“Where’s your mom?” Deville asked Pearl when he walked inside,he had been waiting for almost thirty minutes for Anne but she wasn’t coming out.Pearl looked up from her coloring book,
“She’s in her room, I guess.” Deville left and headed upstairs only to see Anne crying,he rushed to her,
“Anne,what’s the problem?” He wrapped his arm around her,
“Why are you crying? Did anyone hurt you?” She wasn’t saying anything but was still in tears,
“Tell me,what happened?”He wiped the tears falling from her eyes,
“You don’t want to go again?” She shook her head,she walked away from him and sat on the bed,
“I don’t seem to fit into my clothes anymore,I’m getting fat and…” Deville walked to her,
“Anne,you aren’t fat or ugly,who gave you that idea?” No reply, she was still sulking.
“You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid my eyes on and would always be.” He pulled her up from the bed,
“Anne,you are perfect,I wouldn’t pray for another woman in my life if not you.” He said to her,she smiled,
“You sure you won’t leave me for Millie or Marisa or…….” He shut her up with a kiss,
“I won’t even leave you for even Beyoncé.” He whispered to her,
“Now let’s get you into something nice,Mr Sullivan must be going out of his head waiting for us.” He stayed with her with her while she got dressed (no need for privacy though) and left to meet the wedding planner.
When they got there, Mr Sullivan was already at the appointed place waiting for them.He (Mr Sullivan) insisted they didn’t stay in his office,
“Mr Salvador, I thought you won’t come again.” Deville who was still holding Anne turned to her and grimaced,
“We had to wait for my queen to get dressed before we come.” Anne turned crimson red,Deville brought out a seat for her and she sat down,then he did.
“Anne,you’re looking beautiful, pre-wedding glow,I guess?” Mr Sullivan commented her,she held Deville’s hand and blushed,
“I’m a good fiance and do take care of her well,right?” Deville turned to Anne,
“By making take those yucky smoothies every morning, I bet you’re better than that?” She faked a smile to him and turned to Mr Sullivan,
“I do take care of him and myself.” She said smiling,
“Okay,let’s go to the business of the day.” Deville nodded,Mr Sullivan brought out some wedding gown magazine and some brochures,
“Anne,check these gowns and Deville,” He turned to Deville,
“You called for a pastor right?” Deville nodded,
“I have a few contacts I can rely on and Love Garden is a good spot for planning you want,” He brought out his tab and showed photos of the place to Deville,
“Let me have a look,” Anne peered into the tab,
“Deville,this would do,it shouldn’t be too grand.”
“Anne,this is our wedding,it should be grand and glamorous.” Anne placed her hand on his,,
“Deville, let’s make it simple,you known the situation at hand.” He melted,she smiled and stood up,
“Deville, I need to use the ladies room.” He stood up too,
“Let me take you there,” Anne shooed him,
“I can go myself please,you stay behind with Mr Sullivan, its gonna be rude leaving him here alone.”
“Anne,would you mind if I ask for a favor?” Mr Sullivan asked her quite amused at her drama with Deville,she gave him a go ahead sign,
“Call me Fred,stop that Mr Sullivan formality and call me Fred.”
“Okay,so can I go now?” Deville and Fred nodded,then she left,Anne got to the ladies room with the directions of a staff.
She was still in the ladies room when her phone rang,she was rushing out to get her phone from her purse when she felt someone tap her from behind, she was about turning when the person covered her mouth with a small clothe,the last was a complete blackout.Meanwhile,Deville waited for for almost thirty minutes but no sign of Anne,he became worried and excused himself and went to the ladies room to meet her but was surprised she wasn’t there,
“Where has she gone to?” He brought out his phone and dialled her number,it was ringing,Deville turned to the sink and saw Anne’s phone,
“How could she leave her phone here and…..God,no….no..no!” He took her phone and rushed out of the place.
“Fred! Fred!” He call out to Fred,who stood up with a surprised face seeing only Deville,
“What happened and where’s Anne?” Fred asked him,
“Anne isn’t in the ladies room but I found her cell phone there.” He brought out the phone from her pocket and showed it to him,
“What? Did you ask any of the staff or any one around there?” Deville shook his head,he hadn’t met anyone close by when he got there,he went back there with Fred.
“Did you see this lady anywhere?” Deville asked a staff there,the woman after taking a closer nodded her head,
“Yes,she had asked me for the way to the ladies room some time ago and I took her there,haven’t seen her after that.” Deville was surprised and angry at the same time, he called the manager of the place,
“Sir,my fiancée is missing.” The manager a short bald man frowned at Deville’s words,
“How come?” He asked,
“How should I know? She went into the ladies room and didn’t come out again.” Deville said,
“Call the security and Mr Deville, please follow me.” Deville and Fred followed the short bald head man to the operating room,
“Show me footage of one hour ago.” The manager told the operatives,he gave seats to Deville and Fred,Fred sat down but Deville didn’t,
“Zoom in to Camera Four.” Deville pointed to the man and he did as he was told,
“Deville,I think we should inform the cops.” Fred stood up and whispered to Devices, he nodded brought out his phone and call the cops.
