Blurred Lines

Chapter 5

They spent the next few minutes staring at a few more art works before walking out and Raine breathed in the night air

“You were bored weren’t you?”

“Not really no, my mind was just a little occupied” she answered amused before dragging him to a liquor store she spotted

“Come on, I don’t plan to spend this night sober”

*Flashback over*

Raine sighs in defeat as she stares at the few papers while talking to Uncle Joe on the phone.

“There’s nothing here except a few receipts and papers, a few stock values they both invested in and some are papers from her time in The Gazette media where she worked as a reporter.”

“Well there has to be some kind of clue as to what she was working on or at least why no one had access to her vault but you”

She shuffled through the papers with an exhale so loud, she would’ve dropped to the floor if she wasn’t already on it.

As far as she knows from Joe, her mother was a reporter in Manhattan and her dad, A private investigator. They met on a case one night and they instantly hated each other because one always got in the way of the other.

But they realized their love, got married all in a year and had her a little while later.

It was all too cliche even for her,

They didn’t even get to spend enough years together before they died.

“I can’t find anyth…wait…there’s a file here” she peered closer at it

“It’s a stock record of five years before mum died. Wilde industries stock market were plummeting to the point of bankruptcy for four years and then skyrocketed in less than a day all of a sudden after their rival companies pulled out.

Why would she have this?”

Raine muttered, confused as she searched for more, trying to make sense of the files and found something.

“Uncle…there’s an incomplete police report of a murder case but there’s no name and it’s been torn in half.

And there’s a key…”

She sighed heavily again when she realized

“What is it?” Joe asked

“The key is to another safety deposit box in a private bank in Manhattan” she replied

“Your mother always did like the thrill of a wild goose chase” Joe chuckles at her defeat

What was she going to do?

She couldn’t fly there just yet. The company was too busy right now to even consider taking vacation days. Christian wouldn’t even hear it and she’s had enough yelling from that excuse of a man

Plus she couldn’t trust this in the hands of anyone else.

“Well you don’t have to g..go r..r..right now” Joe spluttered while coughing violently, Raine’s chest tightened

“Are you okay? I could come over” she asked, concerned.

“No it’s okay peanut, it’s just a cough I needed to get out” He reassured but that didn’t calm her in the slightest.

Joe was diagnosed a few years ago with Mesothelioma. It had built up from his days as a miner.

They were lucky, according to specialists, that the cancer was caught in its early stages so he’s been receiving treatments.

It wasn’t easy. Apart from another crack being made in her heart at the prospect of losing another loved one, This cancer almost drove a wedge between them.

The arguments about her life savings being spent on him but she did it anyway. She used everything to keep him alive and she wouldn’t allow him to feel guilty or be at peace with dying-she couldn’t bear it.

Then just before she got this job, they got this insurance offer that was fully paid for if he tried out their experimental treatment. Though skeptical at first, his condition improved and they couldn’t be happier.

It was like luck smiled on them one more time.

Just as she arrived at work the following Monday, apart from the vague paperworks from her mum, her weekend with Pete put a pep in her step. It was long overdue after barely spending any time together since she started working.

And she couldn’t be more grateful for how understanding he is.

So no more confusions this time. Just work.

She saw Christian earlier pass by with just a grunt and had been in the office all day. He canceled his meetings and barely came out.

The day was quiet. Probably even peaceful due to the Grinch’s quietness.

But she couldn’t announce she was done for the day and leave. She was used to leaving before him and she knows that he spends the night here most times but still…

She sat till almost everyone had left the building and no sign of Christian.

Raine knocked on the door and heard a grunt before she entered.

“Mr Wilde?”

The entire office was dark and there was barely any movement in the room

She turned on the low light and found him on the sofa with his eyes closed with files on his desk and on the small table in front of him.

“Mr. Wilde, are you okay?” Raine asked as she neared him

“Yeah…just…peachy” He groaned out while twisting and turning on the sofa

Raine found him drenched in sweat and shivering

“You don’t seem okay”

She touched his forehead and he groaned in satisfaction at her cold fingers.

“You’re burning up. We need to take you home or to the hospital at least.”

She whipped out her phone to call his security but he stopped her

“No…no, I wan… stay here” he groaned out

“You need a proper bed and care”

“No” He countered

“Do you have to be so stubborn? Why?”

“Too…lonely” He said as he leaned into the direction of her cold fingers with his eyes still closed and she was unable to say anything after hearing that.

Raine snapped herself back to reality and headed for his private bathroom in his office to get a washcloth with a bowl of water.

She unbuttoned his shirt and first placed his the wet cloth on his forehead before moving down to his chest in order to cool him down.

Trying not to dwell on how her chest tightened at sight of him so vulnerable in front of her, she quickly ran out to get some soup at a restaurant a few blocks from the building.

Getting back as fast as she could, she saw the fever had broken a little

“Mr Wilde, you need to eat something, come on”

She tried to lift him up a little but she ended up stacking up the pillows on the sofa when she couldn’t

She fed him the soup as much as she could even when he groaned in protest

“Just a little more…” she coaxed till he finished the bowl and she laid him back down and then resumed cleaning off his sweat with a renewed bowl of water and the washcloth.

Having to run half of the family companies alone had to take a toll on him

“You work yourself too hard Mr. Wilde, even the strongest has their own limits”

She whispered as she sat for the next hour on the floor next to the sofa, taking care of him.

She watched the wrinkles on his forehead deepen and eyes flutter rapidly.

She moved a strand of hair from his damp forehead and with a little hesitation, she ran her fingers through the silky,wild curls to soothe him.

So smooth…

Raine traced her other fingers down his forehead and she felt the wrinkles smoothen and he grew calmer as she brushed his cheek lightly

He looked gentle and peaceful that it was a wonder how someone like this could be so cold.

With a closer look that she would never have the chance for again, she could trace a small pink scar above his eyebrows.

And count the tiny freckles scattered on his nose.

She could outline the sides of his plump pink lips, trace his stubble and even jawline.

And when he slowly opened his eyes swirled with different colors that looked like a dream and smiled up at her, she was marveled

“Piccola Meraviglia…” He drew out before falling back asleep

And as she was closing her eyes, she wondered why that sounded so warm and familiar.