“She’s not here.” Alex stops walking, and Nate almost bumps into him from behind. They’re in the hallway leading to Laura’s apartment and ready to pick her up for their date tonight. Earlier in the morning, she confirmed that tonight would be a ‘go’. “She’s not here.”
Alex and Nate then run over to her unit, but there’s no use knocking. They already know no one’s inside to answer the door. They can’t smell her scent. Then, panic and fear wash over them. They look at one another, though on the outside, they look as cool and calm as ever.
“Call her,” Nate urges, and Alex doesn’t need to be told. He’s already calling Laura, waiting for her to pick up. He almost throws his phone on the floor when the ringing doesn’t stop.
“She can’t be avoiding us,” Nate then says. “She replied a while ago.” There’s a hesitance in his voice. “Or can she?”
“Well, there’s only one way to find out.”
Nate then closes his eyes and tries to focus on getting her scent. There’s an almost negligible trail starting from her living room apartment and leading towards the emergency staircase. The scent is so faint they wouldn’t have smelled it when mixed with others. Now, that they’ve latched onto the smell, it will be easier to find Laura. Black Creek is a large place, but they’ll go to the ends of the earth if they have to.
A run-down building. That’s where they expect to find Laura. They’re almost certain something’s amiss when Laura’s phone suddenly can’t be called. They assume she’s been kidnapped, and just like in the movies, they assume someone’s holding her ransom in an abandoned building. They don’t expect her scent to lead them to a steel and glass mansion in an affluent, gated subdivision.
“What?!” Alex asks, voicing his thoughts. A string of profanities almost leaves his lips. “I’m certain she’s here…”
They remain standing in front of the three-story residence. They can even see the accent chandelier at the very center of the foyer. In the rest of the rooms though, the curtains have been drawn to hide the majority of the mansion.
“Me too.” Nate starts walking towards the front door, a frosted glass creation with intricate carving details. “Come on.”
One. Two. Three. It doesn’t take long before someone comes to open the door. Nate and Alex try not to show their shock at seeing Madison Conrad, CEO and Founder of Love in the Net and Laura’s previous boss, right in front of them. The moment she sees the two men, she replaces the scowl on her face with an easier, almost flirtatious smile.
“And to what do I owe this pleasure?” she asks, leaning her upper torso against the door and accentuating her hips.
Nate and Alex step inside before Madison closes the door behind them. With her heels clicking underneath her feet, her hips sway side to side as she leads them towards the main living room. A stunning red L-shaped couch and a sculptural coffee table serve as the accent pieces of the room, but they’re not here to scout for furniture.
“Where’s Laura?” Alex then asks when he’s certain that the woman is somewhere in the house. “You kidnapped her, didn’t you?”
“Of course not! Preposterous!”
Alex shakes his head, smirks to himself, and clicks his tongue. Then, he furrows his eyebrows together and musters the hardest glare he can. It’s more than enough to break Madison’s defenses.
“You’re a great CEO, but a very shitty liar.” Nate has to agree with what Alex said. “Now, lead her to us or we can do it by ourselves.”
The only thing that comes out of Madison’s mouth is, “B-but how?”
Unfortunately for the woman, Alex is both an exceptional executive and liar. “You forget I work for a security intelligence company. We know where you’re hiding her. We’d like you to save face and bring us to her instead.”
Then, Madison Conrad, the woman with usually no hair out of place, loses it. She stomps her foot in a huff, walks over to them, and points a finger at them.
“What’s so special about her?!” she demands, lips twisting into a scowl. There’s acid in every word that leaves her lips. “She’s just a whore.”
Nate furrows his eyebrows together, ready to defend Laura, but Alex beats him to it.
“You’re worse for hiring her and the rest of them.” If looks could kill, Madison Conrad would already be a pile of ash on her own living room floor. “And Laura isn’t a whore. You should be grateful to her for being one of your best employees. Instead, you fired her. Out of what?”
Madison stays silent and looks away. She’s not going to proclaim defeat so easily.
“Why’d you kidnapped her?” then asks Nate, walking towards Madison. He turns her around and meets her eyes. He’s demanding an answer.
“B-because…”
“You’re jealous of her, aren’t you?” That’s Alex, who’s starting to put the pieces together. “You asked us what’s so special about her. You’re jealous. We talked to a few of her friends when you fired her, and they all said you’ve always been jealous of your own employees who were younger, prettier, and more successful in dating and love.”
When Madison tightens her lips into a straight line, Alex knows he hit the nail on the head.
“Now, bring us to her…” Nate then says, smelling Laura’s scent more evidently with each passing second. “This is your last chance to save your dignity and reputation.”
Then, Madison presses a button on the screen of her phone and holds the mobile against her mouth.
“Security, we have a breach.” Nate’s and Alex’s eyes widen as they look at the woman before them. “There are two burglars in my home. I need your help.”
Soon enough, they hear the front door being torn down and the shuffling of feet pacing around the house. Nate and Alex look at one another and tip the corners of their lips into a faint smile.
So this is how it’s going to be.