4 Chapter 3

Claire's P.O.V.

The cold wind hit my face making me shiver and my hair fell all over as I got out of my car. The morning wind of early winter was both chilly and heart racing. I tucked a few strands of my hair behind my ear, putting my hands inside my coat pocket I made my way inside the building.

Upon reaching my floor, I was greeted by Naira. She was a middle-aged woman in her early fifties, wrinkles around her eyes, a bun on her head, freckles spread on her cheeks, and always wearing a pencil skirt and blouse with a large smile always present on her face.

She was one of the old workers in this office with being an assistant to my dad but then when I took over the company, and it was time for her retirement, she insisted on staying, and now she helps Alana with her work.

"Good morning Claire." She said warmly, radiating homey vibes off her. I stopped near her desk to greet her back and ask about her health than going towards my office, asking her about Alana over my shoulder and she answered:

"She is in your office waiting for you." I opened the door to my office and saw Alana sitting on the chair, scrolling through her phone. We greeted each other as I settled my things on the table and sat on my chair.

"Have you finished arranging Hernandez's office? They are coming tomorrow." I reminded her as I opened my laptop.

"Don't worry. It's done." She replied slowly. I looked at her and found her staring at me. There was something off about her, no glow and cheery bright smile were present on her face.

"What happened Alana? Tell me," I asked. She exhaled slowly and slid a red file in front of me.

"What is this about?" I asked eyeing the file and then again looking at her.

"Liam dropped this file early this morning. He was in a hurry so couldn't wait for you. He checked through the numbers and e-mail addresses you have gotten those letters and messages from but nothing is in use anymore. He also checked through the connections of different drug dealers and abducting gangs but there is nothing Claire." She replied as her shoulders slumped in something related to defeating.

"How can there not be anything? There must be a way to find him, anything that can lead us to him. What is he even doing? Tell him to work harder and give me a response." I gritted out as I could already feel myself getting angry in frustration.

"He is trying Claire. What else do you expect from him? Trying to find a way to catch Markus is all he has been doing for the past six years,--" she paused and took a deep breath before continuing;

"Let's just give it a break, huh?" Her tone was suggestive, enough for me to snap my head at her.

"Break? -- No Alana. I won't stop until I catch Markus and kill him just like the way he killed her. I won't rest till I see him dead." My voice was haggard but the determination of killing him was getting stronger.

Alana didn't say anything and after a brief silence she spoke; "Liam mentioned something about a local drug suppliers party tonight. He said he is going there with some people to see if he can get some lead on Markus."

"Why going to a local party? When Markus is strong and nowhere to be found then why would there be anything in a local party?" I asked hoping Liam told her the reason.

"Yeah, he said that there is a high chance that Markus gets his work done by locals. Like giving money to them and getting his work done so no one could suspect him. And he said that some high profiled drug dealers are also invited there so maybe he could..." She trailed off. I nodded my head in understanding and praying that this time we finally get anything.

Alana left for her work afterward and I distracted myself with making designs and replying to my clients.

Around 5 pm, my phone dinged, indicating I have a new message. It was a message from Liam, I opened it up and read;

'I am sure Alana has already confided you about the party. I am not sure about anything and I don't want you to be stressed and disappointed when we get nothing. So I would like you to have pretty much no hope.'

I exhaled loudly. He was right because disappointment will be too much for me, not that I can't handle it again but I still hoped to get literally anything and for that, all I got to do was wait, -- a little more.

By the time I got home, I was exhausted but also disturbed mentally and physically. That night I couldn't concentrate on anything, just the thought that if Liam got anything or not was clouding my mind. It had been so long since I was happy. Apart from dad and Alana, I had no family and friends.

Finding Markus was the biggest task I had ever gotten to do. It was more of a mission, to find him, torture him and then give him the painful death just like he did to my sister, -- Scarlett, but before that, I wanted to ask him questions that had been bugging me for six years. I was the one he wanted to kill first then why he didn't do that. Why he made so many happy memories with us that now when I think about those moments I hate myself for not discovering his true self but then again, how could I have possibly known anything when he was like an older brother to me.

I was deep in my thoughts that I didn't realize when my mind took me to the old days. I peeked out of the small hole to look outside the door, finding Markus standing there. I opened the door and saw him holding a pizza box and white roses in one hand, chocolates, and red roses in the other but my eyes immediately zoomed on his forehead where he had a scar covered by a band-aid and to the little scratches that were prominent on his neck and cheeks.

'You got into another fight when you were supposed to have dinner with us two weeks ago and then you decided to swap yourself from the face of the earth with no message behind and then you show up here with scratches and flowers. Do you think you can get away easily this time?' I asked, folding my arms. He pouted and looking past my shoulders, peeking in the house, he said; 'As long you are on my side, I think I can.'

