24.
Sneaking in
The walk to Julian’s door had me feeling like I was walking to the gate of hell with no one in sight to help me. But my mind was made up.
I will be brave.
I will be brave.
I knocked lightly on the door, and there was no answer. I carefully pushed the door open so no sound was made, exhaling quietly when I succeeded in getting in. Then I stilled my breath, scared that even my breathing could alert whoever was at home and would inadvertently risk my mission. Being in this house only made my feelings of doom stronger. The atmosphere wreaked of secrets, and it was empty. No workers. No Holland, yet I felt someone’s presence.
I breathed in and out.
“Where do I check first?” I whispered under my breath. “Do I go up or down?”
“Holland’s room is upstairs, so I should go up,” I mumbled.
It had been a long time since I talked to myself like this, but now I was so tense that I couldn’t help it. I took off my shoes and slowly walked upstairs. I tried my best not to make a sound. The last room on the floor was Holland’s, although when Julian showed me her room while taking me on a tour around his house, I couldn’t look inside because he got a call then and had to get something from the library, and he asked that I follow him.
I opened the door to Holland’s room slowly, trying my best not to make a sound. I slipped in and went straight to the window to check if anyone was coming upstairs. I was still in the clear.
“Just great.”
I looked around the room. “Where to check first?” I wondered to myself.
I started to check her wardrobe and then the table across her bed. However, I found nothing out of the ordinary, just children’s books, her clothes, her drawings, her toys, and other things a child should have.
Her room was pink-themed, and it was really pretty. The colour of everything was so warm and calm. Julian paid attention to her room, that’s for sure.
“Fuck! I feel so stupid for doing this. I should have trusted Julian instead of wasting time trying to find something when there’s none.” I sighed frustratedly. Being nosy was not a good look.
I rushed to the window again to make sure I was still in the clear. The security guard was standing by the gate, but apart from that, no one was coming in. Where were the workers? Perhaps, Julian sent them away so we could spend time together, like on Saturday.
I shouldn’t have doubted him.
“Okay, time to go,” I decided. I was already at the door of the room when a thought hit me, and I stopped in my tracks.
You should check under the bed.
“Yes, I should check under the bed. Why didn’t I think of that!” I ran to the bed and got on my knees.
The lights in the room were all off, and the sunlight seeping through the windows didn’t illuminate under the bed. I removed my phone from my bag and put on the torchlight so I could use it to look under the bed.
I couldn’t make out anything.
I slid my hand beneath the bed, nearly recoiling from the cold tiles and a sudden rush of fear. My fingers touched something resembling a card, and I swiftly retrieved it. It turned out to be a picture of a stunning woman, an uncanny resemblance to Holland and myself. Intriguingly, Holland had drawn candles over the photo.
“Who is this woman, and why did she look like Holland.” I wondered. “Why’s this picture under Holland’s bed?”
Holland’s mother left Julian right?
No other part of the house had the picture of this woman, almost like she was forbidden.
I took a photo of the picture and hastily got up-no need to try my luck too much. I would find out who this woman was, but for now, I had to return my debt by going on a date with Damien. I put the picture back under the bed and looked around the room to make sure it was in the same state I had met it. When I was sure, I sneaked out and closed the door. I rushed downstairs and dropped the textbook on the living room chair.
That’s when I had a knock.
“What was that?!” I gasped, looking around. The house was still empty.
Goosebumps decorated my skin.
Leave now.
I wore my shoes and ran out.
When I left the house, I looked for the security guard who had been standing at the gate just a few seconds ago.
“Where is he?”
The security man came out from the boys quarters just in time, and I exhaled relieved.
“Miss, are you ready to leave now?” He asked.
“Yes. Yes.” I replied nervously.
I took out a hundred dollar bill and gave it to him.
“Miss, what’s this for?”
“This is not to bribe you, of course!” I said nervously, playing with my fingers. “I’m starting something new with your boss, so I don’t want him to have the wrong impression of me for any reason. So is it possible to just not tell him that I was here today, or even if you have to tell him. just tell him I dropped the textbook and left immediately? Is that cool with you?”
“Hmm…”
“You don’t have to do it if you’re uncomfortable. It’s just a suggestion.”
“Alright. But I hope I won’t have to do this again. I don’t like lying to my boss.”
I sighed in relief. “Of course, you don’t have to do this again. I don’t like lying to your boss either.”This content is © NôvelDrama.Org.
We exchanged smiles, and just as the moment settled, a car honked.
“Oh my God! Is that your boss?” I inquired, fear gripping me to the core.