Chapter 5)
(The Snow Times; News Flash of the Morning.
Head news anchor of the paramount news network in the country, Dalia Barrows, adjusted her round glasses and stared straight at the viewers as she began to read again.
“And now, the breaking news of today. CEO of Diamond Empire and also one of the wealthiest men in the world, Williams Herringbone, has at this time been declared missing. His custom made Tesla car was found in the early hours of the morning, parked haphazardly on Avenue bridge in the heart of Frostone. There are no signs of struggle or crash. It was found by college athlete, Fred Lindon during his usual morning jog around the blocks, and he immediately called the city police to take care of the situation. Friends and family members have been contacted, his office called up, but no one has seen or heard from him since 8 p.m. last night.”
A brief pause here.
“ Williams Herringbone is an extremely private person, and very little is known about his life outside the world of business and money.
A beloved philanthropist and a foremost figure of the European country, He has donated billions of pounds to both domestic and foreign needs, created various profitable business firms and industries that has taken the country to greater heights abroad, and more.
He is the third of five siblings of the prominent Herringbone family, a household spoken of with the same awe and reverence as that of the royal family. His fiancé, socialite and activist, Alicia McAllister, is distraught about his disappearance, and is calling on the general public to help her find her heart-throb. His mother, Elizabeth Herringbone, has been off the social circle for over a decade. All attempts to contact her has proved futile.
We at the Snow times have our best investigators on the case, and are working hand in hand with the police to get to locate his whereabouts. We will make sure to update you our viewers with every bit of information that comes in.”
She smiled glumly.
“I remain Dalia Barrows, and that’s it for the news at 8. Thank you.”
She pulled off her microphone and stood up, the cameramen and stage guide already rushing off to their other duties.
Dalia got a few nods and calls of approval as she walked out of the newsroom, but was barely out of the door when her Personal Assistant came running over.
“You’re not supposed to run in this building, Megan. Boss’s orders.”
“You’ll…you’ll be sent…sent flying by the time you…you hear what I know.” Megan panted, taking in deep puffs of air.
Dalia’s curiosity went off the roof. She took Megan’s hand and pulled her into the women’s room down the hall.
“Check the stalls.” said Megan, resting herself on the pouf in front of the mirror cabinet.
Dalia gave her a pointed look but complied anyway. There was no one else in the room. She hurried back and bolted the door before facing Megan.
“Out with it now. The suspense must be hurting your lips already.”
Her assistant didn’t smile at the joke.
“I was able to speak to some buddies of mine who hang out around the bridge axis.” She paused. “One works at the Carmolette.”
“Go on.” Dalia prompted, her skin tingling in anticipation. This was definitely something huge.
“Apparently, Williams was there last night, the last place anyone saw him till now. He sent off his bodyguards and went in alone. That was around seven. Forty minutes later he left to go to the bathroom, and never returned. He simply disappeared.”
Dalia frowned. “Maybe your friend didn’t see him leave.”
“Mindy is not my friend. We just live in the same building, and no, Williams never left. Her eyes were on him the entire time he was in the restaurant and she practically waited for him to get out from the restroom.”
“Why?”
“Have you seen the man? I don’t mean in pictures or on TV. The real, breathing form of him. He is a walking attraction. Extremely Hot, rich, intelligently smart and brooding.”
Dalia nodded, not at all concerned with that. “Is that all?”
“Not even close.” Said Megan. “A body was found in the restaurant’s alley this morning.”
“A body?”
“A dead body. The police have said nothing about who the person is, but with Williams missing …” Megan trailed off, looking at her to fill up the space.
Excitement bubbled up in Dalia’s stomach as she put the pieces of the mystery together. “ Have you told anyone else this?”
“No, just you.”
“Let’s keep it that way until we find out all the details.” Dalia knew just the right person for the job.
††††††††††
(The Snow Times; News flash of the afternoon.
Dalia Barrows was back in front of the camera. But different from the last time, now there was a strained air to the smile on her face.
“The entire country of Snowville has been in a buzz since morning when CEO of Diamond Empire, Williams Herringbone was declared missing. As at this time his whereabouts is still a mystery as the police, who have been on high alert, have been unable to find him.
He was seen last night, at eight to be precise, walking into five star bar and restaurant, The Carmolette, but seemed to disappear into thin air from there. Sources from the bar have confirmed that he had ordered just a glass of water, and so that rules out drunk driving or food poisoning. He also left a hefty tip at his table before leaving.
His car, the one discovered on Avenue bridge, has been searched by the FCP forensic unit for DNA elements. We are still waiting on whatever clue possible to come in from the labs at the police headquarters.”
She paused and glanced to the left, her lips pinched in thought. She hesitated for about a minute before scrolling across the screen on her board.
“The following news reel may be found uncomfortable by certain viewers, so we advise some level of discretion.”
A deep intake of breath here.
“The custom made Tesla belonging to the billionaire was not the only puzzling discovery made by the Frostone city police this morning.
