The ceo’s secretary

JASON STOKES

I pulled up to my parents’ house in a fury, the revelation about my dad’s involvement in Lexi’s disappearance driving me to the brink of madness. My tires screeched to a halt, and I stormed up the walkway, the anger boiling inside me like a storm.

“Sweetie!” my mom exclaimed, her face lighting up as she saw me, but I barely registered her presence. My focus was on Dad’s office, where I knew he’d be.

“Jason, what’s wrong?” Mom’s voice followed me, tinged with concern.

“Mom, stay out of this!” I barked, not even slowing down as I made a beeline for the office.

I burst through the door, my fury barely contained. “Jason,” Dad greeted me, looking up from his desk with a calm smile. “It’s nice to finally see you in person.”

“Where is Lexi?” I demanded, my voice as controlled as I could manage, though every fiber of my being wanted to shout.

“What are you talking about? Who is Lexi?” he asked, his face a mask of feigned ignorance.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to keep my composure. “Dad, we both know who I’m talking about. Stop playing dumb and tell me where she is.”

Dad leaned back in his chair, his calm demeanor unruffled. “That bitch couldn’t even resist a million dollars,” he said dismissively.

His words hit me like a physical blow, and I took a step back, struggling to comprehend the sheer callousness. “You… you bribed her to leave me?” I stammered, my voice breaking.

“I paid her to get out of your life,” Dad said coolly, as if discussing a simple business transaction. “I knew she was only with you for the money. I thought I’d save you the trouble and heartache of finding out later.”

“Do you even hear yourself?” I shouted, my anger surging back, fists clenching at my sides. “You had no right! I love her, Dad. She wasn’t with me for the money. I love her, and you just… you just bought her off like she was nothing!”

“I did what I thought was best for you,” he replied, his tone infuriatingly calm.

“You think you know what’s best for me?” I yelled, my voice cracking. “You don’t know anything! You just destroyed the best thing in my life, and you don’t even care!”

“Stop spending your precious time on some money-hungry bitch,” my father sneered, emphasizing the word ‘bitch’ with disdain.

“You’re going to see the other side of me if you repeat that statement,” I ground out through gritted teeth, my fists clenched in frustration.

“Jason, watch your mouth,” my mom interjected, her tone pleading for calm.

“Mom, stay out of this. Where is she?” I demanded again, ignoring her plea.

“How am I supposed to know where the bitch headed to? She didn’t even think twice before taking the check from me,” Dad retorted callously.

“Lexi would never leave me for your money!” I shot back angrily, my voice rising with each word.

“But she did. Is that the person you want to spend the rest of your life with? A gold digger!” Dad’s voice was laced with accusation.

“Lexi wouldn’t leave me for your money!” I insisted, though deep down, I knew she already had. “She wouldn’t!”

“But she did. That shows us who she really is,” Dad countered, his expression unyielding. “Sit down and let’s continue what we were discussing the last time you were here.”

“The only thing I’m discussing with you is Lexi’s whereabouts,” I declared firmly, refusing to be swayed from my focus.

“Jason, listen to your father, it’s for your own good,” Mom urged, her voice filled with concern.

“There’s nothing good we’re discussing, Mom, because he already took away the only good thing for me,” I retorted bitterly.

“That girl failed the test,” Mom tried to explain.

“He shouldn’t have tested her to start with!” I snapped back in frustration.

“But he did, and she failed,” Mom persisted, her voice wavering.

“Mom, stop!” I interrupted sharply, unable to bear any more justification from them.

“She isn’t good enough for you,” Dad interjected calmly, his words cutting through the tension.

“So, Sofia is the one who’s good enough for me, huh? I’d rather remain single than marry that fucking bitch,” I spat out angrily, the bitterness in my voice palpable.

I turned and stormed out of his office, every step fuelled by a mix of anger and hurt. “It’s either you find that girl for me or you lose me too,” I threw over my shoulder, my voice echoing in the hallway.

Mom hurried after me, calling my name desperately. “Jason, listen to your father,” she pleaded, her voice cracking with emotion.

“It’s better you both find me that girl or you lose me too,” I warned, my tone resolute as I headed for my car.

“Jason!” Mom called again as I reached the car door.

“This might be the last time you’ll see me,” I said, closing the door firmly and driving away, leaving behind a whirlwind of emotions and unresolved conflicts.

As I sped down the familiar streets, tears welled up in my eyes. The betrayal and pain were overwhelming, but amidst it all, a determination grew stronger. I needed to find Lexi.

———————————————————————————————————————-

I went straight to my house, grabbed a bottle of beer, and sat down, surrounded by memories of Lexi. As I sifted through everything we had done together, an idea struck me. Without hesitation, I picked up my phone and dialed the only person I knew could help in such a situation-Carl Parker, my private investigator.

“Hello, Mr. Stokes,” Carl greeted me professionally.

“Carl! Listen, I need your help,” I began, pouring out the details of Lexi’s sudden disappearance and my suspicions about my father’s involvement.

“Consider it done, sir,” Carl replied confidently, his voice reassuring.

