Episode 20

Episode 20.
Riccardo's POV.
The universe will turn your whole world into what you barely knew know in a matter of seconds,leaving you scattered,hopeless and cruel...even to yourself. It takes everything away from you,everything you used to know,snatches it all like a single snap of the fingers.
After getting off the phone from the only person that's still the bridge between me and my sanity,Jasmine, I knew I had to think fast and time was slipping away.
If I don't get to the bottom of this,I'll never be able to and I fear it's gonna get worse. But in all of the thoughts in my head,one is able to stand out in times like this. Ashley Shawn.
That woman. She had appeared into my life like a thunderstorm,lightening every lengths, every ends in my life. I do not fancy her,her presence annoys the hell out of me like the very first day. Although I hate to admit that there's something strange about her,it's not easy having her around me all day. Ashley doesn't just surprise me by her matured handling of my conference meetings but she proves to be more useful than any woman I've ever known or worked with. She knew her way around everything. As good as that was,she pissed me off. She needn't be so good at her job.
The very first time I'd laid my eyes on her, I'd thought of ways to get rid of her quickly. Her mere existence filled me with anger. But after several weeks of working with her,I can proudly think different.
I hate women. They bring nothing but misery into a man's life and Shawn wasn't an exception. My mind travels to my birth mother. She had left me too,without giving me a thought. They're all the same.
Having them in my bed is one thing,but keeping them by my side and trusting them is another thing and that would never ever happen.
When I looked at Ashley Shawn, when I see her talking at my meetings, there's something about her whole being that draws me closer. Her make up rid face always remains a reminder of someone I wished not to think about,her stubbornness and lack of fear for any man drawing me more and more closer. I hated that. And she's going to pay for everything, for being a constant reminder of something I thought I'd buried deep inside the darkness in my heart.
There's something about seeing her suffering that gladdens my heart,it excites me and when I think I'm being too hard on her,I'm reminded of my reasons for being so cruel to her. She'll leave when she's had enough. I'll be losing an important person but I can't care less. Caring has never been my thing.
When she walked into my office,I could see the fears written in her face. She hid it so well,if I hadn't looked too closely I'd never have noticed it.I hadn't intended to yell at her but when I did,she shook with such fear,my heart broke. I didn't know why but......I felt a bit of guilt. There's no James Albert on the list but I just wanted her to feel part of the pain that I was feeling. She'd stood there for a long time,speechless. I could see the pitiful look on her face, the tears clouding her eyes as she turned and left.
And when I left,she was still clad on her chair,her eyes fixed on her computer screen. She should have gone home but something told me she wasn't going to leave any time soon. I tried to stop,to tell her to leave but she doesn't spare a look at me and I decided against it. She can remain here for all I care. And I was gone.
**
9:07p.m.
I found myself driving back to the office building. The darkness was thick and impenetrable as I sat in my car,watching the office skyscraper. The lights were off,except for my office hallway. Ashley Shawn was still there. A frown crosses my face.
What the hell was she still doing there?!
Damn me if I step out of this car.
Soon I found my myself pushing my door open and stepping out. I did drive all the way back here because I couldn't stop thinking about her,couldn't stop wondering if she was still tied up in the office.
I took the elevator to my office floor. When the doors slid open to my office's hallway, I looked forward before stepping off the elevator, my eyes quickly straining over Ashley's office cubicle.
She's on her chair,head against her one arm on her desk. Her dark hair are sprawled across the desk,her face hidden well behind the lump of hair. She's sleeping, her laptop still open in front of her. The slow movement of her back reassured me that she was alive and not dead. She's probably cold. Why the hell do I care? I cringe at the thought.
I slowly walked closer,careful not to wake her. Why was I here anyways? Knowing fully well that I was gonna meet her here. Wake her up and tell her to go home? How could she be so stupid? Why would she subject herself to all this stress and a potential sickness from the cold just for somebody, just to get some work done? Then I remembered all I said to her before she walked out. They weren't exactly the nicest things anyone would wanna hear.
I stopped at her side. She's still sound asleep. Her phone's screen comes to life when a message came in. I picked it up and swiped it,all of its contents in full display. What kind of a person doesn't secure her cellphone with a password? Someone who has nothing to hide of course,my inner voice told me. I shook my head and clicked the message open. It was from somebody called Katie.
Katie:where are you Ash? Running late or something? (7:30)
Katie :Been calling you Ash,please call me back okay? (8:12)
Katie:okay I'm getting real scared here,girl. You aren't returning any of my calls. Is everything alright?(8:40)
Katie: that's it. I'm coming to your office right now! You made dad wait all day for you!(just now)
She has seven missed calls from the same person.
I typed back.
