the Chairman hasn't been active recently.” Juliand exclaimed. However he had already realized she was referring to Lauren when she mentioned that her friend had ghosted her.

They reach Anne's doorstep, they share warm smiles. She thanked Juliand again and went inside. Anne realized she had forgot to collect his number as she'd enjoyed his company. However, she knew his place of work and comforted herslef with that.

As Juliand walked away, he expression changed. “My good actually paid off,” he muttered to himself. Anne seem to trust me, one step closer to uncovering Lauren location.