The Detective: Frankiana

CHAPTER 3: Lie to Me

Hannah was immediately greeted by the five o'clock sun rays as she stepped outside her parked car just outside her boyfriend's building. She finger-combed her coffee black wavy hair, got the paper bag of coffee and pastry she had ordered earlier, and walked to the building.

"Good afternoon ma'am. I'm surprised to see you here at this hour." Abigail, the lobbyist told her, shock evident in her face.

"I'm just paying Prince a surprise visit. He has not texted or called me today. He has been like that for the past weeks, I've been busy with work and I think he is too. Don't tell him I'm here." She smiled widely at Abigail.

"Okay ma'am. I'll just go tell his secretary to inform her that you're here. But I'll tell her that she should not tell Sir Prince." Abigail replied with a small smile, uneasiness still evident in her face but Hannah dismissed it anyway, and Abigail proceeded to call the secretary. After a while, Abigail called Hannah's attention to inform her that she had called the secretary and that her boyfriend was just at his office. Hannah smiled widely at the lobbyist and proceeded to the elevator and presseed the 56th button, signifying the 56th floor.

She reached her boyfriend's floor and went straight to his office, smiling at his secretary as she walked passed her. 'Prince Lee. CEO.' She read the sign at her boyfriend's door and pushed it using her free hand, the other holding the paper bag of pantries.

"Surprise! Surprise!" She squeaked, causing her boyfriend to raise his gaze from the papers scattered at the table.

Prince Lee. CEO of the family owned fashion business Lee Manila. Their magazine, Vogue by Lee, was a top hit from all over the world. No wonder her boyfriend has been very busy lately.

Her boyfriend smiled at her. He was a typical young male adult - masculine, average in height, prim, and fragrant.

"You look stressed, honey." Hannah commented as she noticed her boyfriend's stressful face, slightly messed hairstyle, and slightly sweaty forehead. "Here, I brought you some coffee and bagel. I missed you, you know."

Prince smiled at her. "Thanks for this." He said as he accepted the paper bag and proceeded to hug her girlfriend.

'Weird.' Hannah thought as she observed her boyfriend. It was not his normal scent, and his suit was lightly crumpled. It was odd for Prince to present himself that way, he was always prim and proper.

"Were you so busy these past few weeks that you sometimes even forget to text or call me throughout a whole day?" Hannah asked, careful not to hint the suspicion she's having.

"I'm sorry. I've been caught up with work these past few weeks and the papers in my desk just keep on piling up." Prince replied to her as he finally broke the hug. "I seldom even hold my phone, and when I do, it's already midnight or dawn so I've decided not to text or call you, you might be sleeping already." He explained further.

"Awwe, you busy bee." Hannah slightly pinched her boyfriend's cheeks. "So I guess I better be going then. Keep on hustling there honey." She said as she kissed his cheeks to signify her departure.

"Gotta do. I'll see you soon, okay?" Prince replied as he kisses Hannah's forehead.

"Yup. Take care of yourself, okay? Bye."

"Bye. Love you." Prince finally said as he got seated back on his reclining chair again and scanned through the papers.

Hannah dismissed herself and also bid goodbye to his secretary and escorted herself to the elevator and to the parking lot.

She sighed heavily as she reached the driver's seat. It was unlikely of Prince to not even invite her for dinner tonight or to even schedule one in the following days. She was suspicious that there was something going on behind her back as she recollects how the lobbyist was shocked to see her as if she was some kind of a ghost, and how the lobbyist has to call her secretary first before she can head up to his floor which was unusual for the many times she had visited him by surprise, and to the unfamiliar scent in Prince's body, to the crumpled suit, to the slightly messy hair, to the scattered papers on his desk which she observed were just the same papers she had seen since the last day she had stepped in his office.

Something's not right. She was a detective and she was always skeptical about anything. She was suspicious. She was nervous. But she had no legitimate proof, only observations. Prince could not have done it to her. Not her. Not Prince.

She sighed heavily one more time, started her car, shuffled some music, and headed to her condominium unit in Taguig City. She has been living alone for the past 3 years when she decided to live in the Philippines to pursue being a detective. She was the youngest of three siblings. Her mother, sister, and brother were all living in New Zealand. She'd sometimes cry to sleep for being home sick in the span of three years. Thankfully, she met Prince a year ago and started dating him for ten months now, so she didn't really feel the loneliness just as much. For the past year, she has finally adapted to the new environment. She also met a few friends and they'd hangout sometimes. But for the past month, she and Prince became very busy, and sometimes, they'd only meet almost once a week and Prince had not been texting or calling her just as much as in the early stages in their relationship. It made her sad.

Song: Lie to Me by 5 Seconds of Summer ft. Julia Michaels
Flashing back to New York City
I was done, but you undid me
Classic me to run when it feels right

Now I wish we never met
'Cause you're too hard to forget
While he's taking off my dress
I know she's laying on your chest

I know that you don't
But if I ask you if you love me
I hope you lie, lie, lie, lie, lie to me

As the song ended, she pulled up to her parking spot and stepped out of her car. She breathed in and out deeply one more time before heading to the basement elevator to go up to the 32nd floor where her unit was located. She immediately made her way to the refrigerator as she entered her unit to heat the pre-made dinner she had prepared for one week. She ate silently after, washed the dishes she had used and poured herself a glass of milk before heading to her bedroom.

It was a long day. She took a half bath and did her nighttime skincare routine and dozed herself to sleep just after she had texted her mom and her siblings that she missed them, not even bother texting her boyfriend.

—————
send me your thoughts 💭