“Okay, I’ll be waiting for your call,” I said, feeling a glimmer of hope for the first time since Lexi had vanished.

“Bye,” Carl said.

I hung up the call and as I was about to put down my phone it buzzed again. I thought the call would be from Lexi herself. Instead, it was an unknown number, and when I answered, it turned out to be Cynthia, Lexi’s friend.

“Hello, Mr. Stokes, this is Cynthia,” she introduced herself.

“Hello,” I replied, my disappointment palpable.

“I heard what happened and I’ve been trying my best to track her down,” Cynthia continued.

“Thank you,” I murmured, my mind swirling with conflicting emotions.

“I don’t know why she would have done such a thing because we talked this morning and she sounded fine on the phone,” Cynthia added, her voice tinged with confusion.

I sighed heavily, the bitter truth settling in once more. Money. It always came back to money. If only Lexi had given me a chance to understand, to help her-if only she had trusted me enough to stay.

“I also don’t know why she did it,” I lied, not wanting to reveal my suspicions about my father’s involvement. “But I’m looking into it. Thank you,” I managed to say before ending the call.

I sat back heavily, taking a long pull from my beer. The silence of the room echoed with unanswered questions and unresolved pain. Lexi’s absence weighed on me like a lead weight, each moment without her stretching into an eternity.

But I couldn’t dwell on what-ifs. I needed answers, and until Carl called with any developments, all I could do was wait and try to make sense of the turmoil that had become my life.

I went to bed that night in a drunken haze, but sleep eluded me. I could still sense Lexi’s presence-her scent, her voice, the memories of our time together. She had promised me “a day and a night,” but now it had been two days and two nights with no sign of her return.

Unable to bear the emptiness of her absence, I shifted to her side of the bed, burying my face in her pillow and inhaling deeply, hoping to capture even a fleeting reminder of her. The scent brought a flood of emotions, and soon everything faded into darkness as I succumbed to the alcohol-induced haze.

—

“Mr. Stokes! Mr. Stokes! Mr. Stokes!” Someone was shaking me awake roughly. “Mr. Stokes! Can you hear me?”

I groggily responded, “Yes.”

“The meeting is in thirty minutes,” Jada informed me urgently.

I struggled to open my eyes, greeted by a heavy headache and blurry vision. “Jada, is that you?” I asked, trying to focus.

“Yes, Mr. Stokes, it’s me. The meeting with the Kong Enterprise CEO starts in less than forty-five minutes,” Jada replied, her voice brisk and professional.

I sluggishly began to pull myself out of bed. “And Lexi?” I questioned, the memories of the previous day flooding back.

“We’re still looking for her,” Jada replied solemnly.

The events of yesterday rushed back into focus, jolting me fully awake. Lexi was still missing, and despite my hungover state, I knew I had to face the day ahead, uncertain of what awaited me in both the meeting and the search for Lexi.

“So, Lexi isn’t back yet?” I asked as I hurried towards the restroom.

“No,” Jada replied sharply. “Mr. Stokes, we don’t have much time left on our side.”

“What’s the time now?” I inquired, trying to gauge how much time I had.

She checked her watch before responding. “It’s 11:23.”

“I’ll be quick,” I assured her.

“There’s no time to waste, just brush your teeth and let’s go,” Jada urged urgently.

“But Lexi won’t be waiting for me there,” I muttered to myself, momentarily lost in thoughts of her.

“We’ll find her, I promise. You have five minutes,” Jada insisted firmly.

I hurriedly brushed my teeth in one minute, took another two for a quick shower, and used the remaining two minutes to dress.

“Time’s up!” Jada called out from the bedroom.

“I’m coming out now,” I replied, rushing out to join her, my mind racing with thoughts of Lexi and the uncertainties ahead.

I headed towards my car in the garage, but Jada’s voice halted me in my tracks.

“You’re not driving. We’re taking mine. You’re not in a condition to drive,” she asserted firmly.

“Okay, okay,” I conceded, realizing she was right.

“We need to be in the office in twenty minutes,” she reminded me briskly.

“Okay,” I acknowledged, following her lead as we got into her car.

—

Throughout the meeting, my mind remained distracted. Thoughts of Lexi consumed me, making it difficult to concentrate on the discussions. Thankfully, the meeting concluded, freeing me to refocus on finding Lexi.

I immediately called Carl, eager for any update.

“Carl,” I greeted urgently.

“Mr. Stokes,” he responded.

“So, where is she?” I demanded, trying to mask my growing anxiety.NôvelDrama.Org © content.

“I’m still searching,” Carl replied calmly.

“She’s not a needle!” I snapped in frustration.

“I know, but she seems to have vanished,” he explained with a hint of frustration in his voice.

“Find her!” I insisted firmly.

“I will,” Carl assured me before we ended the call.

I dialed Jada’s office line next, needing my car back.

“Mr. Stokes,” Jada answered promptly.

“Get me my car,” I instructed tersely.

“Okay, sir,” Jada replied, her efficiency clear even over the phone.