A lifeless body was at the early hours of the morning found in the back alley of the Carmolette. The police have not been generous with the details, but we at Snow News were persistent enough to get some information on who the person is.
The victim is Vaughn Del Aviv, the younger brother to Lucius Del Aviv, owner of XY corp. Lucius has over the years been associated with crimes involving drug trafficking, murder, mobster gangs, fraud, violence and dangerous dealings across Europe. The FBI and CIA have yet been able to tie him down with any of the many charges, hence his freedom to do his business as he sees fit.
The victim having such close ties with someone of Lucius’s caliber has brought up concerns in the police department, as Lucius is fabled for his coldness and cruelty to his enemies. His brother dying in such a violent and questionable way would surely draw his devilish attention to our fine city. The pressure can never be any higher on the backs of those tasked with finding out how such tragedy happened and why.
Nothing is yet to be known about how the victim died, but sources close to the police have pointed to Homicide as a possible explanation.”
She paused again.
“I am Dalia Barrows, bringing you the news at noon, and saying thank you to our viewers worldwide. Stay tuned for more information that will be coming your way as the day progresses.”
††††††††
Lucius’s face was emotionless as he gazed down at the lifeless body of his brother. His only brother. This was their first encounter in three years.
Funny enough, he felt no ache in his chest, no longing or regret. Not even guilt. There were no tears misting his eyes. Lucius wasn’t sad.
He was simply angry. A fury so hot and bubbling rushed through his veins as his eyes found the slit across Vaughn’s thick neck.
Someone had murdered his brother. Someone had dared to do that to him. Whoever that person was had been brave enough to attack his family. If such news got out Lucius’s street cred of destruction was as good as gone.
“Have you cleaned the body?” His voice was calm and as chilly as a winter morning.
Though his words were quiet, they seemed to echo against the marble walls of the room. And what a strange room it was. No furniture of any kind stood anywhere. A single chandelier hung down from the ceiling and vast paintings covered the walls. Gold trinkets adorned every other free space. Items of rare rubies, pearls and diamonds from all over the world.
At the centre of the room was some sort of altar. There was nothing special about it. It was just a cuboid slab of white stone. Upon it was the body bag and its content.
The man in the lab coat kneeling beside it was shaking even as he answered.
“Yes, I have. I was about to put it in the freezer when your boys…when you invited me to bring him here.”
Lucius said nothing. Where Vaughn was big and burly and loud, Lucius was subtle and slick as a snake. Quiet but deadly.
He was slender and toned in the black double-breasted coat he had on. With his curly brown hair, thick brows and sharp chin, he had a certain attractive feel to his face. His palms were hidden in the coat’s side pockets.
“You can go.” He whispered.
The doctor looked up in unbelief. “What?...I can…I can go, sir?”
No reply.
“Thank you, sir. Thank you.” He crawled along the floor a few paces, just to put some space between himself and the cold man, before scrambling to his feet and sprinting towards the door.
The doctor was barely gone a minute before a loud gun shot, and a follow up scream of pain was heard. He had been lucky enough to make it out of the room alive.
“Chester.” called Henry, his gaze still on the altar.
“Yes, boss.”
The man known simply as Chester came into the light for the first time. His features were mostly still hidden thanks to the skull mask he had over his face and the black suite he had on. Even so, his looming height and muscular frame was frightening.
“Go to Frostone and bring the person who killed my brother here.”
“Alive or dead, boss?”
“Alive.” Lucius’s face was still blank, but a fire burned behind his hazel eyes. “I’ll take care of him or her myself.” He turned around and started out, his movement measured and light.
“Ok, boss.” And the figure melted back into the shadows.
Chester had never failed his master before, so the task was as good as completed. By midnight tonight, whoever dared to kill Vaughn Del Aviv would wish he or she had never been born. Lucius would make sure of that.
