Aster

CHAPTER 3: It's moving day

Rose shivered as the heating in the car slowly adjusted her body temperature.

"Aww so cute.. you've got goosebumps" Justine gushed.

Rose sighed and mentally facepalmed as she rolled her eyes.

"How many hours drive is it again?" Rose asked as she massaged her temples. She could feel a headache building.

Justine was now on her iPad swiping at emails and documents with her Apple Pen. 

Justine paused, the tip of her pen in place.

"Uh...4 hours I think" Justine replied as she turned to face Rose.

"Oh...okay...I'll try to get some work done" Rose said as she moved to grab her laptop

"Uh...I don't think so" Justine said as she placed her iPad on her lap.

"You better get some sleep. You've been through lots with no rest." Justine finished as she fished a blanket from the back seat. Justine draped Rose with the blanket and then adjusted her seat. Rose yelped as her chair suddenly reclined into a makeshift sofa bed. 

"Jeez Juzzy" Rose exclaimed and Justine chuckled. 

"Go to bed" Justine said as she picked her iPad back up and got to work.

Rose shifted in her position. She thought about how it'd be hard for her to sleep in the car but she soon found her eyes closing. 

Twenty minutes later all that could be heard in the moving vehicle was Rose's soft snores and the soft taps of Justine's pen.

~

"Any updates?" Lucas asked flatly.

The man on the other end of the line sighed over the receiver. 

"Sir....we've got nothing. We had leads yesterday when she had left the house. She was last seen leaving Jasmine Court, one of the hotels under Ceria Corporation. After this, she just seemed to vanish into thin air." the man replied.

Lucas slammed his hand on the table. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"And you're sure nothing had been passed around about me? No sudden rumours, tapes, alleged ch- paternity claims?" Lucas asked.

"No sir" The man answered over the phone with a bit of sarcasm to his tone.

Lucas sighed. 

"Alright...that's okay. Thank you James" Lucas said before cutting the call.

Lucas placed his phone onto the desk and then walked around to settle into the sofa. 

He picked up a cigarette from the tray in front of him and lit it. Tipping his head back he let out smoke rings. 

"Rose Luceria" Lucas said as the last ring dissipated above him.

Lucas did not know why he had suddenly become interested in talking to Rose. Maybe it was to ensure that she wouldn't circle back to cling unto him begging for him to take responsibility for taking her innocence. Maybe it was to make sure she didn't get knocked up by another man and then claim it was his. Maybe it was just to satisfy his guilty conscience which constantly gnawed at him for taking her in such a nonchalant and ungentlemanly way. Either way, Lucas was determined to get a clean goodbye with the woman. He did not care about her. All he cared about was making sure Nathan got nothing from this situation. 

Lucas put his cigar to his mouth again. He inhaled and then exhaled, the smoke from his mouth coming out in little puffs. 

He got up from the sofa and then made his way back to his desk. Pressing the little red button, static came through to signal he was being heard.