I Will Do It My Own Way

"Child, how are you?" Grandmother Finn asked. She was worried sick when Clyde had not come back home after sunset, so she had called her son and a rescue team was sent. They found him unconscious at the riverbank.

"Janice?" he called again, this time looking around for a sign of the bubbling innocent girl he'd grown so fond of over the summers but she was nowhere close to him. 

"Who is Janice?" Alexander Finn, his father asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. He had heard him mention Janice since he was ten, most especially whenever he comes back home from summer holidays he spent with his grandparents. 

"That's the little child that spends her days around him. I don't know why he keeps mumbling her name, though." grandma Finn said, still not aware of the recent incident that had left her grandson distraught. 

…

"Boss, we have arrived," Leo, Clyde's driver announced, pulling him from his thoughts. He let out a deep sigh and after few seconds, he alighted.

"You may retire for the night," his cold voice waved Ivan and Leo off. Ivan and Leo took a deep breath of relief, most especially Ivan, who felt like a chain of death has been released from his neck. 'We go again tomorrow'. 

Clyde took large strides into his house, and as usual, he was welcomed home by the butler and the maids who sprang into actions on his arrival. 

"Welcome home, Mr. Finn," the butler greeted, taking his coat. 

"Thank you," Clyde replied as he walked towards the dining room. The butler busied himself with laying out the dishes. Clyde sat at the head of table, alone in the cavernous room.

Soon after dinner, he retreated into his bedroom – a room just as unwelcoming as the rest of the house. The walls are cold, plain white paint and the furniture is sleek and modern. The bed is king-sized, massive and its sheet perfectly tucked, yet it lacks warmth. The only personal touches are a few expensive art pieces and a drawing of a little girl sitting on the riverbank basking in the beauty of the sunset. It was as if the room was designed to be so unwelcoming as possible.

After dinner, he went into his study – a room like a fortress of solitude, a place where he can be alone with his thoughts. The walls of the room are lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, filled with classical and financial tomes. Situated at the center of the room is a massive oak desk with a sleek, modern computer on it. The lighting is subdued and the temperature was cool, a perfect environment for focus and concentration. 

He turned on the computer, its screen illuminating the room with a soft glow and as if on cue, his phone rang, he glanced at the caller ID - Investigator Fox. He picked up, his face showing no emotions as if he had anticipated the call.

"Hello, Investigator Fox," he said.

"Good evening, Mr. Finn," Investigator Fox greeted, his voice respectful but businesslike.

"Mr. Finn, after an extensive search and following several leads, I've found new leads that might lead to Janice's whereabouts. I believe she is still alive. However, she may be using different names and identity but there is evidence that she is still alive. I will need your permission to travel to this town and continue my investigation," the caller, Investigator Fox, a personal investigator hired by Clyde, said in one breath. 

"You have my full support and my resources are at your disposal. Keep me informed as soon as you have any new information," Clyde said, his voice firm and confident. "For the meantime, I want you in my office tomorrow morning," he said and after Investigator Fox confirmed the message, he ended the call and buried himself in his work as always. 

…

"CEO Finn," Ivan said, here is every detailed information we have on the lady you met at the City Dot yesterday. It includes everything we know about her," his assistant reported after the meeting with the shareholders ended. He handed the documents to him and waited for Clyde's direction – to either continue reporting or let him go through it himself. When Clyde was quiet for almost ten seconds, Ivan took that as a lead to continue.

"Her name is Jasmine Anderson," Ivan continued, "and from our investigation, she is an adopted daughter of the Andersons. She was adopted about fifteen years ago, when she was just about eight from Little Light Orphanage. An old orphanage situated at City V, a rural area of the country. Although the orphanage has since closed, there are little traces that the woman who ran the orphanage is believed to still be alive, but her whereabouts are unknown. We are still trying to track her down with the leads we have, she might have any further information about Jasmine's background."

"Why didn't you find out where she lives?" he asked, his voice dangerously calm.

"I apologize for not having more information about her. We had less time left so I decided to report to you on our findings. It might serve as a lead to finding her." Ivan said, taking a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves.

"Put a call across Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Gray; let them know that I want to meet with them in the next two hours," his voice firm and precise. "As soon as Investigator Fox arrives, bring him to my office. Also, Cancel every of my other appointment today and let me know the rescheduled date," Clyde said unhurriedly and strode out of the room.

After what felt like hours but was barely thirty minutes, Investigator Fox arrived, dressed in his usual outfit of jeans trouser and a long-sleeved shirt, looking smart and charming. He was greeted by Ivan as he entered the building, "Welcome, Mr. Fox," Ivan greeted with a smile, "CEO Finn has been waiting for you in his office." With a nod, Investigator Fox followed Ivan to the last floor that leads to Clyde's office. 

"Good morning, CEO Finn," Investigator Fox greeted, causing Clyde who was enjoying the view of the city through the window to turn away and faced the investigator. He nodded in response to the greeting and walked to his seat. He gestured for Investigator Fox to sit across from him.

"Here is every information you need to know about Jasmine. She is an adopted daughter of the Andersons. I believe you know about that." Clyde said, pushing the documents Ivan gave him earlier to Investigator Fox.

"What does Jasmine and the Andersons have to do with this case?" Investigator Fox queried. He has never been more confused as he was today. he knows that the Andersons have some dirty secrets in their cupboard but the last straw that will break the camel's back is if they decide to go against the Finns. 

"She has an uncanny resemblance of what Janice would look like if she is of Jasmine's age," Clyde said with all seriousness plastered all over his face. At first, Investigator Fox was taken aback and then he chuckled.

"You can't be this serious, CEO Clyde. There are five or six people in the world who look so much like Jasmine; you cannot just assume that they are all Janice. Besides, Janice was just seven when she disappeared and her physiques were not even developed. You can't make such assumptions." Investigator Fox tried to reason with Clyde.

"The universe didn't bring Jasmine my way to make these assumptions. I want a favorable response in the next three days. Failure to do so will force me to do it my own way." Clyde tone dropped with every word that he said. Investigator Fox knows that he has no option but to provide a favorable response in the next three days because Clyde's way will be very disastrous to Andersons and even Jasmine herself. 

"Hmm, you may leave," Clyde dismissed him and went back to the window, lit up his cigarette, the smoke curling around him like a shroud. His thoughts swirling with unanswered questions and the unknown future.

Seeing that Clyde was no longer in the mood to entertain him and his thoughts, Investigator Fox left with the information Clyde provided him. He promised to reach out to Jasmine but not after meeting the Andersons. The stakes were high and he knew that the fate of this case rested on his shoulders. 'There is indeed more to this than meet the eyes,' he thought as he left the B.N Group.