CHAPTER 2
1300 Words
From the top of the crest tower, a whole new city unfolded. Everything appeared so small, from the people walking, to the cars honking aloud due to the traffic, the whole noise in general.
All of this blended into a low hum beneath the glass. He had learned long ago that power had a sound of its own.
Standing by the window was Mateo Crest swirling a cup of bourbon while watching the skyline turn molten with the sunset. A file was left open besides the ashtray on his desk. It was Coco Benett’s file.
He was never a man who was known to believe in fate. He didn’t believe in coincidences, only patterns- dots that connected everything if you finally know where to look.
And a dot he didn’t expect to see again was Coco Benett.
He picked up his intercom and presses a button. “George”.
“Yes sir”. His personal assistant voice came in almost swiftly.
“I need a background check on everything related to the woman that had just left from this interview. Full detail. Leave no stone unturned”
“Yes sir”
“And also run a full cross check on Crest’s pharmaceutical records from 2012-2015”.
“But sir, those specific dates are special access only. I wouldn’t be able to—”
“I know, tell them I granted you access”.
Hanging up the call, Mateo leaned back in his chair with his chin slightly raised. He had a lot to analyze. He wanted to know why she suddenly appeared in his world after all these years,
The faint reflection of his perfectly chiseled face on the window. His dark eyes and even darker hair to go with it and a shadow that looks like something that use to resemble humanity.
His memory trialed to many years ago where he saw a girl, doe eyes, and an overall that seems to be a size bigger than her. She was crying, holding her mother’s hands as the stretcher was wheeling an older man, he’s guessing that older man is her dad. A hospital corridor, blaring sirens, drops of blood following every movement of the stretcher.
While walking pass to meet his father, he saw her glaring at him, not with fear. The corridor felt smaller as tension mount.
He never forgot how teenage coco’s jaw clenched and her eyes set ablaze. He knew she hated him. He just didn’t understand how someone could have this hate for a stranger.
And a few minutes ago, she was sitting in his office, unaware that their lives have once collided.
One hour later, George returned. He slid a folder to his desk.
“Everything you need to know is all in there sir”. She was fifteen years when her father died in a clinical trial of Crest’s new pharmaceutical kit”
Mateo’s jaw clenched. He knew about that part already
“Were their family ever compensated after the failed clinical trial”
“No sir. Her mom requested for it but it was denied because there was no proof of medical malpractice.”
He had a feeling that his father had buried the case. One of many cases to keep his empire alive.
“Sir……” he hesitated. “Does she know?”
His eyes shot back at George. “No…. and I plan on keeping it that way”.
Mateo poured himself another glass of bourbon after George had left. He took one big gulp of it and clenched his jaw, letting the taste sooth his thoughts moving ever so fast.
He knew hiring her was a reckless move. But he can’t shake this feeling that something about her struck a nerve deep-rooted in his body-the defiance in her eyes, the way she boldly said I need money without batting an eye lash.
He struck her as the kind of person that did not beg and worked for every penny she owns. he felt a little respect for her, maybe it was curiosity.
But it was never attraction. All he wants is control and to be on top of matters.
He has always been looking for a fiancée for hire, seeing that he is the only heir to his father’s empire, he cannot openly put out a fiancée- for- hire poster on the streets. That was why he came up the home care program as a disguise to find a fiancée.
He needed somebody that the world would believe tempered with his reputation. Some that’s real enough to sell the facade but also disposable enough to walk away after it all ended.
And Coco Benett – a Registered Nurse, a survivor with a dependent mother was the perfect fit for the role
Or so he told himself.
Mateo was the last person to step foot outside the Crest’s Skyscrapper. As he entered his car, he quickly loosened his tie and cufflinks and opened the second file that George had dropped along the intel on Coco.
He kept on flipping the file till he came across a familiar name- Dr. Henry Benett, test subject 0345, fatal reaction, claim unresolved.
He stared back at a black and white photo of a man in a lab coat with a little girl on his shoulders carrying a Winnie the pooh doll.
He immediately slammed the file shut.
The unresolved past is like a parasite; it just never died. Only buried itself deeper.
His phone buzzed grabbing his attention. A text came in
The nurse you hired is a bad choice Crest, we are watching you
He tilted his head almost in disgust.
Who had the balls to send this threat? To me?
A dry laugh escaped his mouth and he texted back
“Who are you?” but he got no response.
Seconds later a text flew in
UNKNOWN: she is going to destroy you. Just like her dad tried to destroy your family.
He stared at the screen until the message faded into silence.
At the penthouse, Mateo had just arrived. It was very quiet, almost soulless.
He lived highly above the world, no framed picture, no color, just windows and walls and house help at his very beck and call.
Climbing the stair case to his study, he sat down facing a very huge portrait of a man face covered in arrogance. It was his father.
“Turns out you were wrong”. Mateo muttered, “control doesn’t keep you safe, it keeps you alone”.
But control was all that he had left
He wasn’t able to sleep. How could he? Tomorrow morning Coco benett would be moving into the penthouse.
He felt nervous. A feeling he hasn’t felt in years and it scared him. He didn’t know what exactly caused these feelings- the risk of being near her or the thought that he wanted to be.
The next morning came by rather quickly and he saw through the window that the driver had arrived.
When the elevator chimed, he glanced once more at his reflection. He saw the man who the world feared, the man who build an empire on silence and control.
But beneath that he saw something else, he felt the first layer of himself wanting to peel away.
On his way out, Mateo passes a security guard reviewing camera footage from the lobby. The guard frowns. “sir… this is strange, it seems that there is a glitch from the footage from yesterday.
Mateo looks closer. The screen was slicking but he still managed to see Coco stepping into the lift followed by a shadowed figure watching her from behind.
He read the time stamp from the footage, it read 2:15 am.
The building was locked at that hour.
- Writer
