Aria's heart trembled within her. Was sienna kidnapped? Was that why Major was looking so forlorn? It was maybe why he didn't want her getting involved.
"I don't know for that though," the man beside Ricci replied to his statement. "Major looks like he hasn't ate or slept for days. If he had a hand in it, he would have been so carefree."
Ricci didn't seem satisfied, because his hand clasped around her throat. She didn't have the courage to push the hand away. She just flailed helplessly as his grip around her neck became tighter and tighter, before he then pushed her roughly towards the armed men. "Take her. We'll torture her until we get the truth out of her. If she didn't do it herself, she hired someone else to do it for her."
Aria shook in fright as the menacing men manhandled her. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she briefly glimpsed at the motion camera at the top right side of the gate. Surely Major was seeing what was going on in front of the gate. He wouldn't let them take her. They shoved her head into the hood of the car, and she cried out in pain.
I should have just stayed put in the photoshoot. Oh god, oh my god.
When they were about to bundle her finally into the car was when he emerged.
"Reese, father-in-law, I expected better from you."
"Expected better from me how?" Ricci was the first to react, and venomously at that. "My daughter has been missing for a week, and still, you have zero information on her location. Worse still, you are sleeping around with this thing." His last word was enunciated by a slap on Aria's face. She screeched, the wound on her head bleeding afresh.
Major jerked, pulling her away from them into his arms. Ricci scowled at their embrace, shaking his head like a disappointed teacher. "I know what this looks like, but I just finished interrogating her about the kidnap," the lie came out very smoothly from his mouth, "and she was just leaving when you showed up. You can't just push a random person into your cars. Holding them hostage without any proof---"
Aria couldn't help it but she snuggled in his arms. He smelt so good. He smelt like lavender…
"Release her," Reese grimaced, his face squeezed in disgust. 'Seeing you both together like that is an eyesore."
"Go and do not come back until I call you," he whispered in her hair. "I have my reasons." Ricci's dark grey eyes followed her until she slammed her car door close and revved off. She drove off at high speed, her heat thundering loudly in her chest.
She reached the street backdrop in record time. They were setting up equipment when she came in so she was glad that she did not miss anything. She didn't walk too far when she bumped into an irate Livia. "You can't just disappear on me like that without texting me or anything."
"I didn't like the café we were at so I went somewhere calmer."
Livia twitched her eyebrows. "What is this ugly mark on your cheek?'
"What's that?" Aria feigned ignorance as Livia examined her cheeks under the reflector.
"A red ugly bruise like someone violently smacked you."
Aria avoided her gaze, preferring to stare at her manicured nails instead. Livia stared at her perplexed. "So, you're not going to tell me anything, well. There's always a makeup artist. And for the toilet accident, I looked into the cameras outside the toilet and they were so blurry. They have not been in use for a real long time."
"I'm even more scared now. I'm not sure I can walk into lonely areas alone."
"You can speak to Sir Bordini, have him do something about it." Aria's brows perked up at that. "Yeah. In fact whoever you suspect it may be, just tell him and he wouldn't have that person coming for the shoot again."
"Uh-oh, brand manager's coming this way."
"Duck and rush up to meet Renna. I don't want her to see your bruised face."
Second wrap went by easily so. By 3 p.m, they were done. Wardrobe stylists unfitted her. Then she walked up to Sir Bordini. He was in a deep conversation with Muriel. She decided to interrupt. He gave her audience, turning his back to a silently fuming Muriel.
"Oh, so you want to be my number two?" He laughed, after listening to her ramble on for a while. "Well, you know that it's scheduled for this evening, and it's a hectic event. Won't you want to rest from the shoot?"
"well, yeah." Aria chuckled. "But I've never being to a movie premiere before, so..."
His look turned serious. "Then get home. Get rest. By 6p.m I'll send a glam team to your house, okay?"
She beamed. "Thank you." Then gave a malicious smile to Muriel who glowered at her. Oh, this was just becoming better and better.
The car revved to a stop in front of a large warehouse building. They sat still in the car for a moment, watching the ebb and flow of movements around the warehouse. His hands enclosed over her soft hands that were laid on her lap. She was deep in thoughts, rolling her tongue over her rose bud lips. Her brows taut in concentration, s she stared into the empty space ahead. She was nervous, he could tell.
"What's on your mind?" He whispered quietly into her ear.
"Do you think this is safe?" She flicked a worried gaze to him. "Letting me out in public, letting all your workers soak me in."
He eased into the soft, plush seats of the car laughing. "You are the one who begged for a tour, pleaded for a change in scenery. Same you getting cold feet now."
"Besides," he sat up straighter. "…I am sure Ricci neither bacuzzi implanted spies in my industries. I am the one person your father doesn't see as an enemy and your father completely trusts."
"My father is really going to hate me if he finds out about this." She muttered under her breath, but he could still hear her.
He smiled to himself as he let himself out of the door, and went over to her side and gently carried her out. "You know I went to see your dad and Major yesterday. You didn't ask to know how that went out."
