Page 17 of Jade: Chance Are

“Several hours. I’m sure she won’t come back in tonight,” she answers casually like it’s normal for Jade to be gone, not realizing it’s a fucking trigger for me.

“Call her driver up here now! And do not leave otherwise you’re fired as well.” She’s surprised but I’m not joking. I go to Ken’s office.

“Ken, do you know where my wife is?”

“No, I saw her earlier in the day, and come to think of it, I saw her getting on the elevator and that was the last time I saw her, and she hasn’t returned all day.”

“How come no one notice she’s not here all day?” I say as we head back to her office and get there just as the driver is stepping in.

“Where is Ms Diaz?” I ask the driver and turned to Lucy. “Keep calling and texting her. I want answers now. If you don’t find her, consider yourself fired” I confirmed to her and turned to the driver, whose sweaty and wrinkled forehead reveals that he knows he fucked up.

“I haven’t seen her all day. I have been waiting outside for her,” his trembled lips say.

“Well, she’s not here and you are supposed to know her whereabouts. So, you might as well pack and leave.” I turn back to Lucy, who still doesn’t have an answer for me.

I then walk out, and I hear Lucy telling the driver, “You can leave for the day.”

He doesn’t have a job tomorrow if I don’t find Jade. They have no idea her disappearance is a trigger for me.

“Ken, did she have her laptop with her when you saw her getting on the elevator?”

“Not sure but it’s possible.” I picked up my phone and told my driver to go to her house and see if she was home. I won’t let Lucy leave; she needs to keep calling her. My mind is unsettled. It didn’t seem like she was going to disappear from me again so soon. I made my two calls to find out if she left the country, and they informed me she was still in the country. Where then could she be?

My driver called back after about thirty minutes to tell me she wasn’t home. I sent another guy to Keiko Beach to look for her; I know she likes going to the beach. They return to tell me she is not at the beach.

Ken and Lucy are the only ones left and still no known whereabouts of Jade. I ordered the food and asked my driver to pick it up. Rilwan tells me the building camera shows her getting into a taxi, but they lost visual of the taxi once it went over the bridge crossing the mainland to the islands. Lucy calls her children's Nanny asking if she has spoken with Jade. The lady also says no. Now I’m worried.

While we wait and watch the clock at half past ten Lucy’s phone rings. “It’s Mariam,” she announces.

Finally, I let out a breath of relief, knowing she is safe. Of course, I didn’t express anything but anger when we spoke. I return a sad chuckle when she tells me she was with her boy toy. Nice try Jade. I ask one of my men to give Lucy a ride home. Ken and I rode the elevator down.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“Now, I am. I thought something happened to her. This behavior is unusual for her.” He nods. I ran my hand through my disheveled hair, letting out a sigh.

“Glad she’s fine,” he says as we exit. Radek and Rilwan drove me to her place.

When we arrived, I realized I didn’t have keys to her place. Rilwan finds the building caretaker and I explain why I need to get inside Jade’s quarters. He opens the door and I set up the food in the kitchen. I also tell Rilwan and Radek to park out of sight. While in the kitchen I hear Jade come in.

I can tell she’s talking to Knox, the soon-to-be ex-fiancé. I listen quietly as she explains why she had to leave. I hear her stomach growl loudly and the kitchen utensils drop.

She walks into the kitchen; she’s startled to see me. But fear at me in her unit, though quickly masked certifies something isn’t right. She’s hiding something from me, and I intend to play this game of hers while I find out what she’s hiding

fourteen

Jade

“I brought you dinner because we had a date,” he casually states like it’s our norm.

“I didn’t agree to a date, how did you get in my house?” I asked, trying not to raise my voice, though I would prefer to yell at him. Doesn’t he get that I’m avoiding him? A good thing, I haven’t emptied the boxes with pictures.

“Do you want to know the answer now or after you have eaten?” He’s unperturbed by my angry look.

“I don’t want any food from you, I can afford to buy my food, how did you get in my house Naseer,” I repeat as I move closer to stare him down. Which in hindsight is a mistake. I lack the dominance to stare Naseer down or make him flinch.

“The building caretaker has a spare key. I spoke with him and told him you are my wife and I wanted to surprise you, so he let me in.”

“Now, that’s a guy that needs to be fired not my driver. He just let you in, he didn’t question your story like how the dear Prince of Rhanaz has a wife that’s not living in the McPalace, or did he think you are above harming me?” As soon as I spoke, I knew I’d poked the lion. He crowds my space causing me to move back and my butt hit the cabinet. I know I can’t get away from him.