Friendly Banter

CHAPTER 15

"If he has her, then it is clear that the one who died is a fake and only used to prevent prying eyes. Jade Nova Frost is still out there and alive," Mr Zain said to them, his voice loud and clear.

"Yes boss, I would make sure every footage is in our hands and within the next 24 hours we should know where she is," Carter said to Mr Zain.

"Good."

******

It was evening when Jade finally arrived at her condo unit, looking all tired and worn out.

She had talked so much with Macy, catching up on a lot of things and also getting to know the state of their business.

A year after their graduation from college, Jade proposed to start a business in another city, far from home. She had wanted to see how well she would do, not managing her business under her family's name.

Of course, this was done in secret without her parent's knowledge and she had her friend, Macy, manage it as the Vice President and manager, whereas she was the unknown President, a mystery to all her business partners.

"Urghh!" Jade groaned weakly and dropped her backpack on the couch, slumping down beside it on the couch.

"Damn! What a day. Phase one, initiated, Jade. You are making minute progress," Jade applauded herself.

"Boy am I taking a day off from work tomorrow. I was supposed to get groceries and take a look at the changes that have been done to the city, but now I'm not so sure anymore."

Slowly, she rose back up, sitting straight. Her eyes raked around the couch, looking for something. Finally her eyes spotted her phone at the side of her back and she reached for it.

"There you are. I should call Asia to know if she had gotten home safe and sound and tell her I did too, so she wouldn't worry much," Jade said softly to herself.

Her once dull and tired looking face was completely gone and replaced with brightness, filled with concern and happiness at the thought of hearing from her best friend.

She unlocked her phone and flipped to her contacts. When she searched for Asia's name on her contact list and didn't find it.

It was at this moment that it dawned on Jade Frost that her friend was no more.

Asia's contact wasn't on this one because Jade had left her phone in her father's mansion when she ran for her life. This on the other hand was a new one and Arctic made sure not to put the number here, in this new one.

Usually, when they went out sometimes, Jade would give Asia time off to go home and relax, then have her other bodyguards drive her home. By the time she got home, she would call Asia to let her know she was safe and if she had gotten home as well.

She knew her friend, not until she got the conformational call from Jade, her mind wouldn't be at ease.

Jade froze on the spot, her eyes not leaving her phone as her fingers began to shake. Before long, water began to gather at the base of her eyes.

And the tears she had held in all these while poured out.

Back then when she woke up and later found out about Arctic, she didn't want to cry because she didn't want to make it too emotional for Arctic and kept a brave front, holding everything in.

But now, she was alone. Now she could cry out her heart without having to look tough, she was human after all.

"Ahhhh!"

Jade screamed out, unable to hold in the pain anymore. Instantly, she raised her phone, ready to fling it against the wall, but stopped when her phone's ringtone rang out.

"Arghh!! Asia!"

Frustrated, Jade released her grip on the phone, letting it slip from her hands and fall at the space in between her thighs.

Both hands moved up to grip her brown hair and held onto her head tight, while her body shook against the couch with the phone's ringtone going off.

A minute later, her body had relaxed a fraction and the trembling from her body stopped simultaneously.

Ring! Ring!

Her phone rang out again and it was this time around she noticed the caller. Her hands left her head and picked up the phone, then read out, "Macy."

She inhaled deeply first before answering the call. "Hey."

"Hey bae, have you gotten home yet?" Macy asked.

Her sweet voice was always full of life, making Jade wonder if she ever got tired.

"Yeah, and you?"

"Just did. You sound awfully tired or are you crying?" Macy questioned her.

Even though she hadn't been with her friend for some years now, she could still tell some things about her.

"Nah! I am just awfully tired, thanks to a certain someone," Jade lied. "Anyways, what's up?"

She let out a soft sigh and then rested her back against the couch, making herself comfortable. "Speak up, what's the catch? I know you didn't just call to check up on me."

"Killjoy. Are you saying that I do not care?"

"I never said anything of that sort. Only said, there's something else," Jade replied, rubbing her slender hands over her eyes to clean the tears blocking her vision away.

"Okay, you got me. Since you are back, the very investor querying me about meeting the president would be meeting with me tomorrow. Why not drop by and meet them?"

"Oh no, no, no, Macy."

"What? You are back and perfectly disguised, it is time to run your company."

"No, you do not understand. I just travelled several kilometres to another city and you made me talk and sit my ass down the whole day without considering the fact that I need to rest." Jade half yelled at her.

There was no way she was going to let Macy talk her into doing something like that, well so she thought. After all, it was her friend Macy, who made her sit her but down the whole day on a chair.

"And now someone wants to make me go to work tomorrow, nah not happening. Tomorrow is my day off, the day I want to rest before swooping in and swarming myself with work, Macy."

After all of her complaints the only thing she got from Macy was…

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{Ha-ha, who loves the banter between these two? What do you think Macy's response was? Comment down your answers.}