They started walking towards the warehouse, her arms sweetly tucked in his.
"I already know how it played out," she deadpanned. "My dad was overcome with grief, and Major looked like he didn't give a care in the whole wide world. He must have looked happier." Her voice was bitter. Reese didn't bother to correct her assumptions. Let her think the worst she could about him. It rolled the dice in his favour. "Right?" she flicked her golden eyes towards him.
"Couldn't have said it any better. He looked like all the weight in the world was taken off his shoulders." His voice took on a feigned hardness. "But the main reason I went there was to check if there were onto me, and they have no clue. Don't even suspect me a bit."
She stopped walking. Then turned around to face him, taking his veined hands into her soft palms. "I want to go back this Wednesday. I don't want to keep punishing my dad anymore." Her eyes flickered back and forth between his two grey orbs. "I so want to stay longer, but you know that I can't."
There was a brief silence as he admired the strays of her long silk hair dancing in the afternoon breeze. "I know. So, the plan is that we reach out to Major again, demand for ransom, and have you delivered to an undisclosed location. You'll be the one to meet him yourself." He stepped in closer and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. "But first," he stepped back, his eyes roving over her body clad in an orchid crochet gown. "We would have to rough you up small. So, you would look like you were actually kidnapped. Because it seems like you even got fatter." A burst of laugh escaped his lips, and she joined in the laughter, looking down on herself.
"There's a healthier shine to your cheeks," he softly tugged on her cheeks.
She pulled him along, laughing. He fell in step.
"But what is the plan after now, after this? Do all we get is stolen glimpses, kisses?"
They were closer to the door of the warehouse now, and he pulled her in his arms. "What about a divorce? Why not serve him divorce papers? Have your father to back it up if he refuses to let you go."
Her eyes became downcast. "Papa that even wants me to stay so that I can feed him information that will bring Major down."
"Well then, after you bring Major down, you can now serve him the divorce papers?"
She flicked her hair over her shoulder. "I guess then."
Reese breathed. "I hate to be the bad friend but then I'll help you."
She looked up at him suspiciously and he managed a sheepish smile. "Deep down, I've never really liked the man. It's a stupid reason," he laughed, "but he always dated the women he knew I like. Broke their heart, and then dumped their pieces for me to pick up."
"Well, that's cruel," she bobbed her head. They stepped into the warehouse now. "He's doing the same with me now."
Unlike what she thought, nobody stared at her when she stepped into the warehouse. Everyone was busy with the whatever they were doing, and she felt safe. Stares would have made her highly uncomfortable.
"That's the production section." Reese nodded his head towards the left. She tugged him towards that direction. She stared in awe at the towering shelves, hum of machines. Everyone doing their own thing in a rhythmic orderliness with synchronized movements.
"Watch your step." He said with a quick smile as she almost tripped in her admiration. She blushed, flustered as he stared at her with kind light in his eyes. She pretended to be fascinated by the machines assembling engine parts, but her eyes flickered to his handsome form now and then as he pointed out machine parts and described them for her. It was obvious that he really really liked this stuff.
"What grew your interest in machines?" she asked, as they were seated on a platform, watching the activities in the warehouse buzz by.
"I don't know," he shrugged, smiling. "It will be just like asking you how your interest for events planning came about?"
"It's just something I found out that I loved doing," she shrugged.
"Exactly."
"How were you able to build all of this?" she asked her eyes taking in the gigantic space filled with rhythmic beep of forklifts, conveyor belts carrying packages on them, robotic arms doing the taping and sorting. "I've tried to read on your background. But social media didn't give me much. It's all surface stuff." She spun around to face him. "You are something of a ghost, Reese."
"My parents were very wealthy people. They left me a huge inheritance before they died. So yeah, it was apportioned to me when I was of age." He laid his arm on the small of her back, "but why there's only so little about me on social media is because Major's parents wiped all the necessary information out."
"Why?" she jerked, alarmed. He ignored her question. "You want coffee?"
She frowned. "You are not going to do that to me. Drop such a bomb and leave me out on the details."
He stood up and nodded to the huge coffee machine by the corner. "Let's get the coffee first. It's not something I really like talking about."
He made her a large mocha and a peppermint tea for himself.
"I don't know if Major is aware but his parents were the one that had mine killed."
She jerked off her seat in shock.
"Their plan was to get custody of me, my wealth, the huge territory my parents owned since it was way larger than theirs, and then to make me their 'son', have me manage one of their properties so that they can control me and all that."
He was silent for a while so that she could absorb all of that in. She only stared at him with wide eyes.
"Sure, they took good care of me." He continued. They didn't maltreat me. I and Major were practically inseparable. Not bad. But you should know that almost all of what Major owns and manages belonged to my parents and therefore should be mine. But I decided to turn a blind eye. I wasn't for that life anyway.' He sipped from his coffee. "Yunno, to be a drug lord or have mafia dealings. I let them take it all. But when things went south was when I turned eighteen and I realized that half of the money my parents had kept for me was misappropriated by them."
