Skyline

Chapter 26: It doesn't make sense

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Colleen's P.O.V.

My phone rang for the hundredth time this morning and I rejected the call for the hundredth time. If it weren't for my dad's rule not to turn off my phone because he panics when I don't pick up and thinks the worst, my phone would have been dead by now.

I've been ignoring Alexei's every attempt to meet me or try to talk to me for the past few days. I don't want to see him. It will only bring back the memory and the hurt I tried so hard to bury. I know that I should let him explain. It could only be a misunderstanding. Heck, even Arianne and Lou thinks I should listen to his explanation.

But I don't want to. Because I'm afraid of what he'll say. I don't want to see his face. I don't want to hear his voice because I know that as soon as I hear him or caught sight of his stupid dark blue eyes I won't be able to handle it. And I don't want to get hurt again. I don't even want to feel.

Right now, I'm on my way to my dad's office to take care of paperwork for the Wish Foundation. It's the best distraction there ever was because Alexei that douchebag has ruined watching shoujo anime for me! Okay, keep it cool. Breathe in, breathe out.

Giovanni dropped me at the entrance of the company's office where I was greeted by every employee there is in the office. I took the elevator to the 27th floor where my dad's office is. I was greeted by him shouting on his phone, glaring at the windows outside. Uh-oh, he's in grumpy CEO mode.

"I don't care if you fire that many employees! Talk to the PR department, damn it! How could this even happen?" he shouted to the person on the other line. A few seconds passed before he replied again.

"Do your job and fix this. I want this over in 24 hours, do you hear me?" He slammed the phone shut before slumping in his chair, completely deflated.

"Bad morning?" I asked. Dad looked up at me with a tired smile and I walked towards him to give him a hug.

"The company's being dragged into a drug syndicate because some employees in the Miami branch were caught with... you know what, sweetheart? Let's not talk about this. It'll just stress me out. We really need to go on a vacation on your Christmas break. How about skiing in Switzerland? Or France? Wherever you like." He pinched the bridge of his nose and I sighed. I don't like seeing my dad so stressed that's why I don't usually visit his office.

"Dad—"

"Oh hello there, Colleen! Long-time no see," greeted my dad's assistant. Yvette was holding a mug of coffee in one hand and her thick planner on the other.

"Here's your coffee, Mr. Edwards."

"Thank you, Yvette. Please get us the necessary papers for the Wish Foundation so that Colleen could start." He instructed before turning to me. "I have a meeting in ten minutes so I'm going to leave you here, alright sweetheart?"

I nodded. He kissed me on the forehead before leaving. I buried myself with the paperwork while Yvette made sure to bring whatever I needed. I chose new advocacies to support for the next year, like heart institutes and the LGBT community. When I was finally done, I told Yvette to tell my dad I went home and then bid her goodbye.

I was waiting for Giovanni outside the lobby when the worse came to worst and I saw Bianca walking towards me with a determined look on her face. My eyes widened and I was ready to go back inside when I felt a painful sting in my neck. I touched the area and plucked something. I felt my knees wobble as I saw a small dart on the palm of my hand. All I remembered was the hazy panicky look on Bianca's face before everything went black.