N0 B0DY, N0 CRIM3 | Bang Chan

Deja vu

The next few days at the white house fell into a semi-normalcy and Kiera hated it. She woke up and attended appointments with her psychiatrist. Sessions were supposed to be an hour long, but her case was different. She was forced to sit in her living room and talk to the psychiatrist for three hours. 

She was asked if she wanted her father to attend the sessions with her. Thankfully, she had a choice as to whether her father was in attendance or not. When she declined, the psychiatrist didn't push her. The two of them talked, but never about what the psychiatrist was digging for. 

Dr. Leighton could use her perfectly manicured nails and try to dig around for the truth, but she'd never find it. Kiera would never tell her what actually went down. Surely, every report was being sent back to her father and potentially the cops. Doctor and patient confidentiality meant nothing when your father made you seem weak and incompetent. 

When the sessions were over, she went back to her room and worked on her college courses for a few hours. The cops took her laptop months ago for evidence, but when they couldn't find anything about her disappearance, they gave it back to her father. It had been waiting for her ever since. 

Her college temporarily halted her courses while she was away. Her father called on her behalf and explained the situation. When she returned to them, she received an email from the dean. Instead of graduating in the summer, there was a high possibility she wouldn't be graduating until the winter. 

Kiera didn't care about that. It was hard to concentrate on her coursework. Her mind often went to Felix, Han, and Hyunjin. She wasn't sure how to ask about them. If she asked the wrong thing, it'd set off her father. He might realize she was working with them. 

She managed to text Chan once on the burner phone. She told him she was safe and working on a way to find the guys. To her disappointment, he responded with a simple 'okay.' He didn't mention that he missed her or that he loved her. It was killing her. 

She knew why, deep down. If her burner phone was found, someone would find the texts. If her relationship with Chan got exposed, her father might spontaneously combust, but not before she faced his wrath. 

She slammed her laptop shut, shoved herself up, and headed out to the kitchen. Thankfully, her father was quite busy with a lot of business meetings. To her relief, she never saw her father much anymore. However, that didn't mean she was completely free. 

Three secret service members roamed their quarters keeping an eye on her. The possibility of Kiera Campbell running away again wasn't high, but it was still possible. They left her alone in her room and let her have her privacy. Walking out of her room was another story. There was usually one of them that kept a distant eye on her. 

She yanked the fridge door open and glanced over at the clock. No wonder why she was so hungry, it was after one in the afternoon. Someone kept the fridge filled with fruits and vegetables. A drawer was filled with a variety of different fresh meats. 

Her eyes darted around the colorful selection of food. Eventually, they stopped on a bag of pre-sliced cheddar cheese. She grabbed it, shut the fridge, and placed it on the counter top. While she gathered the rest of the ingredients for her lunch, footsteps approached her. 

She turned around after placing a skillet on the stove. One of the secret service agents held a small plastic cup towards her. "It's time for your pills, Miss Campbell." 

Kiera pushed her lips into an over-sized smile and thanked the man. She placed the cup on the counter and went back to making her food. The psychiatrist prescribed her a few different pills, supposedly. Kiera didn't believe it for a second. 

The psychiatrist never mentioned medication in their sessions. Kiera wasn't stupid, she knew her father had his heart set on some stupid plan. She wasn't going to fall along blindly this time. The secret service member watched her for a few extra seconds until a voice from the next room caught his attention. Another member was calling for him. 

He disappeared and the moment he was out of sight, Kiera hurried over to the trash can. Checking to make sure the coast was clear, she let the pills slip into the black bag. Quickly, she adjusted the trash, so nobody would see them. When finished, she sat the plastic cup on top of the trash pile. 

"Does your father know you're not taking your meds?" 

Philip's voice caused her to jump.  She swung around to find Philip standing and observing her. Her heart pounded in her chest. His blue eyes never left hers. 

"I-I um" 

"I don't blame you, if you're not. I wouldn't want to be put on medication either." He walked around her, opened the fridge, and grabbed himself a pitcher of water. 

Kiera weakly nodded her head and swallowed. He must have walked in while she was digging in the fridge without her knowledge. She forgot Philip was staying with her and her father. He had been here since she went missing. He stayed in a guest room across the hall from her father's bedroom. 

"Are you doing okay without it?" 

"Yeah. I took it the first day they were prescribed, but it made me feel tired." She lied smoothly. "I was so exhausted that I slept half the day. It made it difficult to focus on my college courses." 

"Are things going okay with your therapist?" 

"About as well as they could be in a situation like this." 

Philip chuckled at her response. He sipped water from his glass. Kiera was the perfect image of her mother. Every time Philip saw her, it was like getting stuck in the past. He swore he could still smell Beverly's french vanilla perfume. Guilt about her death stuck with him daily. He never should have agreed to Willie's plan of hiring a hit-man to take her out. 

Kiera worked silently building herself two grilled cheese sandwiches in the skillet. Philip stayed over by a counter and watched her. He wanted to ask her multiple questions, but he didn't want to overwhelm her. 

Everyone begged to differ now. At least, the staff members in the white house did. The sneers and cold looks melted over the past few days. Philip knew better than that. When he saw the video of Kiera claiming he placed a hit on her, he didn't believe it. 

He might have worked to help place a hit on her mother, but he'd never kill Kiera. Beverly had a soft spot for Kiera, but she never knew how to properly show it. She became too caught up in the political world. Too busy playing pretend and living out a trophy wife's dream. Kiera had no idea and she'd probably never know. 

Every nerve in Kiera's body was on high alert. She knew Philip was watching her every move. She forced herself to face the pan after she put the ingredients back away. With her eyes on the sandwiches, she impatiently waited for them to cook faster and cranked up the heat higher. 

"Kiera?" 

"Hmm?" Her fingers clutched the spatula handle tighter. She figured he wanted to ask something. Philip always liked to poke his nose around everyone's business. 

"When you're done eating, can we talk alone?" 

Dread filled Kiera's stomach, but she agreed anyway.