Me:hey,sorry,was caught up in a meeting. Don't bother coming,I'm on my way.
Katie:finally. Your dinner is cold by the way.
I put back the phone beside Ashley and crouched to her level to watch her face. She was a deep sleeper for a woman,the thought nearly makes me laugh. I didn't know what I was doing but before I could register it,my hand was moving closer to her face,touching her hairs and moving it back,away from her face and tucking them behind her ear.
I could see her face now. Her eyes are shut close,her long lashes shadowing my cheeks as she slept. Her bottom heavy lips are squeezed by her sleeping position, making it look like a little baby's. She slept so peacefully, it was a thing of envy. My tightened my palm to keep from reaching over to feel her cheek. But I can't help it. My palm slowly moves over her cheek. The moment they touched the tender skin,I felt a cold radiate into my own hand. She was cold. What the hell was she doing exposing herself to this night's cold?
She stirs and I quickly pull away my hand. She continued to stir and I thought I stopped breathing. Then she slowly opens her eyes,the light from behind me blinding her eyes. Her eyes fully opens to stair at me after a fine adjustment to the light. She continues to watch me for a complete minute before the size of her eyes grew bigger in realization of something and she screamed.
"Calm the hell down,Ashley!" I yelled.
"What?.....who....." Her eyes squints and she held her head like she felt some pain.
I stood straight before speaking "why the hell are you screaming?"
"Because you looked like a freaking mugler!"
How cute. I burst out laughing "a mugler? In my office? Among other things that's the most impossible, Ashley" I told her proudly.
Her eyes watches me for a second before she asked "who the hell are you then?"
My smile fades as I watched her. Was she drinking before passing out or something? Hadn't she screamed her head off because she saw her boss standing beside her like a ghost? When I don't reply,she suddenly leapt off her seat and said "Mr Marcello!"
So....she knows now.
"I'm.....what are you doing here?"
"Let's redirect that question, shall we? What the hell are you still doing here,Shawn? Seen something you wanna steal?" Why I said that I'll never know. Annoying her is the last thing I wished to do right now but I enjoyed even the smallest bit of teasing I teased her. Her reactions stirred something in me.
"Of course not! I was jus......"
"Why are you here then?!"
"I'm here doing your work,Marcello! Can you even as much as acknowledge that?!"
"What I met you doing was sleeping,Ashley!"
"I'm!......." She huts her eyes immediately and crouches her head,as if in pain. I wanted to ask what was wrong with her but I don't. She slowly sits back down on her chair,both hands going over to hold her head.
"Well?!" I urged her to speak,to tell me what the fuck was wrong with her without me asking.
She slowly looks up to me again and said "you know what? I am done doing your work. This was a whole mistake,I should've listened to Trevor"
Listen to Trevor? He was here with her?
She rises to her feet and grabs her phone,yanking it into her bag. She shuts down the laptop and close it shut before turning to face me again. "You can find your name by yourself, I'm leaving!"
She walks past me,nudging my shoulder as he went. I didn't stop her but I turned to her and said the only thing I didn't think I could ever say to her. "Let me drop you off"
She stops and her eyes watched me and for a moment there was disbelief in her eyes,before she said "no thank you" and she turned back and was entering the elevator.
I grunted in frustration. That woman will be the end of me. I reluctantly walked back up and waited for the lift. I quickly entered it and rushed outside to see Ashley standing at the pavement. It's almost 10p.m. sure there's still cabs lurking around the city.
She has her phone against her ear. Was she calling an uber? Surely she can't afford that. I found myself standing next to her and snatching the phone from her.
"What are you doing?!" She protested.
"No what are you doing? You wanna take a cab home at this hour? If anything happens to you, that will be on me and my company!"
"I guess you should've thought of that when you made me stay up in your office!"
"I did not tell you to do that,you're just without a brain!"
"Hand it over!" She extends her palm towards her phone.
"Not until you get into my car and I can get you home safely"
"Since when did you care?!"
"Don't get it mixed up,okay? I do not care what the hell happens to you, I care more about what happens to my company if you go missing!"
Surely,nothing's gonna happen if she goes missing, who the hell was she? But I just find myself wanting to make sure she goes back home safely.
"Well I know my way and nothing's gonna happen to me so be rest assured,Mr Marcello, nothing's gonna happen to your company!" She wiggles her hand for her phone.
I was defeated. What more reasons do I need to let her go? I wouldn't want her getting ideas if I persist.
"Fine!" I dump the phone on her palm "do whatever you please!"
And I crossed the street to my car and sat in. She's so stubborn and it pains me.more that I can't even do anything about it! I felt furious as I drove out of the place,not giving a glance at her as I zoomed into the high streets.