The Devil's Sweetheart

The early morning sun rose and spring grass shone like it had its own gentle glow within and the atmosphere was enlivening for a morning walk. Leena was jogging in the Dew Garden park alone since Carrot stayed in Wilbur's house upon Cutie's request. Reese is a sloth when it comes to exercise, so she was all alone in the park. Right, when she was back from the morning work out, the first thing she did was to check her mobile. Messages flooded in her bin and in every statement, pout emoji was added. She couldn't stop laughing imagining his pouty face.

"You dare to book me? Let's see how you are going to work seeing my gifts today." With a sly smile, Leena went to get fresh happy that someone would get irritated today.

...

Seattle...

A vast office room was in a mess, files across the floor, papers flying everywhere, and the neatly organized desk was tossed, the coffee mug littered on the floor. It was not just a mess, but a disaster zone.

A woman stood in the room, her hands trembled, shoulders drooped witnessing her boss destroying the office room. Her gaze was docked to the floor alone like a scared bunny. She breathed in deeply and gathered the immense courage she had within to voice out. As an assistant, it's her responsibility to inform him about the schedule. "Sir, we have a meeting in_"

"Get out of the room!" The piercing sound drummed into her ears like the creaking of gallows.

The executive assistant sighed in relief. She was glad that she was spared from his wrath today. Although she was long used to her boss's anger, he was like a raising storm today which she has never witnessed from the day she has been serving as his assistant. She wondered if it was because of his innocent fiance. She has more pressing matters to attend to than thinking about this couple. On her way back, she met with a familiar person, a savior she must say.

"Is he in the office?" A low voice spoke up.

"He is very angry, Shawn." She hastily explained to him.

"Get back to work. I will talk with him" He excused himself and pushed the door open to see a neatly organized office room into the trash again.

"Ethan! What's wrong with you? You are becoming a monster every day scaring your_"

"Why didn't you tell me that she was in Seattle?" Ethan cut him off in the middle, his expression was a mixture of rage and weariness.

"How did you know about it?" It was not a surprise to Shawn that Ethan got to know about the news already.

"Just tell me, bastard," Ethan shouted as soon as he confirmed that even his friend knew about it. For a long time, his cousin, Mia has been talking about a woman but he was least bothered when he has more pressing matters to handle. Lucky or unlucky, he got to know that it was Leena, his cousin has been trying to set him up with and it devastated him more when Leena arrived for a party which her cousin organized but couldn't get a chance to get a glimpse of her.

"Will you go and meet her even if she is in Seattle? You go to all the shooting events she attends and watch her secretly but would never talk to her. What is the use of telling her whereabouts?" Shawn yelled, a mixture of empathy and guilt on his face watching his friend's state but he couldn't help.

Ethan's eyes dulled and he slumped on the chair, exhausted. "I can't face her, Shawn. Not after the things I have done to her. I have committed a terrible sin which I couldn't wash from my hands." Guilt, remorse passed over him like a gush of wind when he thought of the horrendous crime he has committed on that night which has been haunting him with sleepless nights every day. He wished to go back in time and put everything in place but it was all his wish. She would never come back.

"Did you investigate what happened to her five years back?"His gaze shifted to Shawn. After that night, Leena has avoided his calls, avoided seeing him but one fine day she responded and agreed to meet him at a cafe. He waited for the whole night outside the cafe even when it was raining cats and dogs but she didn't arrive. He couldn't find a trace of Leena from then on. He called Wilbur and reached out to Jane and Reese, but they cut off all the ties and left him broken.

" I_I_no," Shawn added. "It's tightly sealed by Wilbur and Francis. I couldn't get any information."

"Why did she took up modeling suddenly when she loved coding." His voice turned to a whisper. There were many missing puzzles he is yet to get answers but there is no one to reveal the truth. He has been trying to reach Wilbur but he turned a deaf ear. Finally, after two long years, he saw her in an Ad.

"Ethan!" Shawn sighed. "I am in no position to say this, but it's better not to dwell on the past and you are neglecting your fiance in the process," Shawn advised. "You should worry about Casey. She is feeling depressed that you are not talking with her. It's not good to think about Leena when you are getting married soon."

"Looks like you are more worried about it." Ethan looked at him, skeptically.

"I_I did not mean_"

"I know what to do." He declared. He is getting suspicious of his friend each passing day. "Please go out before I throw you out."

"Alright. Before that, I would like to tell you something. " Shawn went into the business. "I brought news to you. The tender which you have submitted for Plonet went into another hand."

"Is it Wilbur again?" Ethan casually asked as if he is used to it by now. He pulled out a file from the rack which was the only thing that spared in the messy office room.

"No. It's from the Wang family but doesn't know who was accountable for it."

Ethan frowned hearing the familiar name. Why did they butt in suddenly? Although they are rivals, they kept professional and personal issues aside. Ethan doesn't have any animosity towards their family except for one person. His blood boiled when he remembered him.

"Thanks, Shawn. I will look into it." Ethan pretended to work on it until he left.

..

Straight after Shawn walked out of the room, Ethan called up a number. It was shortly picked up and a voice came in.

"Hello, Ethan. I was actually planning to call you regarding the case."

"Thanks, detective, Martin! So, did you interrogate who has delivered the anonymous package to my office five years back?" Ethan asked, his tone was urgent and desperate. It was because of that package, he lost his sanity and slapped Leena.

"The electricity was cut off for a period when the package was delivered. Even the power source did not work. So, the CCTV couldn't capture them. It's hard to decipher who it is but I must say, the person is close to you. I will talk to you about it in person rather than by phone."

"Alright. Please text the address. I will meet you personally." Ethan ended the call after communicating it for a while with the detective. He got a hunch that it was a deliberate plan long back. He has so many rivals around him and it's even hard to find the culprit when all are lying low.

To calm his nerves, he took a drag of the cigarette and immediately threw it when he remembered her face. She has consumed him and completely and there is no substitute for her.. Thoughts drifted to the past when he first went on a date with her.

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