Liar Liar Billionaires

12. More screams

LATER THAT DAY…

“So,” Chloe leaned against the wash basin. “If it is not a car's plate number, does it at least have something to do with a car?”

“No.” Agent Conner made a tutting sound before continuing. “Suarez thinks it might be a coded bank account number. We might go with that and see what comes out of it.”

“This Miss Sanquire, who gave him the file, what do we know about her so far?”

“She owns a clothing line.”

“Is she rich enough to pay Nathaniel twenty million pounds?”

“Actually, no.”

Chloe's ears picked up a knock from outside. “I see. I have to go, sir.”

“Good work so far, Chloe. Just make sure to remain undetected.”

“I sure will, sir.” As the call ended, Chloe turned off the tap and took a deep breath. She instantly regretted doing that. While cleaning Amir’s ‘playroom’ earlier, she had inhaled some dust. But, despite that irritation which was still tickling her nose, she was indeed surprised by the discovery of a new room in the house. The playroom was located in an area she would have never imagined if she hadn’t been given directions to it.

“Oh well.” She dusted her dirty uniform. “Back to work.”

“Chloe, what were you doing? You didn’t answer me when I knocked?” Gabriel’s voice stopped her after she stepped out of her room.

“I was relieving myself. Why are you so concerned about m… what I am doing?”

“Well…” With his towering height inching closer, his right hand reached for hers. “You have been working too hard for many days now. I was afraid you might have fainted or something.”

Chloe closely observed the softness in his eyes while wondering what response to give him. When she found the words to say, she asked, “Do you always care this way for everyone you know?”

“No. Only those that matter to me.”

“I matter to you?”

“And I care about you.” His peering eyes inched closer, his breath fanning the top of her lips while his body seemed to cage hers. “You seem surprised.”

“I… It’s just… I haven’t heard that in a while.” Her body didn’t bother to fight their current position. “I haven’t mattered to someone in years.”

That was true. A lot of people in her life were experts at looking past her. They saw her as a nobody who didn’t deserve attention in the tiniest bit. Chloe had no idea why that was so, but she never really gave a f**k about that because she had one very important person who never stopped showing how much he cared about her. But ever since he left a while ago, she sometimes found herself craving the love and attention she got from that person.

“Hello.” Her eyes darted to Gabriel’s. “Earth to Chloe. Are you okay?”

“I am.” Her voice came out as a whisper.

“What did you mean by that? You’ve not mattered to someone in years? Didn’t your parents-”

“I never had those.” Her voice hardened. “I need to get back to work.”

He stopped her from leaving. “I won’t ask for the details. But I am always here. I want you to know that.”

Him mentioning her parents resurrected some awful memories, and they were refusing to leave.

“I really have to go,” she said to the man.

“When you’re done with work,” he stepped back. “Come up to the library. There is something I need you to see.”

“Okay.” And she walked away, her feet returning to Amir’s playroom.

“I was about to curse you for leaving me by myself,” Lucille grunted when Chloe reached that room. With heavy breaths, she struggled to lift an unopened box.

“Here.” Chloe gave her a hand and they moved the box to the centre of the room, which was gradually getting cleaner.

Her head nodding in approval of their progress, Chloe found her mind wandering back to the earlier conversation with Gabriel. She then briefly wondered if life would have turned out differently if that person hadn’t left her.

Before she could decipher that, she pushed those thoughts aside and flapped the box open. Inside it were Christmas decorations. Since it wasn’t that time yet, there was no use taking them out. So, she closed the box while stealing a glance at Lucille.

The woman was being very quiet, and that was unusual. Perhaps her sexcapade with Amir was bothering her.

No.

Chloe reasoned that it was likely something else. She also thought that it might be better for her to mind her business.

Then, someone screamed. Just as she heard the day she arrived at this mansion.

This time, it was not a scream from a recording. It was too real and vivid, and it sounded like it came from the other side of the wall.

As she paused to listen in case another scream would rip through the air, she locked eyes with Lucille. While wondering if the woman heard what she heard, Chloe noticed a weird look in the woman’s eyes. It was as though Lucille was itching to tell her something.

But Lucille looked away within seconds, so Chloe decided not to be too curious.

Also, she decided to put more focus on discovering the source of the scream. She needed to make sure that the scream was real and that it led somewhere, hopefully a place where she could get answers to the crimes of the NAG brothers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a long day of working and another refreshing bath, Chloe, dressed in comfortable jeans and a blue t-shirt that had a white bunny in the middle, went to the library.

On her way, she captured the view of Nathaniel’s door, and she wondered why on earth she had the silly feeling that she could be romantically involved with him.

Not only would that jeopardise her mission, but having a relationship at that point in her life seemed like a foreign concept.

So, she decided once again to stop bothering about Nathaniel or his kiss or whatever. Her mission was the most important.

When she reached the end of the stairs, a little placard hanging off one of the shelves came into view.

It read: WELCOME

Not particularly sure what to make of that, she shrugged and moved further. Then, about ten floating balloons greeted her.

“Uh…” There was no one around to explain this situation, so her confusion increased. “Okay?”

After a few more steps, another placard read; I AM SORRY.

There was a little arrow that pointed towards the shelves on the left. That led her to another one.

I SHOULD HAVE HANDLED THINGS BETTER.

And another, LET ME MAKE IT UP TO YOU?

Chloe was not going to lie to herself, she was amused.

Dangling below the last placard was a little card. She opened it and her heart instantly flipped with excitement.

HOW ABOUT A DATE? A PROPER DATE?

“What do you have there?” Gabriel snuck up on her.

“Uhm? I’m not sure. B-But, I think Nathaniel wants us to go on another date.” She almost slapped herself for attempting to smile.

“Uh?”

“This?” She showed him the card. “This is Nathaniel's doing, right?”

After seconds of looking lost, he chuckled. “Of course. I helped him with this.”

Chloe made a face to hide how giddy she was feeling. “It does seem a bit cheesy, though.”

“Does it? So,” he pointed to the card. “Are you thinking of going?”

“Hmm, I guess I could.”

“Oh. That’s-”

The second round of screams she had been waiting for came again. But this time, Chloe froze. This scream… yes, it was distant like the other one, but it was different. Chillingly different.

"Chloe?” He peeped at her. “Are you fine?"

Her attention returned to that space. With a sigh that barely relieved the worry inside her, she answered, “Yes. I guess, my body needs sleep.”

“You had a long day.”

“I should return to my room.”

“Don't forget to come down for dinner."

She nodded and, with little steps, she walked out of the room because she wanted to hear that sound again. But it never came.

When she finally reached her room, it became clear that she needed to find the source of that noise fast. And by fast, she meant that night.