AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Teddy raises an eyebrow. "So, what happened? How'd this guy even get to her if she's supposed to be with you?"
I sigh, knowing I can't avoid the conversation. "She went to lunch, must've met up with him then."
"Ah." Teddy reaches into his pocket and produces a cell phone, handing it over. "Dead guy's phone. Can't unlock it, but figured you might have better luck."
I take the device, my fingers itching to discover its secrets, and head for my office. Teddy calls out as I leave, "You're welcome," but I'm already consumed by the task at hand.
My heart pounds as I connect the cell phone to my decoder. Within minutes, I have the passcode and access to its contents. Scrolling through the messages, I find mundane exchanges about his work schedule and casual conversations with friends. But then, I stumble upon a conversation history that makes my blood boil.
I almost crush the phone in my hand as I read the back-and-forth between him and someone who must be Lulu, using a number I don't recognize. My fingers fly across the keyboard, locating the provider for the unfamiliar number. It's a burner phone. Hacking into it, I find the GPS log shows its last location was right here, inside my mansion.
Anger surges through me. How did she get a burner phone? This guy had to have given it to her. That's the only explanation that makes sense.
The exhaustion from today weighs heavily on me, but sleep is out of the question. Instead, I throw myself into work, trying to distract my mind from thoughts of Lulu. The night passes, and I manage a few hours of fitful rest before an alert informs me that Lulu is awake.
Pushing away from my desk, I head toward her rooms, my emotions a tangled mess. I knock on her door and hear her groggy reply, "Come in." As I enter, the early morning sunlight casts a warm glow over the room, softening the edges of the elegant furniture and plush furnishings.
Lulu lies in bed, her curly black hair splayed across the pillow. Even in the aftermath of her ordeal, there's a beauty about her that takes my breath away. I struggle to keep my anger in check, unsure how long I can maintain control.
"Hey," I say softly, trying to suppress any hint of frustration in my voice.
"Hi," she responds, looking up at me with those chocolate eyes that always seem to see straight through me.
"Can we talk?" I ask, knowing this conversation is inevitable but dreading it nonetheless.
"Okay," she agrees hesitantly, her gaze flicking away from mine.
Tears well up in Lulu's eyes as I sit down on the bed next to her. My heart aches, unsure of how to navigate this unfamiliar territory. "How are you feeling?" I ask gently.
"Okay, I guess," she sniffles, trying to hold back her tears. "More embarrassed than anything."
I reach out and place a comforting hand on her arm, attempting to convey understanding. "What happened?" I inquire, my voice soft.
She shifts nervously, looking down at her hands. "It's okay," I reassure her, "I just want to know what happened so I can protect you from this sort of thing in the future."
Lulu takes a deep breath, finally admitting, "I agreed to meet him for lunch, but instead of taking me there, he led me down a service hallway and threw me into the van."
My anger flares, barely contained beneath the surface. "Why did you agree to go with him?" I demand, struggling to keep my voice even.
"I don't know," she admits, her voice small. "I just... I liked the attention he was giving me."
"Guys like that will love bomb you just to get what they want," I warn her, my words laced with frustration. "They're dangerous. You need to be careful. I'm surprised you don't already know that."
Her brow furrows, and she asks, "Why would I already know that?" Confessing, she adds, "My father kept me under lock and key, just like you do."
Guilt washes over me, but I push it aside, convinced it's for her own good. "You shouldn't have accepted the phone from him," I tell her sternly.
"What phone?" she asks, confusion etched on her face.
"The burner phone you used to communicate with him." As realization dawns in her eyes, she looks nervous.
"Lulu," I start to say. "He did give you the phone, yes?"
She fidgets in the bed. "Well, not exactly."
I take a deep breath to steady my anger. I press on, "Where's the phone, Lulu?"
She hesitates, but I persist. "There's no use hiding it now. I know you have it, and I can easily hack into it and deactivate it." With a defeated sigh, she reaches under the mattress and pulls out the burner phone.
