CHAPTER NINE: AN EXPOSITORY OF THE PAST (part 4.)

A carnival of scents blew in the air. Strands of thin light came from the sky.

The fields were parsley-green and with a host of daisies scattered the meadow.

In pavasaris city, in one of the towering skyscrapers in the Central business district was Max's Corporation headquarters.

In one of the largest room on the highest floor of the buliding was the Vice president's office.

A young man in a tar black suit stood looking at his reflection on the window.

His sharp eyes were looking at the bustling city beneath him, but the view alone could not calm his nerves.

The tension in the room was too strong that if one was to enter the room right away, they would feel as if they had entered an igloo although there was a blazing sun outside.

Suddenly, there were two knocks on the glass door.

Ali Maddox snapped out of his endless string of thoughts and turned around.

He took a deep breath before he finally spoke.

"Come in." He sat down on his black leather swivel chair and watched his assistant enter the room.

"Vice president Max." His assistant bowed at the door and entered the room.

He shivered and glanced at the air conditioner in the room.

Ali Maddox gazed at his table where several newspapers were spread out.

On the front cover, each and every one of them were reporting about Isla Amelia's disappearance.

Seeing the mess on his table, Ali Maddox stacked up the newspapers and placed them aside.

He turned to his assistant and said, "Speak."

Assistant Theo Kenji clenced on the file to muster up his courage.

He felt that he needed to prepare himself before he faced the vice president's wrath for a minute or two.

He took a deep breath and handed the file over to vice president Ali Maddox and spoke.

"According to the ongoing investigation, Isla Amelia might be hiding to frustrate you and make you beg her since she is aware of president Raymond Oliver condition. "

Ali Maddox eyes darkened at the news.

He browsed through the file in his hand and frowned deeper.

His grandpa's situation was worsening and that was Isla Amelia's plan.

'What a disgusting woman.' He thought to himself.

"Who else knows about this?" He inquired as he tossed the file on the table.

"Assistant Job Michael from the Graham Family corporation."

"Where is he now?"

"That vice president Ali Maddox." Assistant Theo Kenji hesitated and continued.

"He has been hidden too by the Graham Family. Nobody knows of his whereabouts including his wife and family."

A dangerous glint flashed through his eyes as he heard the report from Assistant Theo Kenji regarding Job Michael's condition.

Ali Maddox tightened his fist and a loud slam was heard on the table.

He was supposed to be handling his grandpa's surgery but no...he was handling stupid issues concerning the 'perfect miss ' Isla Amelia.

Various thoughts were in Ali Maddox's mind making his anger rise even more.

On the same day he received the news of Isla Amelia's disappearance, is the same day he was informed of his grandpa's surgery.

Like it was a planned accident.

Ali Maddox had doubts when he was informed but he knew that he could not just ignore it as some incidences may be linked to one anonymous person.

The case involved his grandpa's surgery as well and he knew that he could not just sit down and relax.

That was why he had asked Assistant Theo Kenji to look into the case and gather any useful information.

He then found out that the Graham Family really wanted to make ties with the Ali Max family for unknown reasons and that was why hw started doubting the doctor.

Maybe he had been tipped off too.

Assistant Theo Kenji pursed his lips and controlled his breathing.

He was afraid to make any sort of noise and irritate the vice president.

He flinched when the vice president stood up abruptly and said, "Vice president. "

"Continue with the investigation and gather any useful information." He started and continued after a while. "Try harder, I want to know about the anonymous person behind the plot as well. And if the doctor is somehow involved too. We cannot trust anyone." He finished.

"Yes, vice president Ali Maddox."

They both headed towards the door because vice president Ali Maddox wanted to take a stroll together with his secretary.

In a large capital city like Autumnus, there were several busy streets, but the busiest of all was pavasaris.

From early morning, traffic started building up on the roads.

Crowds of pedestrians, shoppers and others could be seen walking along the pavements outside the shops or trying to cross the road.

The noise of cars and taxis hooting, or of scooters, flying past is deafening.

Anyone who stopped by to watch the scene was amazed at the number of vehicles zooming past or crawling along when caught at the traffic lights.

The people, mainly lady shoppers with children, line the street as they awaited an opportunity to cross the road.

It was a bright and cheerful scene.

The main attraction was the variety of textile shops, departmental stores, the Selangor Emporium, carpet shops, restaurants, jewellers or electrical goods shops, pavement stalls with small items like costume jewellery, toys and aluminium cooking utensils and vendors attracting customers to buy their wares.

In the hustle and bustle, one could savour the delicious aroma of Oriental delicacies floating in the air.

It came from 'spiced mashed potatoes, 'sweet and delicious sausage fried rice', shredded pork pan fried noodles, fried chicken and sweet meats, tempting passers-by to stop for some refreshment.

In that afternoon, the crowds started growing bigger as office workers joined the throngs of people.

At that time it was also time to go home for some people of the early morning shifts.

Taxis were in great demand while shoppers queue up to get one.

Most of the taxis had already been hired and so they did not stop to pick up passengers, much to the frustration of the shoppers.

