A Silver Lining

Chapter Fourty: Wants & Needs

Chapter 40: Wants & Needs

"I still don't get what it has to do with your mother?" I asked, abandoning my desert long ago.

"Mom got sick of all of it. Murder, chasing, kidnapping, black marketing," he said. "And dad started work for him too. Then Jordan. She was afraid of the worst. What if they involved me too? What if I turn out like him? So she said she wanted to walk out of it. So when Daniel didn't let her, she threatened she would leak everything about them, how the emperor was built. That scared the shit out of them. And so they killed her, planned it out as suicide, and wrote a suicide note where all her properties will be mine. Till I was eighteen, dad would be guardian of it."

"Wow, some family you have," I said.

"You tell me about it," he replied.

"That was when they feared for the security of the file and took it out of the country." A familiar voice said.

Ryan and Noah made their way to our booth and slipped in the seat opposite of mine.

"What're you doing here?" I glared. He ignored me completely. He was still looking at Jeff.

"That was not the question we were expecting," Noah said.

"Okay, so how'd you know? And why haven't you told me."

"We got to know about it when dad called earlier," Ryan spoke and his gaze met mine. His jacket was gone along with the tie and the first two buttons of his shirt undone.

He could be a fine Calvin Klein model this way. "I'll deal with you later," he mouthed. I frowned. What have I done?

"Yes I called him earlier and said some of it. But he didn't believe me. So I came to explain it to Stella. She's more involved with it than all of you," Jeff said.

"How come?" Ryan challenged him. I could tell he wasn't a big fan of his.

"Apart from how her family was involved in many ways," Jeff paused and looked at me. "She knows where the file is."

Everyone including me gasped.

"Stella?" Noah said. I looked at him helplessly.

"I don't know anything," I said. I felt Ryan's gaze on me. I glared at Jeff.

"What's your actual intention?" He was calm as ever.

"You still don't get it?" He looked at us. "My mom was murdered five years ago, after Jordan was assigned to take the file somewhere safe for them," he looked at me. "Still don't get it? The kidnapping? Something to do with a certain visit to the museum five years ago."

My mouth fell open. I looked at Ryan and his eyes were locked with me, a knowing look on his face.

Luna, the file she stole; well a box actually, hiding it in the forest, then the kidnapping.

"You are saying that-"

"Yes Jordan has no idea where it is. You've wasted enough time chasing after him," Jeff cut off Noah.

"Why should we believe you? What's the proof you're not making it all up and now blaming on Stella?" Noah asked.

"Because he's not," Ryan said calmly, still looking at me.

"What'd you mean?"

"He meant if anyone who had any clue where the box was, it was Stella," Jeff said and patted my back. "I'm sorry for your loss, Luna I mean. With her gone, it's only you who knows about its existence."

"Is he saying the truth?" Noah asked me. I met his gaze and nodded.

"Absolutely right. Only I don't remember anymore where it actually is."