Deceived By Her Billionaire

Chapter 6

Cynthia did not know what to make of this stranger or his offer of help. He was asking her not to be too trusting yet expected her to believe him and everything he was saying…. He warned her to be wary of generous offers when he, himself, was dangling a carrot in front of her. 

A New Identity? Did he think that he can walk into a local Walmart and buy her a new identity? Did he believe that changing identity was as simple as changing clothes? She was a realist and knew that it was not as easy as he was making it sound... then why she was tempted to take him up on his offer? Why was the carrot he was dangling in front of her, giving her hope? Did he not know that it was cruel to give someone false hope?

 Whatever his purpose was, he... he indeed did not seem normal to her. She had to tread carefully here. “Look, Mister, whoever you are…. I don’t know what kind of games you are playing… but if you have something against Liam… go deal with him directly… I am done being someone’s plaything, now if you will excuse me…...”. She was lifting the brakes of her wheelchair when out of the corner of her eye, she saw him taking out his phone and dialing a number.

She completely stilled… all the color left her face… this can’t be happening to her… oh why... why is she so unlucky? The stranger put the phone on speaker.

 “Do you have any news about her?” It was Liam… she could recognize his crisp, clear voice anywhere… once he had taken her name with sugary sweetness… but today, he sounded so impersonal when talking about her.

 “And a good afternoon to you too, Mr. Williams… I called you today to give you a crucial tip. I need you to write down an address. Just let me know when you are ready.”

 Cynthia was finding it difficult to breathe…. she clutched her chest to stop it from paining... sweat had broken out on her forehead, and fear was making her gasp for air. She started taking deep breaths to normalize her breathing.

 “Yes, go ahead…,” said Liam

 Still clutching her chest, Cynthia looked up at Jerry with pleading eyes, “P… please ...d..don’t,” she said faintly.. shaking her head. 

 Jerry gave him an address and asked if he had noted it down. When Liam confirmed, he said, “I want you to go to this address as soon as possible and file a missing person’s report…. this is the address of the nearest police station….”

 Cynthia sagged in relief… crying at her pathetic state... she had almost died a dozen deaths when she had heard the stranger call Liam and offered to give an address. Her tears kept flowing, and she covered her mouth with her hands tightly to stop her cries... why had she become so miserable… so spineless..at the mercy of others.

 “What the hell are you trying to do here” barked Liam, almost exploding. The blazing anger in his voice shook her and brought her attention back to this stranger’s conversation with Liam. 

 “I am trying to save you your fortune… Mr. Williams. It’s been almost a month that we have been searching for Ms. Miller but in vain… and I am tired of trying to find a person who would like to remain lost, so I suggest that you either give up or let NYPD take care of this matter.”

 “You have guts… I’ll give you that… it’s been a very long time that someone openly challenged me… I’ll accept it… I’ll take care of finding Cynthia on my own. Ah .... don’t bother going back to your office; rather, find a safe place to hide.”

 Cynthia agreed with Liam... this stranger had guts... Liam was livid, she could tell.

 “I’ll be waiting… just let me know in case you are not able to find me…. I’ll leave you some clues then” with that, he disconnected the phone and kept it in his pocket. That’s one of your concerns taken care of.”

 She looked at him blankly… as it is, she was not able to comprehend what just happened. People feared Liam .... bowed down to him… obeyed him… some respected him but never had she seen somebody challenging him. She could imagine him seething in anger in his office, throwing a tantrum.

 Looking at her blank expression, Jerry said, “I am no longer working for Mr. Williams… oh what to do…. I was just fired” ......he said feigning sadness 

Cynthia looked at him in utter shock… who was this stranger? Could she trust him? 

 “That, by the way, this is your third lesson… don’t take s**t from anyone… now let’s get out of here before that fireball realizes that something is fishy and comes looking for us… you are coming with me, right?

Cynthia could not get anything past her lips, she was that shocked so she just nodded her head. 

“That’s a wise decision… Now let’s see about getting you discharged from this depressing place”, he said as he took control of her wheelchair and started leading her inside with a spring in his steps.

 He was finally feeling light, as if an enormous boulder had been lifted off his shoulders. It was the first time he was genuinely looking forward to life since letting his Jesse down .... maybe there was hope for him, yet, he mused. 

 It took almost an hour to get all the formalities taken care of. He settled her bill, gathered the discharge papers, and listened to all the instructions from the doctor regarding her ongoing care. He gave her a few minutes to say her goodbyes to the kind staff who had taken care of her so lovingly. Finally, she left with the stranger, heading towards an unknown destination… full of uncertainties.