The confectioner's shop was another place of attraction.

Little children from school guided their parents to the shop and force them to buy the sweets of their choice.

Cotton candy, gumballs and flavoured lollipops were in great demand.

The street hawkers peddled their wares very nicely.

The balloon sellers carried whole bunches of inflated balloons to attract small children.

The toy-sellers set their stalls on the pavements.

The newspaper vendors sell the early morning newspapers in a very nice manner.

They shouted out the sensational news but keep the paper folded.

As soon as the customer made the payment, he or she was simply surprised to read different headlines.

Small children could not control their games.

They threw the ball and ran to pick it up.

It was very difficult for the cyclists and scooterists to apply brakes and save them.

Kite flying was another activity.

When the kite rose high up in the sky, the eyes of the kite flier were glued to the kite.

He or she did not care for the crowd around and could get injured.

Rylee Athena was busy walking on the pavement while carrying the box.

She was so mad, that witch, she thought that everybody loves her because of the manager.

Filed to perfection, her carmine red fingernails ran through her soft and curly hair.

Spools of it plunged around her photogenic face and hid a swan's neck, elegant and smooth.

Ali Maddox who was walking with Assistant Theo Kenji behind him did not notice that a young lady was walking towards the same direction while facing him.

Rylee Athena looked at the address on the box and of the place and affirmed that it was the correct location.

She continued walking and suddenly,a black, well polished loafer stepped on her white sneakers and pushed her aside forcefully.

They had a head-on collision which sent the box in Rylee Athena's hands flying in the air and her falling to the ground with a thud.

Assistant Theo Kenji was stunned and when he was about to help vice president Ali Maddox up, he stood up and bent down to help the young girl up.

He handed his hand to her and she held it then he pulled her up.

When he saw the girl's face, he was shocked beyond words, she looked like an exact replica of Isla Amelia.

What trick was life playing on him.

"Sorry for bumping into you." He expressed his sincere apology to her.

She seemed rather busy because the moment he helped her up she ran to pick up the box and started looking at it to see whether there was any damage on it.

After affirming that there was no damage she dusted it.

Assistant Theo Kenji turned to Ali Maddox who was now standing staring at him with the same facial expression on his face.

'Could this really be Isla Amelia?' He wondered.

The young lady also stared at them wondering what such fancy flashy living people would be doing on the streets.

Rylee Athena left them there daydreaming and went on with her journey to deliver the package.

"Call the investigation team and ask them if there is a hidden twin sister of Isla Amelia." Vice president Ali Maddox said to Assistant Theo Kenji.

Assistant Theo Kenji fished his phone from his pocket and dialed a number then placed the phone on his left ear.

It did not take long for the person on the other side to pick up and he inquired about Isla Amelia's twin sister.

"Excuse me Vice president Ali Maddox, but nobody knows except for the Graham Family themselves to give their opinions." Assistant Theo Kenji answered truthfully as he placed his phone back in his pocket.

Rylee Athenawas now in the building and made her way down the stairs towards the building lobby.

Soon a soft beep alerts the ones in the lift that it was ready.

The Glossy Black Doors with their silver stripes part and revealed a roomy elevator.

The same marble that lined the halls of the lobby and the ground floor lines the walls of the lift as well.

Once in the lift she noticed there wrre actually 85 floors of access.

Once the trip was completed the glossy black doors parted once again and Rylee Athena moved out onto the eightieth floor to deliver the package.

She made way through the eightieth floor to the next series of lifts which were located at the opposite end of the wrapped corridor that she was initial deposited into.

That hall had a similar feel the ground floor with it's maze of red velvet ropes enveloping the hall zigging from left to right and back. What's changed was the energy that exists in the 80th was much greater than what was seen on the ground floor.

There was a buzz and people and noises made by machines.

The flaming hot sun continued to beat down on Rylee Athena's already sweaty body as she walked along the pavements of the city in her white sneakers.

After delivering the package, she had decided that it was time for some delicious ice cream.

She took out her pocket from her black apron, and then pulled out five dollar note.

She ran through the pavements  eagerly, dodging the tons of unique roadside market stalls all over the place.

She got into the endless line at a bright and flashy ice cream cart with a young women serving.

There were a billion of choices for ice-cream all written in cursive on an antique chalkboard.

Finally, after a million years, she chose the chunky chocolate topped with mini smarties and told her order to the lady.

Rylee Athena admired the beautiful detailed umbrella looming above her with it's cool shade and exquisite designs.

She continued to look around and came upon some kites drifting in the middle of the sky, kids playing with colourful balloons.

She almost started day dreaming but then her order came!

She paid for her ice cream and immediately took a bite.

The creamy taste of chocolate filled her mouth leaving a melting sensation.

Rylee Athena was immediately cooled down from the scorching sun and her whole body relaxed.

She took a bite from the waffle cone making a loud "CRUNCH" but she just continued enjoying it.

She did not even know how fast she had finished the cone until she snapped back into reality from the squeaking of the wheels of the ice cream cart.

She sadly realized her ice cream cone was gone but she knew that was the best ice-cream cone ever!