"How did you know, you were just eighteen?"
He laughed over his steaming cup. "Actually, at first, I didn't. When the cheque was handed over to me, I just knew that it was ridiculously small. Just like 20 million dollars. It didn't make sense at all. Then I didn't even know of the Bacuzzi's hand in my parents death, or suspected the Bacuzzi's of anything. I honestly thought that it was the bank that was stealing from me and so I hired a private investigator."
Tears clouded her eyes. "I'm wondering how you must have felt when the entire truth came to light."
He fiddled with the ring that was on his finger. "Everything that my parents struggled to build was taken. Wrongly. Their entire empire." His voice broke there. "it was just very difficult to take in. in my anger I sued them to court, but behind Major's back." He chuckled at the memory. "A very stupid thing to do. I didn't have any proof. Luck turned my way though. They had covered up their tracks very well but I found a missing piece. I finally found advantage over them."
He went silent there. Sienna nudged him. When he looked up from his cup, his eyes were clouded. "I couldn't. They were to face the noose the next day. It was all very hush-hush, since they were very powerful people, built from the ground up with my parent's influence of course. I told the judge that I forgave them, to let them go. We struck a deal. They paid me my parent's money in full and I let them go."
Sienna exhaled deeply when he was done with the narration.
"It was so many years ago though. Me and his parents relate very well now, like it never happened. They even host me for dinners. I still carry a grudge though. I don't know if I will ever forget."
"..and you don't know if Major knows anything about it. You think he doesn't know?" she scoffed. "Where was he in all of this?"
"Boarding school. I graduated before him."
She inched closer towards him. Slowly wrapped her arms around him. Rested her head on his shoulders. "I know that you didn't tell me all of that so that I would have pity on you, but I hope this helps you feel better. I kind of understand that feeling of betrayal."
When he turned to face her, their lips brushed. He leaned in, taking opportunity of the situation. She accepted, caving in to his touch. The kiss deepened, urgent and hungry; the heat between them igniting like wildfire.
The hums and beeps from the factory faded. There was only the sound of their breathing, the rhythm of their tongues and the taste of their longing finally unleashed.
When they pulled apart, their breaths were hitched. "We shouldn't be doing this here." She said, reasoning filtering into her voice.
He tugged her up. "Then let's go to where we can do it unbothered."
He took her to the open dock. "Usually here is the noisiest, but I had it cleared for you."
She gasped, her mouth falling open in shock. "Oh my god. What?!"
The floor was covered in rose petals which led to a table of scrumptious, mouth-watering food. The table was draped in a crisp white linen cloth, its surface adorned with a delicate centerpiece: a crystal vase brimming with fresh red and blush pink roses, interspersed with sprigs of baby's breath and eucalyptus leaves. Their fragrance mingled with the aroma of the evening's cuisine.
The gentle breeze from the open dock carried the scent of sea salt, adding a natural perfume to the air.
Her excited seps carried her closer to the table. Reese followed from behind her. He pulled out a chair to seat like the gentleman that he was.
Sienna licked her lips over and over, trying her hardest not to salivate but failing miserably. Reese took the bottle of vintage red wine that was resting in a silver chiller, and poured it into the elegant stemmed glasses.
The first course was a delicate caprese salad, followed by seared salmon with lemon butter sauce and roasted asparagus. "Oh my god, this tastes so good," Sienna moaned as she put the first fork in her mouth. "It's unlike anything I've tasted before," she patted her lips with a serviette. "And I'm sure I've tasted all Italian food, father hired a renowned chef to cater to my culinary tastes, from when I was still a small child."
"I wanted to serve you something out of your orbit. This is American food. But wait till you taste the dessert."
Dessert was a shared chocolate fondue with strawberries, marshmallows, and slices of banana.
They sat close, hands occasionally brushing, eyes locked in quiet conversation that needed no words. She finally decided to interlock her hand with his. "Reese, you've treated me very well this past week. Shown me what its like to be madly in love with someone and have them love you back."
He smiled affectionately at her. "Then the reason for your fake kidnap has been justified."
"But there is something you haven't still done?" A lone nail trailed the line of his index finger up to his wrists. She looked up at him, a deep longing welled in her eyes.
"And what could that be?" he furrowed his eyebrows.
She took his inert hands and brushed it over her breasts. "You haven't touched me, you've refused to touch me. And I know that I have tried. I've worn sexy lingerie, revealing dresses. Yet still, your eyes glaze over, like Major's. Do you not find me attractive?"
He took her hand and brought it to his lips, and kissed it tenderly. "I didn't bring you here to have sex with you. I am not a pervert."
"It's still a very crucial part of your agenda of making me 'feel loved.'"
He was silent as he held her gaze, a smile tugging at the end of his lips. "Have you eaten to your satisfaction?"
She nodded. He stood up and went over to her side, pulling her up along with him.
"Then come, let me make love to you."