Chapter 8 - She's not coming back
1077 Words
Deep down, Mrs. Delaney wanted nothing more than to slap the pitiful mask off Fiona’s face and smear her perfectly done lip combo off her lips.
The sight of her sitting meekly and pretending to care made bile to rise in her throat. She couldn’t come to terms of how someone she took in as a daughter would do that to her family. How could someone who she had welcomed into her home countless times betray her daughter so shamelessly.
Yet she had to keep playing her part for just a little while. Soon enough this charade would be over.
“If you’re scared, what do you want to me do. I’m trying…,” a tear slid down her cheeks. “I’m trying to keep it all together. My only daughter, oh I hope for a light at the end of this tunnel.” She added crying even louder.
“I’m so sorry, ma’am.” Fiona said as she scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Mrs. Delaney nearly flinched from the touch.
“You’ve always been so strong, everything would be fine.”
“It’s alright,” she sniffed. “I’d be fine.”
A brief silence followed then she looked directly at Fiona. “Bryan must be missing her terribly, you know?”
“I’m sure he does.” Fiona responded looking as sympathetic as ever.
“You should go check up on him.”
“I should?” She blinked seeming somewhat surprised.
“Yeah,” Mrs. Delaney nodded. “He’s struggling too. Remind him not to lose hope, Kate would return safely.”
A strange light flickered In Fiona’s eyes.
“Right,” she cornered her lips into a smile thinking Mrs. Delaney wouldn’t see it. “I’d do just that. Sure you’d be fine without me?”
“Yes, dear, besides I have Tuxy.” She said as she let out a chuckle with wet eyes pointing to her fluffy cat curled up in the corner of the living room.
After exchanging a few more words, she finally left.
Mrs. West stared at the photo on her phone for a moment before finally allowing herself to breathe. The men had completed the assignment, a slow smile spread across her face.
Kate Delaney had been a pain in her ass, even after her disappearance she continued to be a problem.
For days she had been unable to sleep properly, for fear that the men might be incompetent and Kate might escape. The uncertainty that her plans might get ruined gnawed at her nerves. Now that fear was gone, gone forever. Kate had been permanently silenced or so she thought.
Few days before the wedding, the men had received an anonymous threat of their exposure in their recent gang robbery. They had one simple job to do to save themselves. Abduct Kate Delaney before the wedding.
The wedding ceremony between Bryan West and Kate Delaney attracted the attention of the city’s elite. Attendance was strictly by invitation, every staff member thoroughly screened and every entrance was keenly monitored and unfortunately for the men, Mrs. Delaney had hired more extensive security. They didn’t stand a chance to infiltrate.
They switched to plan B, but before they could execute it, commotion erupted and Kate had vanished. Torn apart by the current situation, they accepted their fate but their jeopardy came to an end when they got the news that Kate Delaney was missing. They considered themselves lucky, someone else had taken Kate and they took advantage of the situation.
Now looking at the photograph, Mrs. Glyde West patted herself on the back. Her main problem was gone.
“The Onyx gala is in the next three days.” Mrs. West said as she carried a cup of coffee to Bryan who was seated in the living room.”
“Yeah, where are the staffs?” He said as he sat up to receive the cup from her.
“No, it’s fine, can’t I prepare my own son’s coffee?”
Bryan shrugged. She waited for him to take a sip of it then continued.
“There would be plenty of influential families in attendance, including a special someone I’d like you to meet.” Mrs. West said with a soft smile as she imagined the scenario.
Mr. Tylon had supported the Westgrid company right from it’s inception years and he’s also an influential millennial billionaire whose connections stretched across industries. More importantly, he has a daughter, young beautiful and highly educated. She returned for holidays after completing her medical residency abroad. She wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip away, a marriage between their families would generate far more wealth than the Delaney’s could ever provide. Business mergers. Shareholder influence. Political connections. Profitable opportunities which could make her family more powerful.
“Oh, the replacement for the company’s representative?” Bryan asked.
“No, keep guessing.” A soft smile tugged on her lips.
Bryan stared at her and dropped the cup in his hand on the nearby table when realization dawned on him.
“Mmmom come on,” he protested. “We haven’t even heard any positive feedback about Kate and now you want to introduce me to someone else?”
The smile gradually faded from her face. “I don’t understand why you’re still worrying about that girl. You’d have to move on from her.”
“No mum, I won’t.”
“You don’t owe her anything,” she stressed. “Why are you so adamant on being with her.” She paused and leaned in closer on her seat towards him. “Is it about the shares and company’s profit?”
He blankly stared back at her.
“There are tons of other girls out there with even juicer benefits than what Kate and her dwindling class has to offer.” She frowned as she found herself mentioning Kate’s name, as if it was a bitter sting to her taste buds.
“Its not about that mom, Kate, is just different.” He mused getting up to walk towards the window that faced towards the entrance as if hoping that he’d see her returning back.
“You would not argue with me about this!” she said waving her hands in disagreement. “Besides, I doubt your beloved fiancée would ever be returning back to you.” Mrs. Glyde West walked out of the living room leaving him to his delusions.
- Writer
