Shadows of control { Under Editing }

14. Who's he?

The warm afternoon sun dappled through the canopy of the ancient oak, casting dancing shadows on the weathered bench where I and Ma, sat.

"I was just lost in thought,"
I murmured, sipping my tea. The warmth of the afternoon sun felt soothing on my skin as I gazed out at the garden.

"Oh?"
Ma asked, her voice gentle.
"What were you thinking about?"

I hesitated, not wanting to spoil the peaceful moment. "Just life, I guess."

"Well, life can be quite a puzzle, can't it?"
Ma chuckled.
"Speaking of life, how was your little Hawaii vacation?"

My heart skipped a beat.
"Vacation?"
I echoed, my voice filled with confusion. The image of long hours spent in stuffy conference rooms flashed through my mind.

"Yes, your vacation,"
Ma replied, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
"Ansh sent us those lovely pictures of you two, looking so happy."

I couldn't believe my ears. A vacation?

"P..pics? Ma I didn't get you."
I began, but she cut me off.

she said.
"When Ansh told us he wanted to marry you, we were skeptical. We thought he was just rebelling against his father, choosing a random girl to spite him. But then he showed us those pictures, and we realized he was truly in love."

The revelation hit me like a ton of bricks. So, that's why Ansh had insisted on the trip, and why he'd captured those seemingly.

"Can I see those pictures?"
I asked, my curiosity piqued.

Ma chuckled, pulling out her phone. She scrolled through a gallery of images, stopping at a few particular ones.
"Here they are,"
she said, handing me the device.

I gazed at the photos, a wave of surprise washing over me. I was standing by a serene lake, my eyes closed, a serene smile playing on my lips. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow on the water. In another, I was lost in thought, staring out at the ocean.

"I don't remember these,"
I confessed, my voice filled with confusion.
"I thought Ansh was working on his laptop the whole time."

Ma chuckled.
"Well, he was working, but he also managed to capture these beautiful moments. It's clear that he was smitten."

A warm feeling spread through me as I looked at the pictures again. Perhaps this trip hadn't been as bad as I remembered. Perhaps, amidst the stress and deadlines, there had been moments of genuine beauty and peace.

I stood up, ending my tea time with Ma. Now I have work to do.

I needed to find Naira. She was always so calm and collected, a beacon of reason in times of chaos. With a sigh, I started searching for her. I found her in her office, engrossed in a pile of documents.

"Naira,"
I began, my voice hesitant.
"I need your help."

She looked up, her eyebrows raised in concern.
"What kind of help?"

"Ansh has taken my phone, my laptop, everything,"
I explained.
"I need to make an important call."

Naira understood immediately. She handed me her phone without a word.

I dialed the number, my heart pounding.
"Hello, is this Mrs. Smith?"
I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"Yes I'm her secretary speaking,"
a voice replied.

"I know this is sudden, but I just wanted to check on her condition. Is she able to talk?"

There was a brief pause, followed by a soft,
"Yes, one moment."

A few seconds later, Mrs. Smith's voice filled my ears. "Hello, Sofi, my child. How are you?"

Tears welled up in my eyes.
"I'm fine, Mrs. Smith. How are you? "

"I am fine dear" Mrs Smith replied

"have those mafias stopped trying to take over the orphanage?"
I asked, my voice filled with worry.

She sighed.
"Not them who were fighting for it but someone else  has taken over, but he hasn't caused any trouble. He just...owns it now. I tried to ask him why, but he never gave me a straight answer."

Guilt washed over me.
"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Smith. I promised I would help protect the orphanage, but I failed."

She reassured me,
"No, dear. I know what you've been going through. You did your best. And as long as the orphanage is safe, that's all that matters."

Her words offered a glimmer of hope. Perhaps there was still a chance to reclaim the orphanage, to ensure the safety and well-being of the children it was the same orphanage where I stayed

Those mafias were fighting over the orphanage land. It's a large piece of property, and they saw an opportunity to exploit it. We tried to reason with them, but they were relentless.

That's when I remembered Vijay, my college senior. He's a billionaire, but he's also involved in some shady business, including mafia activities. I thought he might be able to help.

I reached out to him, and he agreed to intervene. But, of course, there was a price. He wanted me to infiltrate Ansh's company and gather information on his secret projects. I agreed, desperate to save the orphanage.

Now, here I am, trapped in this situation. I'm caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Mrs. Smith, do you have any contact information for the mafia who took over the orphanage? An email address, a phone number, anything that could lead me to him?"

I need to try to reason with him. Maybe there's a way to buy back the land or work out some kind of deal. We can't just let him have it. He might cause more trouble in the future."

"Sofia, I can't let you go alone. Even I was planning to meet him . I'll arrange a meeting tomorrow, and you can come join me."

"Okay, I'll be there. Just give me the details."

As I hung up the phone, my mind raced. This was my chance to confront the mafia boss, but it was also a dangerous gamble. I needed to figure out a way to escape from this mansion, to break free from Ansh's clutches. I had to find a way to turn this.

It was another day.
The clock ticked towards 5 PM, casting long shadows across the room. I knew I had to act fast. This was my chance to escape the clutches of this gilded prison.

I approached the driver, my heart pounding
"I need to go out,"
I said, my voice steady.
"I have an important meeting."

He shook his head, his expression stern.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I have strict orders from the boss. I can't let you leave the mansion."

I couldn't let this opportunity slip away. I took a deep breath and mustered all my courage.
"Listen carefully,"
I said, my voice low and authoritative.
"I am your boss's wife. And I'm ordering you to take me to this address."
I handed him a slip of paper with the address written on it.
"We'll be back in a few hours."

The driver hesitated, his eyes wide with doubt. But the fear of defying me, the boss's wife, was stronger. With a reluctant nod, he agreed.

As the car sped down the familiar road, a surge of excitement and trepidation coursed through me. I was finally taking a step towards freedom, but the risks were immense. The meeting with the mafia boss was shrouded in uncertainty, and I had no idea what to expect.

We reached the address.It was a restaurant
The waiter led me to a private dining room, a luxurious space bathed in soft lighting. As I stepped inside, I saw Mrs. Smith waiting for me. I rushed towards her, embracing her tightly.

"It's good to see you, Mrs. Smith,"
I said, my voice was filled with relief.
"When is he coming?"

She smiled sadly.
"He should be here any moment now."

Suddenly a familiar scent filled the room and I froze at my place acknowledging who it is.