'She is gonna kill me, isn't she? I am really stupid, but I hope this pizza can be a little something for you to forgive me and take my side. This won't happen again.' He pleaded. I eyed the pizza and then looked at his pleading eyes.

'I don't know about Scarlet but you have my forgiveness.' I said happily taking white flowers and pizza from his hand.

'Who is it Mare?' Scarlet asked from behind me, but I didn't have to answer because she came running and slammed the door shut at his face but before it could shut, Markus slammed himself between it.

'Move!' Scarlet demanded and the show begun for me.

'Love I know that you're angry at me but I swear I didn't do anything intentionally. Forgive me please.' He pleaded.

'Get out, I don't want to talk to you.' Scarlet yelled at him.

'Can we please just sit down and talk it out like sane people.' Markus suggested hopefully.

"I don't want to talk out anything with you as we are not sane people because if we were then you would have, at the very least, texted me before swapping from the earth. Do you have any idea how worried I was? Obviously, you don't. Now move!' Scarlet ranted angrily as she tried to push him away but Markus being strong, opened the door and got in the house.

'I am really sorry. This won't happen again. Mare, say something.' he pointed me while getting on his knees and holding flowers for Scarlet. 'Don't involve her' she threatened.

'Please forgive him. See, he is even on his knees.' I stated, trying to act cute while munching on my pizza.

'I am on my knees,'

'He is really ashamed and guilty.'

'I am really ashamed and guilty.'

' He won't do it again.'

'Will never do it again.'

'Stop taking his side Mare.' Scarlet warned glaring at me.

'But I am just stating the obvious thing. He is really guilty and you say that if someone accepts their mistakes and asks for forgiveness then we should give them another chance.'

"Yeah, she does say that.' Scarlet sighed loudly and glared at me before looking back at Markus with threatening eyes. 'This is not over, we are gonna have this talk later.'

'Of course, we are.' said Markus. 'and dinner is on you. Make it quick.' She added.

'Coming right away, Madame.' Markus said, taking off his jacket right away and getting into the kitchen to make dinner.

A loud sound of ringing shook me out of my trance. I wiped my tears which always comes out of my eyes, uninvited. I picked the mobile and Liam's name was flashing across the screen.

Swiping the green area, keeping it close to my ear, and holding my breath I asked; "Did I get any luck this time?"

There was a brief defeated silence until he sighed loudly on the phone. "There was nothing, -- no one even knew the name, Markus. I tried asking about someone very high profiled people who abduct and kill and also an arms dealer but they say there was no one among rich mafia people named Markus. I showed his portrait to some people but no one recognized him."

After some silence and harsh breathing, I spoke out; "Okay. Thank you for today and you should probably take some rest."

"Claire..." He started, "...for someone who has been trying for six years to find some mafia man, you have done enough. I mean if he is nowhere then maybe he is dead and that's why we are not being able to find him."

"I am not ready to believe that he died. He can't die, not yet. He can die by only one way and that's when I can see his flesh being torn and scrapped and bleeding out, in front of me, and even if he is dead, I want to know that he died slowly and in tremendous pain and only then I would be at peace." I spoke and hung up.

Whenever I had thought about Markus, Scarlett's face had come in front of me. The way she died, the way she cried when she got betrayed by him, makes my blood boil in anger. But didn't matter how hard I try, there was no trace of Markus.

His existence was like a burden on my shoulders. I always felt that I owed Scarlett his death. For the past six years, trying to find ways to catch him had been one of the main priorities. I sighed loudly as these thoughts started to cloud my mind again, messing with my brain.

I was sweating and breathing harshly. I was suffocated and needed to cool myself down, I needed fresh air, few drinks, and some alone time and that explained why I changed into a sequin dress and trudged towards the living room to inform dad about going out.

He was watching a football match on the t.v., too engrossed to even notice my presence. I leaned against the t.v. wall, watching him as he had this big grin on his face. 'His team must be winning.' I thought and also the thought of being so lucky to have this man as my father crossed my mind. If it wasn't him, who supported me and trusted me in every aspect, I don't even want to think where I would have been right now.

"Hey dad, I have got some errands to run, --I'll be back soon." I lied, not wanting to know his reaction after finding out that that we failed this time too and that I am going to the bar. He turned his head towards me, looking at me from up and down and then nodding, he said;

"Ok but be careful and try to be back soon." He smiled and turned his attention back to the t.v. I got off the wall, ready to go to the bar to clear my mind from all the unnecessary thoughts and thinking, can I ever be happy in my life without any pain or worry, even for few moments?

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