Dark Faïz ( Book 1 ) [ COMPLETED]

Chapters 13-6

We had been working all morning and lunchtime arrived at full speed without me noticing. We only had a couple of things left to refine on my article before presenting it to my chief editor.

— "I'm going to go eat with colleagues. Do you want to come with us?"

— "Some other time. I'm going to eat on the go because I have to prepare for a meeting. Thank you for your help."

— "Okay, let's do this another time. Good luck!"

Upstairs was practically empty, and the fact that it was dark today made the place look different. Daylight could not penetrate the heavy rain and cloud layer. I went back to my office and checked my phone. A message from Faïz was waiting for me. I hurried to open it.

Still in the desert, but don't worry, I'll be back as agreed for tonight. You haven't changed your mind?

I couldn't help but flaunt a blissful smile on my lips. I now considered myself a couple with the one I had been waiting for for so long. I answered without delay.

I'm looking forward to it. Where are you taking me?

While waiting for his answer, I opened my boss's e-mail and started doing the work she'd asked me to do. In my bag, I found a pack of cakes and resigned myself to eating them. I'd make up for it at tonight's dinner, with Faïz.

When I went to put the files in the meeting room, my phone, which I wouldn't put down, vibrated.

You'll know soon enough. Would you like to go back to Elora, or would you prefer to stay with me for the rest of the evening?

We were there. Although Faïz was authoritarian with a difficult character, I knew deep down in my heart that he would be able to show infinite tenderness in intimacy. I looked at the time. My colleagues were about to invade this room in the next few minutes, and I still had some photocopies to make. So I decided to make it short by sending him one last message.

I will stay with you... See you later.

The afternoon ended as it had begun, in the driving rain. I congratulated myself on choosing the Mustang that morning, rather than public transport. I mainly owed this decision to the fact that I had dropped Victoria off at her high school and was about to leave to pick her up.

I packed my things after I left my boss's office. Our interview had just ended. She had been more than satisfied with my investigative work and my article. However, it would pass under Agustin's watchful eye before moving to print. He had finally appeared after lunch, telling of his misadventures in the meeting room before Mrs. Bonny appeared.

**

As I sat in the car, a violent headache seized me. I put my hands above my temples in an attempt to calm the sudden pain.

— "No, this is not the time," I moaned.

I managed to get the car out of the parking lot and the storm came down on me, making the compartment resound in a muffled noise. The pain gradually became intolerable. What was happening to me? I felt deep down, at that moment, that something was wrong. Barely perceptible whisperings echoed in my head. I stopped at a red light and allowed myself to close my eyes for a second or two. That was when the image of the Callis appeared to me in a flash. Something serious was happening at the mansion.

As soon as the light turned green, I pressed the accelerator and headed at full speed towards the villa to retrieve the keys to William and Julio's house. I took the trouble to inform Victoria of my delay without explaining the reason so as not to worry her. I drove by the coast without paying attention to what was around me. The whispering, always present in my skull, did little to help my unstable condition.

I felt like I was going completely insane. I took a lot of risks to drive above the authorized speed, unlike the other vehicles, which had adapted their driving to the downpour that was breaking on the road. Despite my windshield wipers, the road was barely visible and the pain in my head was becoming unbearable.

— "Come on, move!" I got mad behind a truck that wasn't moving fast enough for my taste.

I finally managed to pass it with a fish tail and then continued to accelerate. I was finally getting to Elora, the Mustang's engine roaring in the streets of this quiet neighborhood. With a bang, I entered the courtyard of the villa. I noticed no other car was there. It was with difficulty that I pulled myself out of the car to run inside the house. At the entrance, I threw my pumps against the wall and called Miss Arlette, but no one answered me.

That was when the stereo went off on its own, Maria Callas's crystal-clear voice resounding in the living room, completely invading the space. I recognized the song. Panicked, I started to search the drawers by the entrance without finding anything there. I decided to move on to the furniture in the living room. As I passed by the stereo system, I quickly tried to turn off the set, but nothing worked. Maria Callas taunted me. I took a second to think about where Lily could have put the keys.