CHAPTER 140: WITH UTMOST DISBELIEF

“You call for me?” I hastily uttered the minute I entered Ivar’s private room. He was sitting near the window while smoking his cigar. He didn’t look my way and was looking far beyond outside, as if he was in heavy thoughts. I gently closed the door behind me before slowly striding towards him. I sat at the vacant seat in front of him and waited for him to speak up. 

Actually I hadn’t had a decent sleep yet from the time I left this room hours ago. As much as my body wanted to rest from extreme sexual exhaustion with this man, my mind wouldn’t settle down as memories of what occurred to us flooded my head and kept on lingering right this very moment. Good thing when I returned to our room after a very tiring but highly gratifying sex, Michael was still unconscious and soundly asleep, or he would have asked where I had gone. 

“We have a much greater problem, Pamela. And I wish to ask you beforehand a very crucial and extremely grave question. You have to answer me truthfully, don’t you dare lie to me.” His gaze turned at me, eyes piercing straight through me with all seriousness and lack of emotions, which changed my blissful mood all at once. 

“What about?” I leaned back and skeptically eyed him with the same seriousness he was giving. 

“How much do you crave for the money, Pamela?” 

“You know how much…” 

“Goddammit! Just answer my fucking question! How much do you want the money?” My body jolted at his sudden outburst. I could feel my temper rising as I stared back at him, but decided to control it as much as I could, because my mind tells me that something worse must have happened for him to act this way towards me now. 

“I will risk my very life just to have my money! Satisfied?” I haughtily replied before huffing my dismay. He heavily exhaled before grabbing a handful of his hair and cursing under his breath. “What’s the problem? Tell me what’s wrong and don’t you dare try to shout at me ever again!” 

He vigorously shook his head and heavily slumped back at his seat before speaking. “We have to give the child today, Pamela. We only have until today to return the child to her mother. You have to help me with Michael, if you want him unharmed, so I can ask Dennis to drive the child back to where she lives. We have no time to waste. Do whatever it takes to distract Michael, that way, Dennis can take the child and bring her back to their custody.” 

“Why so sudden? And why only until today?” 

“Stop asking me why, Pamela! Just do what I say and do it as soon as possible! Or I’ll be forced to order my men to take down Michael and get the child.” 

“What you’re asking couldn’t be done in just a split second, Ivar. It needs adequate preparation and crucial planning before I can execute what you’re saying. Have you even thought about this for a couple of times before summoning me with your orders?” 

“Fuck! Fucking shit!” He promptly pounded the coffee table with his bare hands that greatly bewildered and astounded me. I watched him closely, unable to determine what caused him to react this way. Gone was his coolness and calm demeanor. By the looks of him now, he appeared to be carrying the entire weight of the world upon his shoulders. With an exaggeratedly creased forehead, skin flushing with indescribable tension, eyes scorching in an unknown furnace and a face so unpaintable like he would lose his sanity any time soon. 

“Will you calm down, Ivar! What’s wrong? Why are you acting this way? What happened? Is something the matter?” He looked straight into my eyes. And for the very first time since I met him, unexplainable fear and deep concern enveloped his eyeballs. His body began to shake involuntarily like a scared and helpless boy. This made me freeze, literal coldness immediately crept at my entire body that I could feel myself trembling with unrecognizable chill. This made me stand and swiftly move at his side. “What’s wrong, Ivar? You’re scaring me!”

“Everything’s fucked up, Pamela. I’m screwed. You have to help me, if you want to have your fair share of the money without harming the man you love.” With trembling hands, he held the sides of my face. They are iced cold like they were the hands of a lifeless cadaver. 

I gently touched his hand, covering it with mine, before responding, “As much as I wanted to help you execute your plans, Ivar, I wouldn’t be able to do it if you would not tell me everything that I needed to know. Please, tell me. What’s bothering you for you to act this panicky? This isn’t you, Ivar.” 

It took him a while, minutes of silence and just breathing in struggles, before answering me. “We only have until today to return the child to her mother, or…” He abruptly paused, hesitation was vividly visible in him. I could sense that he was having second thoughts within himself. If he will or will not reveal to me whatever it was that’s bothering him. To get him to speak up what I knew that I must be aware of, I quickly sat on his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck before claiming his lips with a feverish smooch and sliding my tongue inside his mouth. I kissed him ardently, making him respond and mellow down. Once he did and started to return my kisses, I let him devour my lips and allowed his hand to knead one of my mounds. I must tone down his agitation, in order for him to speak up and reveal to me everything. 

After what seems to be an eternity of fondling and fore playing, he stopped, grabbing my nape and made me face him steadily. “You can trust me, Ivar. I am with you in this, remember?” 

“Alright,” He murmured before sighing deeply. “We have to give back the child to Penelope today, or until tomorrow before dawn. If not, my head is on line.” 

It was my turn for my forehead to crumple and cluelessly stare at him. “What? How? What are you talking about?” 

“Early this morning, Marcus let me watch a video, a replayed live broadcast wherein Lewis White was aired on national TV. He…” 

I abruptly interrupted him after jumping away from him. “No! No fucking way! This can’t be! Hell no this is real!” My head continuously shakes with disbelief as I aimlessly move my body out of distress and extreme worriedness. 

Even though Ivar hasn’t said it yet completely, I already knew what he would say just by merely hearing the first line. Everything about Penelope’s father, the murder case, what step they adhered to and how it was solved… All invaded my head in one accord. I knew exactly why Ivar was acting the way did now. I could feel my head spinning with utmost disbelief that literally made me laugh out loud.