MARRIED ACCIDENTALLY

CHAPTER 13

Ann's POV

I wake up with a jolt and scramble out of bed to find my phone.

Tessa.

I have no idea how or when I got into bed, but I think I must have fallen asleep on our way back to the mansion.

The purse from last night is sitting in the drawer, so I grab it to fish out my phone. Tessa’s number is the first on my recent calls, so I tap on it.

The call goes to voicemail again, sending a spiral of suspicion and concern. I had the intention of calling her again last night as soon as we got home, but I didn't know how I got home.

Tessa. Where are you?

She ought to be in New York already. New York to LA takes only about 6 hours, and it's been more than 24 hours since we spoke.

Should I call Chloe?

Without hesitation, I begin to search for Chloe’s number. I need to know if she left for LA in the first place. If she doesn't, then Chloe can contact her for me.

Perhaps she has a flat battery or misplaced her phone.

Whatever it is, I just need to talk to her to ensure she's okay. Tessa is coming here because of me. Even though she mentioned the interview at A&A Groups, her decision to come was solely because of me.

If anything happens to her, I won't forgive myself.

That jerk caused it all.

Our lives in New York were relatively comfortable. Because of Ryan, I became a regular in LA. Same with Tessa.

Tessa and I have also been friends since college. I met her almost at the same time as Ryan. She is one hell of a crazy girl, but I love her nonetheless. She brings out a part of me that I don't believe exists.

She believes in me more than I believe in myself. And most importantly, Tess loves to be close to me.

She applied for a job in LA, just as I did.

Tessa had her interview yesterday, but I have mine scheduled for tomorrow. If she isn't in LA by now, then it means she already missed it.

“Ann,” Chloe’s sweet voice booms.

“Hi, Chloe. Is Tessa there?” With a hand on my waist and a leg tapping on the floor nervously, I ask quickly.

“Tessa? Didn't she tell you about her interview?”

“She did,” I answer softly, my heart hammering in my chest.

“She left for LA yesterday, but I haven't been able to reach her. Is everything okay?”

“I can't reach her either, that's why I am calling you. Tell her to call me as soon as you reach her, okay?”

“Sure.”

Without a proper goodbye, I disconnect the call and slump to the edge of my bed. With worry skirting the edges of my mind, I keep trying to figure out where she must be.

Tessa doesn't have a boyfriend. If she did, I would have assumed she canceled her flight at the last minute to spend some time with him.
She hasn't dated anyone in years.

A sharp knock comes to the door, interrupting my thoughts and making me raise a brow.

“Come in,” I say absentmindedly before looking back at my phone to try Tessa once more. I will keep trying till I reach her. I just need to be sure she is safe.

The worrisome part of this whole thing is how much she knows I detest calling someone without a response. Tessa would never ignore my calls intentionally, unless something happened.

The door opens, and Christiana strolls in with a tray of food.

“Hi.” I wave awkwardly at her. This is unusual. First, she doesn't bring me breakfast, and second, I feel like she saw me entering Vince’s bedroom that night.

“Good morning, ma’am. I was supposed to move your things to the master bedroom yesterday…”

“Vince’s room?” I cut her short, with shock written all over me. She stares up at me for a second before nodding intermittently.

She moves closer to drop the tray before muttering. "I will assign the task to the girls as soon as you finish your meal."

Just like she always does, she flashes me a smile that barely reaches her eyes before strolling out.

Did Vince request that they move my things?

Without hesitation, I take the exit and make my way to Vince’s room. I'm sure he's still around because it's early, and I noticed he doesn't leave home until 7 a.m.

Usually, he stays locked in his home office until it is 7 a.m.

I nod at the door several times, but there is no response. I push back the temptation to open the door and peep in.

Maybe he is in his office. I twirl around and make my way to his office. As soon as I knock on the loud door, his voice reaches my ears.

“Come in.”

I open the door quietly and peep in. He must be busy, but this is urgent. I need to tell him about Tessa, and I also need to know if moving my items to his room was his order.

Should I also tell him I snooped around his room last night? How would he feel? Should I express my fears and have him satisfy every one of my questions instead of letting silly doubts cloud my mind?

“Are you okay?” The sound of Vince’s voice startles me as I jolt upright and adjust my sleeping robe.

Wait.

I am wearing a sleeping robe. How come?

My mind reels back to last night's event, and when it jumps to the last part where Vince kissed me, I suck in a breath and refuse to look him in the face.

We kissed?

He kissed me instead.

Why did he do that? Was that just a facade, or did he actually want to kiss me?

“Ann,” his concerned, filled tone forces me to look up eventually. “What's going on?”

I shake my head for a moment before remembering the real reason why I am here. “I can't reach Tessa. She was supposed to be in LA yesterday, but I couldn't reach her. I feel like something happened. Tessa doesn't ignore my calls…”

“Calm down,” he mutters, and he stands up from his swivel chair before moving close. As soon as he is within reach, his hand brushes my shoulder, making a sizzling sensation dart down my spine. “Who is Tessa?”

“My…my best friend.”

“Ok,” he nods and drops his hands, looking thoughtful. “Why are you worried?”

"She was supposed to come see me yesterday and also go for her interview at A&A Groups of Companies, but I doubt that she ever appeared for the interview because I can't reach her. Her sister can't either. Do you think something happened to her?”

Vince watches me for a minute before shaking his head. “You said A&A?”

“Yes. Do you know…”

“Fernando,” he suddenly mentions. “from last night. He is the director and he mentioned something about an interview."

“Yes, yes. She was supposed to be there for the interview by 3pm, and then we planned to hang out as soon as she was done. I never received her calls or texts, and I haven't been able to reach her since then. Can you please help me?” He looks thoughtful for a while, perhaps wondering how he can help out. “Could you give Fernando a call to ask if there was any Theresa Craig in attendance?”

He hesitates for a while before nodding and grabbing his phone to call Fernando.

My chest heaves up and down in anxiety.

“Hey, Fernando. How was the interview yesterday?” I hear him ask with his back to me.

I move closer, desperate to hear what the person on the other end is saying.

“Was there any Theresa Craig in attendance?”

“You sure?”

Vince nods vigorously before disconnecting the call and turning to me. “I'm afraid she never appeared for the interview. Maybe she isn't in LA yet, or she changed her mind about coming.”

“No!” I oppose it sharply. Tessa is passionate about working with A&A Groups. "I feel like something happened, Vince. Could you help? If she isn't in LA, then why isn't she in New York too?”

He looks thoughtful for a while before nodding his head in agreement.

“I will investigate and report back by noon.”

I heave a deep sigh of relief. “Thank you so much.”

He nods again and strolls to the desk to grab his briefcase. He tosses in a few files before zipping up and walking towards me again.

“See you later.”

I want to nod at him, but I can't. I want to delay his departure so I can ask him why he ordered them to move my things to his bedroom.

But I can't form a word.

Vince isn't cold to me like he is to others. Yet, I can't comprehend the sudden fear I am beginning to feel around him.

I turn around and take the exit, just in time for my phone to ring.

Thinking it must be Tessa calling, I glance at the phone in a hurry, only to see the name of the least expected person.

Ryan.