Chapter 3 - The Call

The rising sun cast a rosy hue across the morning sky and the ray of sunlight beamed through the room's window, the morning breeze flapped the room's curtain.

"Beep beep beep, "the loud sound of the alarm clock rang through the room but instead of the groaning sound of someone just waking up from sleep, it was a raspy voice.

"What? He is going to call?" Sandra says in croaked and frustrated voice staring at her phone.

The heavy dark circles under her eyes made her eyes look twice their size and her red nose which was a result of constant rubbing in frustration stood out like a hue of makeup.

She had been expecting his call since the other night but he hasn't called after he has left Sandra on an edge.

"We are ending, it should be just a call to approve that," Sandra talked to herself biting her nails and looking at her phone with a heavy expression.

Sandra has never been so anxious before, even when she was signing the contract back then she wasn't going crazy like this so, what changes?

She was so lost in thought that when her apartment door creaked open she didn't notice.

"Sandra where are you, hurry up...OH my God, what happened to you, girl," a lady yelled looking at the ghost-looking girl on the bed.

"Becky please call my phone because I don't think it's working again," Sandra says in a panic.

"What the hell happened to you overnight that makes you look like a character of a walking ghost," Becky says dialing a number on her phone, and within seconds Sandra's phone blares up.

"Ahhh," Sandra shrieked loudly hearing her phone ring and Becky also jerked up in fear seeing her scream.

"My phone it's not spoilt then why is it not receiving calls," she complained facing Becky and the lady gritted her teeth in anger.

Becky looked at the lady talking to herself on the bed and she tried to settle with the best argument for the situation but there was no one she could wrap her fingers around so, she decided to ask.

"I am supposed to be worried as your manager? Does the CEO needs to be worried," Becky asked and Sandra shot her a glare.

Becky had been Sandra's manager ever since she debuted as an actress, she knew all her preferences and her dislikes, her family problems, especially about her scoundrel brother, and also her dirty secret.

"What do you mean," Sandra asked solemnly looking at her phone worriedly.

Becky looked at her face and her phone and she thought of what exactly could be going on.

"Are you waiting for a call?" she asked skeptically even though she had a subtle knowledge about who the person was.

"He promised to call last night but he hasn't called," she says walking towards the bathroom Becky was tempted to say what was on her mind.

"I thought you are ending it with him?" she asked and that halted her step.

She also thought she was going to end things with him but why can't she do it? Why can't she do it without looking back?

Why can't she end things with him and put an end to the ambiguous relationship?

"I thought so too, "that was Sandra's reply after a long time before she went to the bathroom to get herself ready for the day but the woman staring at her in the mirror doesn't look like her.

"Who is that? That can't be me, right? No wonder I gave Becky a scare," Sandra says looking at her hideous face in the mirror.

"Looks like concealer had a lot to do today," Sandra says before she dumped herself in a tub of fresh water even though she knew she doesn't have the time for that she had to be on set.

But one thought was lingering on her mind.

Why is he not calling?....

*************************************************

Inside a moving luxurious car, Dylan was seen burying himself in a series of paperwork and he kept mumbling curse words whenever he came across something that infuriates him.

His face also wasn't different from Sandra's, he had dark circles scattered under his eyes and he looked so tired and haggard.

His two-upper shirt button was undone and his tie was already absent from his neck.

"So you mean we had recorded this much loss from that branch and it hadn't been brought to my notice," Dylan asked his assistant in a cold voice the man swallowed his saliva looking at his scary boss and his gaze darkened every passing second.

"Ma'am Karen was the one in charge....," he was saying but a closer word from his boss shut him off completely.

"So, my aunt is the one paying your salary," he asked in a choking voice his assistant gulped down his saliva in fear the chauffeur driving felt his struggle but he wasn't also any better because Dylan's dark aura was choking him.

Dylan looked outside the moving car and his mind kept getting worsen with every passing moment.

His aunt had caused a problem for him that he needed to take care of urgently and he had to travel to the neighboring country where they got another branch to settle it.

Dylan stared at the phone in his hands and when he switched it on the face displayed on it brighten his mood a little and his troubled heart fell at peace.

Of course, she was his peace.

Dylan was tempted to call her but with their hanging discussion it was better he came back to explain himself to her.

A call would be misinterpreted that he doesn't care, Dylan assured himself.

"We are here boss," assistant Charles alerted his boss and he quickly strolled to open the door for him but Dylan beat him to it.

Dylan eyed the crowdy airport and when his assistant sensed his displeasure he could come forward to explain himself.

"We could still arrange the private jet sir," Charles says trying to please his boss but his boss's next words counterattack his suggestion.

"We are going quietly not need to alert anyone," he says taking large strides into the airport but the picture he saw on the billboard halted his steps.

He stared at it long and hard but he resumed his steps in hurried strides and one thing was on his mind.

"I will be back, to treat you better," that was the thought lingering on his mind.

As Dylan was walking into the airport a man of the same physique was also walking out of the airport and they both passed beside each other without catching a glimpse...

"What a warm welcome," the man says looking at the banner that was present in the airport