Change Of Plan

"Are you okay?"

Iris blinked her eyes, she could see Calixto's mouth opening and closing but she could not hear any words coming out of his mouth. She knew he was talking to her but she had no idea what he was saying. Her body felt heavy but her mind was like it was floating somewhere.

Calixto snapped his fingers in front of Iris's face and she finally blinked.

"Are you okay?" He repeated the question and hoped that she would answer but she just stared at him, but her eyes weren't seeing him. He heaved a deep sigh and cursed Monette. He was deep in thought when he felt a coldness at the back of his neck and when he turned around, he saw Monette screaming at Iris who looked like she became a statue.

It's been more than twenty minutes since that happened and Iris still hadn't snapped out of whatever she went to.

"Iris, listen to me if you happen to hear me at all. You need to come back because if not, I'm going to do something to you and you would not like it."

Calixto waited for Iris to react and just like he expected Iris blinked again and he felt relieved.

"Let's go," he held her elbow and led her to the car where Monette was waiting. The man that he was waiting for hasn't arrived and that's why they could not leave yet.

Iris felt her feet move but her mind was still hazy, yet she was aware of what was happening around her.

Calixto opened the car door for her and helped her get in.

"Someone else will drive. Move to the passenger seat."

Monette heard Calixto's cold voice and she quickly got out of the driver's seat and moved to the passenger seat. She just buckled her seatbelt when a man in a black suit, wearing a ballcap entered the driver's seat.

He started the engine without a word and drove. Monette looked at Iris and saw that there was something odd about her. She stared outside the window just like before but there was something different with her eyes. A dread touched her spine as she stole a glance at Calixto. She said a lot of things to Iris that made her stare blankly a while ago. She wondered if Calixto would punish her for what she did to Iris.

She kept her eyes ahead, hoping that Calixto would not put her in hypnosis or worse kill her. She knew that he could do both without batting an eyelash.

She leaned back on her seat, trying to be one of the leather passenger seats, and prayed that Calixto forgot her existence.

She observed the man driving. She wondered where he came from. And when did Calixto call for him? She kept her questions to herself until they reached the hotel.

The car stopped but Calixto didn't move an inch from the backseat.

"Get out."

Monette glanced at Calixto in the rearview mirror before turning her attention to Iris, who was still looking oddly quiet.

"How about Iris?" She asked timidly.

"Take her out."

Monette unbuckled her seatbelt in a flash, then kneeled on the passenger seat and turned around to reach Iris.

"Hey, are you okay? Let's go down now!"

However, Iris was just sitting there and her hunch that something happened to her was confirmed because no matter how hard she tugged her hand, Iris wasn't reacting. She was like a lifeless doll, staring blankly at her.

"Hey, don't be like that. If you're mad at me, please, don't act like this." Her voice was quivering with the tears that she was keeping in. She stole a glance at Calixto and he was just there sitting next to Iris, staring at her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't really do anything…I mean, I had said those words in the past before but she never became like this. Please, believe me!"

Calixto blinked and a crease formed in between his brows with what Monette was saying. He was thinking that whatever happened to Iris, it has nothing to do with what Monette said. He felt it. The presence that he felt when he was awakened from his long slumber.

"Let's go."

Monette shot Calixto a begging look as their driver pulled her away from her seat. "I want to stay with Iris, please," she pleaded.

"Just go. Iris will be fine and so are you."

Monette had no other choice but to follow the man. She just held on to what Calixto said and that she would be fine.

When they entered the hotel lobby, she was expecting them to check in at the concierge but the man wearing a suit and a ballcap led her to the elevator to the top floor.

"You'll be staying here." He spoke for the first time when they reached room 1065.

Monette looked up at the man. She didn't notice how tall he was because she was too scared for her life for the duration of the drive. When the man didn't do or say anything, she exhaled a deep breath and tentatively opened the door of room 1065.

Her jaw dropped when she saw a glimpse of the room. She had been in so many expensive hotels but never did she enter a room as luxurious as this one.

"How about you? Where are you staying?" The fear in her heart was replaced with excitement. She wanted to explore the room and see what was in there.

"I'll be in the next room. Don't call me. I will know if something happened that needed my presence. Just don't leave the room because that's Calixto's order."

Monette nodded. Not really thinking of Iris or Calixto. She just wanted to enjoy the luxury that was in front of her. She entered the room and closed the door behind her. The man in a suit, wearing a ballcap, was already forgotten.

She ran to the bed and shrieked in delight when she realized that the whole room was going to be just for her.