Once, my paranoid love

Derek’s response was brief but decisive. “OK, I’m coming,” he said, signaling the urgency of the matter. Whatever had been whispered in his ear had caught his attention, and he excused himself from the ongoing conversation.

As Derek headed toward the source of the news, an unexpected encounter awaited me. Ray, a business partner of Derek, appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and his voice rang out with a friendly greeting.

“Hello, Mr. Houston.” Ray greeted me with a smile.

Returning the pleasantries, I replied, “Hello, Mr. Ray.”

It was a cordial exchange, but it didn’t take long for the conversation to veer into unexpected territory.

Ray’s statement hinted at the complexities surrounding Derek’s life.

“At long last, you get married,” he remarked, acknowledging the significance of the occasion. However, his tone shifted as he delved into more enigmatic territory.

“But I heard you seized D’Souza’s property.”

Derek chose not to dwell on business matters during the festivities. “Let’s not talk about business, Mr. Ray,” Derek suggested, aiming to keep the mood light. “Just have fun tonight.”

The exchange with Ray had touched upon an enigmatic undercurrent of my life-the mix of business and personal enigmas that had brought me to this point.

**

Anne entered the grand mansion through the front door, her eyes widening as she took in the opulence of the surroundings. It was a lavish party, one that seemed to be on a grand scale. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement, and the enigmatic air was filled with the sounds of laughter and conversation.

As Anne surveyed the scene, a thought crossed her mind, and she rolled her eyes in disdain. “Is this a wedding reception?” she mumbled to herself, her tone dripping with sarcasm. The grandeur of the event seemed excessive.

Anne cursed her under her breath, her jealousy evident in her enigmatic mutterings. “What does that witch think she did to make him throw a party?” Anne muttered enigmatically, her lips curled in a sneer.

A hint of self-doubt crept into Anne’s enigmatic thoughts as she continued to observe the party. “Oh, my goodness!” she thought, her jealousy intensifying. “This chick is quite lucky.”

Anne couldn’t help but question her own actions. “Did I make a blunder?” she wondered, her mind racing. Her jealousy of Elena had driven her to lengths, and now she found herself questioning whether her choices had been the right ones.

Her eyes scanned the room, searching for signs of Elena and Derek. “Where are that slut and Mr. Houston, though?” Anne muttered enigmatically, her frustration growing.

Amid the grandeur of the party, an unexpected revelation caught Derek’s attention.

“Boss, there she is,” Obin said quietly, his eyes fixed on a distant figure through the window. His voice barely rose above a whisper, for they knew that their target, Elena’s stepmother, was not to be underestimated.

Derek shifted his gaze from the dossier he’d been studying, his piercing eyes narrowing in focus. He knew that this mission was not just about uncovering the truth but also about protecting his family. “Where is my father-in-law?” he asked, his voice low and urgent.

Obin’s brows furrowed as he relayed the information he had gathered. “He is in Istanbul,” he replied, his voice laced with concern. “But I haven’t contacted him yet.”

Derek’s jaw clenched, frustration and worry etching lines on his face. “Did you call him?” he demanded, his impatience barely contained.

“No boss. Mrs. D’Souza wa-” Obin began to explain, but Derek cut him off with a stern interruption, his voice laced with disappointment. “Why didn’t you call him, Obin?”

“How could you possibly have made such a blunder?” Derek’s voice was sharp, his frustration evident. “Elena’s stepmother is a skilled liar. We can’t afford any mistakes.”

Obin’s expression bore the weight of his mistake, and he lowered his head in remorse. “I apologize, boss,” he replied, his voice filled with regret as he felt Derek’s withering glare upon him. He knew he had let his guard down, and the consequences could be severe.

Derek took a deep breath, his mind racing as he considered their next move. In this high-stakes game of espionage and deceit, there was no room for errors.

**

Paul’s head pounded like a jackhammer against his temples as he slowly roused from a restless slumber. He sat up on the disheveled bed, his fingers gingerly massaging his throbbing temples, and groaned, “Umm.”

The room was bathed in a soft, dim light filtering through the curtains, revealing the remnants of a night spent in a haze of alcohol.

“Damn my head!” he cursed, his voice a hoarse whisper. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks he had drunk a lot, far more than he should have, and now he could feel the punishing consequences in every pulsating throb within his skull.

With a deep, shaky breath, he closed his eyes, trying to will the pain away, but it persisted, a relentless reminder of his self-destructive choices.

Amidst the agony, thoughts of Elena began to invade his consciousness. He couldn’t escape the torment of not knowing where she was, and it gnawed at him like a persistent itch.

“It’s been three days, Elena,” he murmured, his voice barely audible in the hazy room. “Now return to your house. I swear I won’t hurt you.”

Paul’s plea hung in the air, laden with desperation and concern. He knew he had made mistakes and allowed himself to be consumed by his inner demons, and now he feared the consequences might extend to the woman he cared deeply for.

As he tried to gather his thoughts and piece together the events of the past few days, he realized that finding Elena was his top priority.

With a grim determination, Paul slowly rose from the bed, wincing at the continued throbbing in his head.