CHAPTER 44: MISSING AGAIN

A few days had passed since my awkward conversation with Axel about our kiss, and I was relieved to see things slowly returning to normal.

I walked into the office that morning, not expecting anything much, but instead found Helena at her desk, organising files with a bright smile on her face.

"Good morning, Helena!" I called out, surprised to see her and by her cheerful demeanour.

She looked up, her eyes sparkling in a way I hadn’t seen in weeks. "Good morning, Mrs Layla! How are you today, ma’am?"

I approached her desk, genuinely curious. "I should be asking you that. You look... different. Better than last week. How are you doing?"

Helena set down her pen and smiled warmly. "I’m doing much better, actually. Thank you so much for giving me that break, Ma. I didn’t realise how much I needed it until I had the time to step back and handle things properly."

"I’m so glad to hear that," I said, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "You seem like your old self again."

"I feel like it too," she nodded enthusiastically. "So, what can I help you with today? I’m ready to dive back into work."

"Actually, I need you to prepare a hamper for Erica. She’s being discharged from the hospital today, and I thought we could bring her something nice."

Helena’s face lit up. "Of course! What kind of hamper were you thinking of? Something comforting? Healthy snacks? Or maybe a mix of both?"

"A mix sounds perfect. Include some herbal tea, maybe some fresh fruit, and those dark chocolate cookies from that bakery downtown."

"Consider it done," Helena said, already making notes. "When do we need to have it ready?"

"In about an hour. And Helena? I’d like you to come with me as my assistant. It’ll be good for you to get out of the office."

Helena blinked in surprise. "Are you sure? I mean, I just got back to work..."

"I’m positive. Besides, Erica should be happy to see you."

An hour later, we were driving to the hospital, the beautifully arranged hamper sitting in the backseat. When we arrived at Erica’s room, she was already dressed and packing her few belongings.

"Look who’s finally getting out of this place," I said, knocking on the doorframe.

Erica turned around and grinned. "About time! I was starting to think they were going to keep me here forever."

"How are you feeling?" Helena asked, stepping forward with the hamper.

"Much better, thank you so much," Erica replied, accepting the gift gratefully. "This is so thoughtful. You didn’t have to do this."

"Of course we did," I said, crossing my arms. "Now, I want you to focus on getting better and not worry about work. The world would survive without you, so rest."

Erica rolled her eyes. "You sound like a mother hen, Layla."

"Good. Someone needs to look after you since you clearly don’t know how to do it yourself."

Helena cleared her throat politely. "I’ll wait in the car to give you two some privacy to catch up."

"Thank you, Helena," I said as she left.

Erica finished packing, and we made our way to the car.

The ride to her apartment was quiet, almost awkwardly so. I kept glancing at her, noticing how she seemed lost in thought, staring out the window.

"Hey," I said finally, breaking the silence. "I’ve been thinking. Maybe we should all go out this weekend. You, me, Helena. Take a break from work and life for a bit. What do you think?"

Erica turned to look at me. "That actually sounds nice. Where were you thinking?"

"Maybe that new restaurant downtown? Or we could go shopping? Just something fun and normal."

"Count me in," Erica nodded.

From the backseat, Helena spoke up hesitantly. "Oh, I couldn’t. I’m just your assistant, ma. You should spend time with your friend..."

"Helena, stop that right now," I said firmly, meeting her eyes in the rearview mirror. "You’re not just my assistant. You’re a human being and also important, and I want you there. No arguments."

Helena smiled softly. "If you’re sure..."

"I’m absolutely sure."

We pulled up to Erica’s apartment building, and I helped her with her bags. Before she went inside, I gently grabbed her arm.

"Erica, I want you to call me if you need anything. And I mean anything. Day or night, okay?"

She squeezed my hand. "I will. Thank you, Layla. For everything."

After dropping Erica off, Helena and I returned to the office just as the workday was ending. Most of the staff were already packing up to leave.

"Helena, you can head home. I need to speak with Axel about something," I told her.