He was handsome.The stranger, none other than Williams Herringbone. The young business magnate known for his enormous wealth and extreme good looks. She had not had the chance to look at him properly before, what with all the excitement of last night.But now, with him just lying there breathing peacefully, Celine could take him in well. And she couldn’t take off her eyes, or stop the tingling sensation in her chest. He looked of a different breed from the men that revolved around her nowadays.She had seen him on social media news rooms and on bulletin boards. But never so up close and personal. Never within touching distance. And Celine had touched him a lot already. Her palms itched to run down his velvety forearm again. He was simply the most beautifully handsome man she’d ever come across.Though his jet black hair was a little ruffled at the moment, his equally dark lashes framed a chiselled face. A smooth, hairless, TV worthy face with high cheekbones and full lips that begged
“It could be worse.”Williams resisted the urge to sigh in frustration and looked up at her. Actually, well across the sitting room at her.Celine may look like Natasha, she may sound a little like Natasha, but she was different from Natasha in every other way. Like two sides of the same coin.Williams was relieved about this. Celine, despite her face, didn’t bring up memories of Natasha anymore. Not as she had on the street car. Not like when he had woken up this morning. For one moment there he thought he had died and gone to…wherever the other side was called. He thought he was going to be with Natasha again even though it was in the world of the dead. But no. It turned out to be just her talkative, annoying lookalike.They’d been in here for two hours since he woke up to the shock of his life. And Celine had not sat down since then. Or shut up. She had been talking nonstop for hours. To herself, to him, to the house.She saw him looking and went on as if that was encouragement en
The ache in Celine’s stomach felt like a drill was at work in there. She was aware of the reason behind that. Pure dread. Fear.The metal spoons slipped from her sweaty palms and clattered on the table. She sat up straight, and hoped beyond anything that the panic she was feeling was absent from her face.“what are you talking about?”The question sounded wrong even to her own ears. Williams’ face, that strikingly handsome face, was as calm as ever. As if he had just told her about the weather, and not about the beginning of the end of her life.He speared a piece of chicken with his fork and with as much casualness, drew it into his mouth. He even thought it best to take another sip from his mug before fixing those golden eyes on her as he spoke.“Celine Winston didn’t exist until a year ago.” His face hardened. “Who are you?”A mighty blow struck her chest. It was over. He knew everything. Every terrible thing from her life before.He was the wealthiest man in the world. He had all
Celine Winston, not for the first time in the last twenty four hours, was going completely hysterical..“Ok, I was there. I was actually the main victim in all that happened last night. We just need to go to the police and tell them. I remember everything.” Her movement was feverish as she paced about the room. “Vaughn and his bloody buster of a friend ambushed me in the alley. He pulled out a gun and threatened me with it. You showed up out of the shadows to defend me, which I’m grateful for. You went into Jackie Chan mode. Moving with a speed that betrayed every law of physics I still remember from high school, you collected the gun from Vaughn and superkicked him into next year. His friend came at you screaming murder but you knocked him out with strategic strikes all over his body. They were fine, but unconscious. I made sure of that before you drove us away in your Tesla that costs as much as some third world countries. Then you decided to pass out on the wheel and I had to bring
Williams Herringbone had never been so confused in his entire life. No, never had he been both irked and excited by anyone to this extent. This strange woman was doing exactly that. Celine, the Natasha lookalike of all people. He had kissed her. He had moved towards her as if being controlled by an invisible force and given in to that primal urge to know what her full red lips felt like…what her sharp tongue tasted like. He wanted to kiss her again. Dear God, he wanted to kiss every inch of her pale skin. Suck on her delicate neck and run his fingers down the center of her chest. Sitting beside her on the bed in such a secluded room had sent the wrong message to his groin, making him go hard. That was why he had fled the room the moment he made the call. But why? Why did she make him feel this way? He knew nothing about who she truly was. He didn’t even know she existed until yesterday morning. What could be making him loose control in front of her? She simply looked like his first
Celine felt helpless. Not for the first time in her life, she hated the turn her fate was taking but had no way to change or control it. It was five years ago happening all over again. Five years ago, she had had to flee and hide herself for a crime she never committed because everyone kept pointing the accusing finger at her without a thought about her own wellbeing.They…those she called friends and family had wanted nothing to do with her and abandoned her when she needed then most. Granted, she had made some mistakes and terrible choices. But she was also human. Humans deserved some compassion no matter the situation because they were fickle creatures. No one had ever thought twice before hurting her with their words and actions. From her mother, to her brother and down to her best friends.Now here she was, in a strange man’s tinted glassed range rover, driving away from Frostone City, the place she had called home for the past five years. She was tucked into the back seat, hidde
Celine had lived a wealthy and privileged life before things went bad after the accident. She had worn the best clothes, gone to the most expensive schools and visited exquisite resorts for holidays. Yes, she came from a wealthy background. But compared to the Herringbones, she might as well had been nothing.That was the cause of her anxiety. What would they think of her? Williams had not had time to inform them about her arrival at the house, so she didn’t know what kind of reception she was going to receive. The Herringbones were in for a surprise, that was for sure.Sticking close to Williams, she had to keep her lips tight together to prevent herself from gawking at the things she saw. From the golden statues flanking the sides of the vast hallway to the priceless paintings on the wall. Old money, she had to remind herself. Williams grandfather had been one of the pioneers of the country and had founded the Diamond Empire that his grandson inherited. Nothing was beyond the reach
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Williams? You’ve been all over the news since last night and you only just show up now? That’s not good press for the company.” Ferdinand thundered the moment Williams took a seat at the table.It was a small oak table that could sit five, and presently all the seats were taken. Champagne flutes were already filled with rich wine, meaning that the meeting had already been going on for a while.Williams took this all in quietly, his eyes passing from one face to another. None of them looked particularly happy to see him.“I’m talking to you, young man. You can’t just disappear like that and show up without an explanation. That is incompetent behavior the company would not—”“It is my company.” Williams stated.Ferdinand gave him a look of unbelief. “What did you say?”“The company belongs to me, father. I of all people know the worth of the Diamond Empire and will never do anything to jeopardize it.”Ferdinand let out a breath and glanced to the person