He's ruthless.
Cold-hearted to all except one.
His heart is ice when death lays in the palm of his hand.
But behind every great, powerful man lies an even greater woman.
Because after all, she rules over him.
Arielle groaned as she reached over Sebastian's side of the bed. Her neck was sore and she was still sitting against the headboard from last night.
He wasn't there?
Her eye fluttered open only to be met with a slightly wrinkled yet still made empty bed.
He didn't come home yesterday?
Arielle reached for her phone still half asleep and dazed.
No new notifications.
Without thinking, she pressed his contact and held her phone to her ear.
She listened as the call rang out.
Ignoring the sinking feeling in her chest, she called his number again without any success.
"Maybe his phone died." She reasoned, "He was probably working all night and got caught up and forgot to charge his phone."
Arielle got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to get ready.
She had a habit of thinking the worst and agreed that now was not the time to be thinking like that so early in the morning.
Planning on stopping by his office instead, she opted for packing a lunch like last time and at least catching a glimpse of him to calm her heart and make sure he was safe.
After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Arielle quickly tied her hair up and threw on a pair of jeans and a nice loose white top before putting a tight nude tube top over it.
Arielle slightly relaxed at the thought of Sebastian seeing her in this outfit.
"Definitely something only you could pull off." She recalled him saying the last time she wore something similar.
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After grabbing her purse and throwing on some gold jewelry pieces, she grabbed a pair of matching Air Forces and made her way down the stairs.
She checked the clock before setting down her phone and purse on the table to go make a quick lunch.
10:28 A.M.
Quickly, she grabbed some rice that was left over in the fridge and made a serving of fried rice and cut up some fruit before packing it all into containers and putting it into a cotton canvas bag.
Arielle grabbed the bag and the rest of her items as she held the phone between her neck and her ear calling him again.
No response.
She rolled her eyes at the thought of Sebastian getting sidetracked.
She was going to give him and earful as soon as they met for worrying her.
•••
"Hello, I'm here for Sebastian Cattaneo." Arielle said to a familiar face.
The girl at the front desk smirked before typing something into the desktop computer.
"Arielle right?" The lady recalled from their last meeting, "I guess he didn't say anything to you?"
Arielle furrowed her eyes in confusion as she clutched the canvas bag filled with food tighter, "Can you explain?"
It took a bit of strength but she managed to smile back, treating the girl with nothing but kindness.
Bitterness never got a soul anywhere.
"He hasn't checked into the office today yet." The lady responded, "I believe he hasn't checked into the office since he left last night."
Arielle's heart stopped, "He isn't here right now?"
The lady looked at Arielle with a look in her eyes that Arielle had become accustomed to. Pity.
"I told you she wasn't important." The lady mumbled to to one of her coworkers as she made her way to the back as another took her place.
Arielle turned and grabbed her phone to call Jaxon yet the call was cut before it even had a chance to ring through.
It was strange enough that Sebastian hadn't picked up but the fact that Jaxon hadn't picked up had begun to increase her worry.
Jaxon almost always picked up Arielle's calls, it was something she could rely on if she was bored or Sebastian ever left his mind somewhere and Arielle needed to check up.
She pressed the call button again but before she could say anything she felt a tap on her shoulder.
It startled her but she didn't react.
"Arielle?" A voice called just as she turned around.
"Oh! Zach right?" Arielle sighed as she met with familiar eyes.
She had met Zach a couple times in passing when she was with Sebastian. But she wasn't as close as she was with him than she was with Jaxon.
"Yea, are you looking for Sebastian?" He asked her, looking down at her canvas bag.
"Yea," She replied, slightly on edge, " How'd you know?"
Zach chucked before shrugging, "It just seems like there would be no other reason for you to show up at the company, that's all."
Arielle nodded, "Do you know where he is?"
Zach shook his head, "No, that's what I was curious about when I saw you standing in the lobby. We have a meeting in a little bit with some important business partners from Japan. He's been hassling us about this project for the last two weeks, I can't believe he's late on a day like this. We have an entire security team set up waiting for him. He hasn't been home?"
Arielle couldn't help but begin to seriously worry, "I thought he was at work. Listen, if you hear anything from him, please give me a call. I have somewhere to go real quick."
With that, she made her way to the elevators and quickly got into her car.
"Where was it? Where was it? Where was it?" She tried to remember as she put her car in reverse and backed out of the parking spot.
Arielle couldn't help but anxiously tap with her hands as she made her way onto the freeway and slowly began to speed slightly as she changed lanes to not miss her next exit.
•••
Sebastian would kill her if he found out where she was.
But, she would kill him first for worrying her to death.
Sebastian was one to keep his business and personal life separate, especially the more dangerous aspects of his work life.
That's why Arielle couldn't help but let a shaky breath out as she pulled up to the gate.
She didn't fear that lack of access but instead, worried about whether or not she would find her answer here.
Remembering Sebastian's words, she rolled her window down.
"Who is it?" A deep voice grumbled as if to intimidate her.
"Arielle." She replied, "Arielle C."
She was met with silence however continued, "Can I speak to Kai? I need to get to the Abel wing."
Immediately, she watched as the gates slid open.
"Let her completely. Open all the gates and let her through."