“Yes sir,she entered the ladies room and after her this janitor went in and came outside,then she went in again came out with the trash can but your fiancée didn’t come out.” The operative relayed to them.Immediately Deville phoned the cops,they came running to the scene,
“Sir,please take us to the said Ladies room.” One of the cops told Deville, he took them there while Fred stayed with the operatives to check for any clue on where she had vanished to but they got nothing.The cops took Deville’s statement and he gave them Anne’s phone,
“I saw her phone close to the sink when i came inside.” The cop took everything down,
“Call the janitor that came inside here after your wife did.” The manager called all his janitors,
“Who among you came in here after Miss Anne did?” One of the janitors came out,she was very fair skinned and lanky,
“Sir,I came in here to check the trash trolley,it was filled up,so I left to get a trash bag but when I came back the trash trolley was gone,I left thinking someone else had taken it out.” She explained,Deville and the other were flabbergasted,
“If you hadn’t take the trash trolley out,then who was the janitor that took it?” Deville asked the girl,she was scared and almost in tears,
“I don’t know sir,”
“Get me the footage,I need to see it.” The cop said to the operative,
“Sir,I found this on the floor,close to the restroom door.” The younger cop came running to Deville and the older one,he showed them a cufflink in a zip lock bag,
“The kidnapped might have dropped it when taking her out.” The older one said to Deville, while his junior stood there waiting for any analysis,
“This is a kidnap case and we need to thread carefully,”He turned to Deville,
” Sir,do you have any suspect for this kidnap?”Deville shook his head,then be remembered something,
Anne and Charles,she had refused him some weeks ago and Frank….No,Frank must have gotten over her,he thought.
“I have a suspect,” Everyone turned to him,
“Charles Zhang,he’s lodging at Crystal Hill Hotel,” The cop took down the name and location,
“And sir,I’ll would love to speak with your superior Tim.” Deville called Fred and they left the place,
“Have you called at home?” Fred asked him while they were in the car,he shook his head,
“You ought to call,tell them what’s happening before it goes viral and they hear it out,
“Let’s switch seat,you drive while I call home.” He stopped the car by the road,came and and switched seat with Fred.After that,he called his mom,
“Deville,what am I hearing?” Mrs Phina said immediately Deville called,
“Mom,I’m confused, it just happened all of a sudden and…..”
“Deville, take it easy,it will be alright.” She said to him,he was furious,just a few weeks to their wedding and this..
“Deville call Tim,he’s with the police right? He should be able to help you.”She adviced,
” Mom,his men said he’ll be in town tomorrow,so I’ll be going to his office tomorrow morning.”He said,Fred drove to his house while Charles continued from there and went to the hotel but got a ghastly shock,Charles had checked out almost a week ago as per what the receptionist said.
Charles had left a week ago,then who’s with Anne?Who had taken her since Charles is out of the city? He called his mom again, this time Cheryl was with her,
“Hello mom,”
“Deville, did you find him?” His mom asked,
“No mom,they said he checked out a week ago.” He heard another person talking with his mom,
“Mom,who’s there with you?” He asked,
“Its Cheryl,Ace and Pearl are playing in Pearl’s room.” She said sadness in her voice,
“Deville, did they get any clue or evidence to show who’s behind it?” Cheryl asked,
“Yes,they found a cufflink in the place she was kidnapped,” He said,
“What happened to my mommy?” Cheryl and Mrs Phina turned and saw Pearl and Ace,standing by the door,they were surprised. Cheryl went to the kids,
“Pearl nothing happened to your mommy,she’s fine.” She lied but Pearl knew,Six year old hears everything,
“I want to meet my mommy,tell my daddy to bring her home,I want my mommy.” The little girl began to cry,all of a sudden she ran outside and went to her room,shutting the door behind her.
“Hello Deville.” Cheryl called him again,
“What happened?”
“Its Pearl,she overhead everything and has been crying in her room.” Deville gasped,
“Cheryl,I think I ……”
“Deville, we’ll handle the kids,just try get information on her first.” Cheryl interrupted him,Deville couldn’t bear it any longer,so he cried it out,
“Shhhhh,Deville, she’s gonna be alright,you put yourself together,you’ve gat to be strong for Anne,Pearl and the baby.” She advised him almost crying herself too.