Crimson Core: Awakened Desire

Chapter 3: She Was Last Seen...

My fingers flew across the keyboard; each tap a desperate attempt to keep up with the flood of responsibilities that had come with my recent promotion. It felt like I was shackled to my work, every task pulling at the edges of what little freedom I had left. But no matter how chaotic things got, Iris had always been my anchor, guiding me through the storm.

But ever since that night at the club, Iris had been distant, brushing off every invitation to hang out. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, especially after the recent text she sent—a flimsy excuse about waiting for a cable repair that never seemed to happen.

"Sorry, Gabi. I can't make it tonight. The cable guy might come between 5 p.m. and... next year? Ugh."

It didn't sound like the Iris I knew.

I glanced at the clock: 11:47 a.m. My virtual call had abruptly ended, a glitch or maybe just luck. Suddenly, I had free time, a rare gift in my new schedule. I decided to surprise Iris with lunch, hoping to melt away the strange distance that had grown between us.

Stepping out into the cool breeze of Seattle's early fall, I let the city's rhythm guide my steps. The skyline loomed overhead, its towering structures casting long shadows that stretched across the streets. I walked the mile to Iris's office, anticipation building with each step.

When I arrived at the consulting firm where Iris worked, I bypassed reception and headed straight for her office. But when I got there, the sight that greeted me was unsettling—her office was empty as if it had been cleared out recently. A pang of concern shot through me, but I quickly brushed it off, assuming she must have moved to a bigger office.

I spotted Iris's aide, Jessica, and approached her.

"Hey Jess, where's Iris's new office? I thought I'd surprise her with lunch."

Jessica looked at me, confused. 

"Oh, Iris isn't here," she replied.

A sense of urgency gripped me as I leaned in closer. 

"When will she be back?"

Jessica hesitated, her expression guarded. 

"Iris no longer works here. She resigned last Monday after not showing up for work."

The ground seemed to shift beneath me. The idea of Iris leaving her job without telling me was unthinkable. My mind raced, trying to catch up with this new reality.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Jessica sighed. 

"I don't know. She never came back to pick up her things. I packed them and left them at her place." 

She handed me a set of keys. 

"These are her apartment keys. I suppose you should have them now."

I took the keys, the cold metal pressing into my palm, and left the office without another word. My footsteps echoed down the hallway as I hurried out of the building, my heart pounding with the fear that something terrible had happened.

Iris would never leave her job; she loved it. And if she had something better lined up, she would have taken Jessica with her. Jessica had been her assistant for years.

By the time I reached my car, my thoughts were spiraling out of control. The skyscrapers of downtown Seattle faded into the distance as I crossed the bridge to Bellevue, each mile a sharp reminder of how I'd left Iris alone that night. 

The cool wind whispered through the cracked window, carrying the scent of saltwater and rain as I neared her apartment.

When I pulled up to her building, I found a parking spot across the street, my eyes scanning the luxury vehicles lining the curb. Her car was not among them. I reasoned that it must have been left in the garage to avoid the rain, but I needed the fob to get into the garage. The building loomed overhead, a shiver of unease rippling through me as I approached the front doors.

Inside, the lobby was a study in luxury, marble floors gleaming under designer lighting. I moved past the front desk, thankful that Jim, the security guard, was preoccupied with a delivery man. I slipped into the elevator unnoticed, punching in the code to Iris's floor with trembling fingers.

The elevator ride felt slower than usual as if something didn't want me to arrive. When the doors finally opened, I stepped out onto the 39th floor, hoping to find Iris lounging on her couch, binge-watching TV.

But when I reached her door, I saw a white sticker—a note from the mail carrier about an undeliverable package. 

My heart sank as I unlocked the door and stepped into the stillness of her apartment. The quiet clung to me, heavy and foreboding.

"Iris?" I called out, my voice tentative, but only silence answered.

I looked around and saw a box in the living room filled with office supplies. Jessica's words echoed in my mind—Iris never came back to get her things.

My worry had turned into a silent panic as I approached Iris's bedroom. When I opened the door, it felt like stepping into a moment frozen in time—dresses were sprawled across the bed, heels neatly lined up beside them. What had been a scene of excitement now felt eerie and wrong.

The bathroom was no different—makeup palettes and brushes scattered on the counter, hair tools abandoned as if she had just stepped away. A cold dread twisted in my gut, forcing me to face the grim possibility that Iris had not returned home since the night we went out.

I quickly pulled out my phone and called her, but it went straight to voicemail, deepening the pit of fear in my stomach. I leaned against the doorframe, feeling my world unravel. 

Had someone been pretending to be Iris all this time?

My fingers flew across the screen, drafting a message demanding answers from whoever was on the other end. But something stopped me—intuition, maybe. Instead, I typed out a different message, a ruse to draw out the truth.

"Hey, I got off work early and thought we could grab lunch. I'll drive by your work and pick you up."

The typing bubbles appeared almost instantly. 

"I can't. I'm super swamped with work; you know how it is. Maybe another time." 

The reply sent a chill through me.

Desperate to cling to any explanation other than the terrifying one forming in my mind, I wondered if Iris had gone out of town on a spontaneous trip. I hurried into her walk-in closet, where the scent of her perfume from that night out still lingered in the air. I scanned the neatly hung clothes and perfectly arranged shoes—everything was in place, untouched since our last night out.

With every step through the apartment, my anxiety grew, crashing against me as I searched for any sign that Iris had been back. But the silence was suffocating, the stillness unsettling, as if the apartment itself was holding its breath.

Overwhelmed by the crashing reality, I left the apartment and headed to the garage, my heart pounding with the fear that something terrible had happened. The elevator ride down was suffocating, the walls closing in on me as I tried to think of anything I might have missed.

When I reached Iris's parking spot, I saw her car covered in dust. 

Now I knew, there was no more denying it to myself. She hadn't been back since that night. 

My pulse quickened as I bolted up the stairwell, seeking the open air. By the time I reached the lobby, my heart was racing, and my breathing ragged.

Jim's voice broke through my panic as he greeted me. 

"Hi, Ms. Gabriella. Where have you and Ms. Iris been hiding?"

I forced a smile, trying to steady my voice. 

"Jim, when was the last time you saw Iris?"

His smile faded as he thought for a moment. 

"Must've been that night when you two were all dolled up."

"Are you sure that was the last time?" I pressed, my eyes locking onto his.

Realization dawned on his face as the seriousness of the situation sank in. He nodded, his voice dropping to a whisper. 

"Yes, that was the last time."