"Are you sure? I can wait..."

"Go home and rest. You’ve done enough today."

I made my way to Axel’s office, my mind focused on telling him about Erica’s situation with the dangerous people her ex had got involved with.

As I approached his door, I could hear him speaking on the phone in a low and serious voice.

"...need to make sure the shipment arrives on schedule... no delays this time... too much riding on this..."

I paused, trying to make sense of what I was hearing, but his words were too vague to understand fully. Not wanting to eavesdrop, I deliberately knocked loudly on the door.

"Come in," Axel called out.

I waited a moment before entering, giving him time to end his call. When I walked in, he was putting his phone away.

"Everything alright?" he asked, as if nothing had happened.

"Yes, fine," I said, acting like I hadn’t heard anything. "I need to talk to you about Erica."

Axel leaned back in his chair. "What about her?"

I took a deep breath. "She’s in trouble, Axel. Real trouble. Her ex-boyfriend got involved with some very dangerous people. He took out loans in her name, and when things went bad, she had to run. That’s why she came here."

Axel’s expression grew serious, his jaw tightening. "How dangerous are we talking?"

"The kind that killed her ex-boyfriend. Or drove him to kill himself. I’m not entirely sure which. Mafia kinda dangerous, I think."

"And you’re just telling me this now?!"

"I wanted to respect her privacy, but I’m worried about her safety."

Axel stood up, pacing behind his desk. "Layla, this is exactly the kind of situation that could put you in danger, too. I don’t know them, but these people sound like they don’t care about innocent bystanders."

"It’s not her fault she chose the wrong man to trust," I said defensively, thinking about my own near-disaster with Daniel. "She couldn’t have known what he was involved in."

Axel stopped pacing and looked at me intently. "Fine. I’ll see what I can do. But first, I’m sending a guard to her apartment. She needs protection."

Relief flooded through me. "Really? You’ll help her?"

"I said I’d see what I can do."

Without thinking, I rushed around his desk and threw my arms around him in a grateful hug. "Thank you, Axel. Thank you so much."

The moment our bodies touched, the air in the room seemed to change. I could feel the tension, the awkward silence stretching between us. I quickly cleared my throat and stepped back, my cheeks burning.

"I-I should go," I stammered.

"And uhm...," Axel called back, "we need to start discussing the next steps and plans against your father."

His words reminded me sharply of our arrangement, bringing me back to reality. "Right. Of course."

This time, I didn’t bother asking for details about his plans. I had my own investigator now, and I could find out what I needed to know without relying on him.

"I’ll leave you to handle the arrangements," I said, already heading for the door.

Later that evening, I sat in my apartment, expecting Erica to call and confirm that the guard had arrived safely. But as the hours passed and my phone remained silent, worry began to creep in.

By ten o’clock, I couldn’t take it anymore. I headed to Axel’s room, not bothering to knock properly in my panic. I burst through the door, ready to demand he call the guard immediately.

But I stopped dead in my tracks. Axel was standing by his dresser, completely shirtless, apparently getting ready for bed. My words died in my throat as I took in the sight of his muscled chest and broad shoulders.

"Layla?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Everything okay?"

I blinked, trying to refocus. "I... um... Erica hasn’t called."

Axel grabbed a t-shirt and pulled it on. "What do you mean?"

"She was supposed to call when the guard arrived. It’s been hours, and I haven’t heard from her. Something’s wrong."

Axel immediately reached for his phone. "Let me contact the guard."

I watched anxiously as he dialled and waited. After a moment, someone answered.

"It’s Axel. Status report on your assignment. What do you mean you’ve been standing outside? Go in and check. Now."

My heart began to race as I watched his expression change.

"What is it?" I whispered.

Axel held up a hand, still listening to the phone. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke again.

"Are you sure? Check everywhere. I see... Stay there. We’re coming."

He hung up and turned to me, his face grim.

"What did he say?" I asked, though I was already dreading the answer.

"The guard went in to check. Erica’s not there."

"What?!"