Dealing With Solevan

CHAPTER ELEVEN

DEALING WITH SOLEVAN

COPYRIGHT 2018 © JOESLINE

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I matched the address in my slip. My eyes scanned the house situated in front of me. It looked very underwhelmed with little or none effort done. If not for the information provided by the private investigator, I wouldn't believe that anyone lived here.

"Daniel?" I shouted at the house as I stood outside the wooden gate that lost its paint. My hand grabbed the border of the gate, as I tiptoed to take a closer look. A few minutes later, a guy in a moustache with a worn-off tee-shirt and jeans opened the door of the house.

He eyed at me in astonishment, "Annie?"

I raised my lips on both ends as I gave a slight nod. Without much hesitation, he walked out and opened the gate for me, "Come on in"

Following into the house, I observed the furnishing of the interior. Just like the exterior, plain and no effort was done on the maintenance. It was as if someone bought an empty house a decade ago and furnished only a few furniture for basic needs and that's it. The Daniel I would have known to be found living in such condition surprised me.

He scanned around and attempted to tidy away some of the dirty clothes from the sofa, "Have a seat. Do you want some drink?"

I shook my head, "I am good with just water" At the corner of my eyes, I would have noticed the messy kitchen that seemed to have not been visited by the owner. Daniel walked to the kitchen. He searched high and low for an empty glass as he grabbed a half filled mineral water bottle to fill it.

"I am sorry... I wasn't expecting any guest" He returned to the living room and handed me the glass of water.

"Thank you" I took over the glass and put it down, "I am sorry that I came uninformed."

He smiled, "It's fine. How long since the last time I talk to you... Ten years maybe?"

"Maybe longer than that." I nodded, "I remember you were an active member doing the volunteering work with Merv back then."

Daniel smiled and took a quick look of the surrounding, "Yeah, and things changed"

Then he continued, "I think you didn't came because of reminiscing the memories of good old times. You must have known I was Anna's regular"

"Daniel..." I bit my lips, embarrassed of my intentions were so clear and unfeeling towards an old friend.

He reached out my hand, "Annie, he is not worth your time"

"I..."

He let out a sigh, "You have no idea what kind of life that Anna was living after Jayden took an interest in her. She was not allowed to entertain any customer or even talk to anyone except Jayden. I tried multiple of times later on to just want to visit her but was always told that she was not available."

I sat in silence, listening to him attentively.

"And halfway into your marriage, Anna came to me out of desperation with tears, begging me..." He frowned, as he recapped a part of his memory, "You have no idea how shocked I was to know the contract. There was no way she could pay the termination fees of five million"

I widened my eyes in disbelief, "What contract? What five million?"

"You didn't know?" Daniel smirked, "Jayden proposed an offer to her that her accommodation and expenses would be fully covered in exchange for her to stay working in the brothel and her only purpose was to serve him."

"For someone who doesn't get a salary out from it, and only to have her living expenses covered" Daniel's eyes filled with fume as he continued," do you think it's possible for her to even gather five million to terminate the contract?"

I uttered under my breath, "So that's why her father incurred the five million debts..."

"This is just outright withholding a person's freedom infinitely! It's as good as slavery!" He slammed on the coffee table, "If she wasn't so naive to think she could have his love, no one in their right mind would sign such a ridiculous contract."

He inhaled deeply, suppressing the overwhelmed injustice he had for Anna. Daniel turned to me, "So Annie, please. I beg you. You had already gotten yourselves out of this, don't jump in again. He is a monster. He doesn't know how to feel for another human being," No... this can't be.

Tears dwelled at the edge of my eyes, I bit my lips as I continued, "How did she manage to get out of the contract?"

Daniel shut his eyes, let out a sigh. "Anna... approached the CEO of White Studio. And signed herself to be his kept woman in exchange of an advance pay-out for that five million."

The White Studio? That's the press who had been following on Jayden's personal life. It would make every sense that the CEO would accept the offer for the woman that Jayden had hid from the media for over a decade. I gulped. My throat constricted, as I frowned. "What about... her father's five million debt?"

He smirked, "That? That was her father saving his own daughter from signing herself again to those filthy rich men. He took a huge loan from loan shark to get her daughter out of that contract, only to have him forever on a run"

I leaned back. The five million debts were to save Anna. Jayden didn't let go of Anna. Their relationship had ended because she had paid the termination fees like I did. My hand held my chest, feeling the heart-wrenching pain. I was deceived, lied to and naively believed his love just like Anna did.

Inhaled deeply, I continued questioning, "Tell me. Why did your brother meet up with Anna? He is a journalist for reporting political news. How does he play a part in Anna's plans?"

"I don't know much about that" Daniel frowned, "but it seems that Jayden recently grew an interest in the politics."

"Politics?" My eyes narrowed, "For what? Running a presidency?"

He took his phone and searched for a contact before scribbling it out on a random notepad before handling it to me, "You can call my brother. I believe he will be able to tell you more about it"

My eyes watched the scribbled contact number. I held the note in my grip as my heart felt unsettled of the unknown that I cannot imagine. If he had intentions of running for president, he would need a First Lady to compliment.

I smirked again at my naivety. Is that why the proposal?