ENDS

Iris’s pov

He doesn’t know?

He doesn’t know if he was gonna just disappear?

” But you were gonna find louie on your own. You didn’t even deem it fit to tell me? Or even provide a feedback on your meeting with Mr Reid? Nothing??”

He couldn’t give me an answer because the room was dead silent and all i could hear was the sound of Diane’s footsteps walking into another room that looks to me like the kitchen.

Hunter wasn’t even looking me in the eye. His both hands gripped the table before him and he looked at whatever paper was spread out on it.

” Hunter I asked a question”

” Calm it down Pillis, you sound like an over possessive wife” Diane said as she sauntered out of the kitchen to stand by Hunter’s side.

” Her name’s Iris and she has every reason to be angry” He started and then looked to me ” I’m sorry for not giving you feedback, I just got overwhelmed by everything I found out that I really didn’t know how to tell anyone except dad”

” So the mother of the child shouldn’t have known about the new developments?” If speech was visible, developments in my question would’ve been an image of Diane.

” Iris its a lot okay? If i had told you everything, your chances of believing Louisa would someday come home could be zero to none”

Zero to none. That was all I heard.

It resonated in my ear with a hundred echoes and suddenly the room became two times smaller and colder.

I could literally feel the goosebumps on my body rising and a quick drowsiness caught me.

I don’t know if it was the fear or compilation of stress.

” I need to sit down” I whispered to myself and walked towards the nearest chair I could find and tried to relax by shutting my eyes.

Then everywhere was dead silent again. Asides from the tension, there was also a slight awkwardness in the atmosphere. Hunter’s behaviour seemed uncanny. Like not only did he plan to disappear without telling me.

But he hoped to be successful at it.

The ceiling fan was the only sound anyone could easily hear, besides my thumping heart which could actually be due to my lightheadedness.

I think I may be coming down with something.

” What did Mr Reid tell you?” I asked but still kept my eyes shut. I was feeling incredibly dizzy too.

No one answered my question. If anything, it seemed like I hadn’t asked anything at all.

That was when I opened my eyes and looked towards the direction Hunter and Diane were standing hoping to get an answer or even an explanation to why I couldn’t get an answer.

” Hunter I asked a question”

“You’re annoying” Diane uttered with a look of irritation on her face.

” Excuse you, but I asked someone else my question”

“And can’t you see he’s actually too busy to deal with your petty questions at the moment”

That was when I looked at him and noticed how he was only observing the both of us. No comments.

” Then he should have said something to explain himself no matter how brief”

” No wonder he didn’t want you to come along. You’re annoying”

” I’m annoying?? I’m annoying because I don’t want to be left out of the loop?” I started but now Hunter deemed it right to speak up.

” Diane I am going to stab you sixteen times if you don’t can it” Hunter roared but that wasn’t enough for me.

” You’re gonna stab me but she’s got a running mouth. She needs to can it too or I’d teach it to her” Diane rattled and crossed her arms.

” You honestly can’t teach what you don’t know” I retaliated and that looked like the straw to her patience.

” okay, that’s it” Hunter began and walked to where I was seated ” Iris, come with me” he said and stretched out his right hand to me.

Reluctantly, I accepted his arm and finally turned to send a glare to Diane as Hunter led me into another room.

” Next time, you shouldn’t respond to her” he started after we walked into a smaller room with a little bed set down at the corner next to a single framed window.

” She started it”

” I know. I’m sorry about that”

“I am still angry with you for not having the courtesy of telling me what you discussed with Mr Reid or even deciding to go find Louisa on your own without informing me. What the hell is wrong with you Hunter!?”

” I didn’t know how to. Plus I didn’t want you to come along”

” You didn’t want me to come along?? So you expected me to sit back and watch someone else watch my daughter?”

” Our daughter. And I didn’t want you to come because I’m traveling far.”

” Where are we traveling to?”

Hunter actually released a chuckle after my statement.

What was funny? Even I have no idea.

“You said we. You aren’t even certain if I’d still allow you tag along”

” I wasn’t actually seeking your opinion on that”

” Duly noted” he smirked ” We… Are taking a trip to Da lat, Vietnam”

” Vietnam?? Why so far?”

” Cause that’s where our problem is”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“H-” I started but he didn’t allow me finish.

“I’d tell you all about it on our journey tomorrow but for now you’ve gotta sleep. You don’t look so good either” Hunter said as he placed a hand on my forehead.

” You’re burning up” his brows scrunched up while he looked me in the eye.

” I don’t feel so good” I actually didn’t.

” Have you had anything to eat today? I could microwave the pizza Diane and I left over”

At the mention of Diane I virtually got irritated again which caused him to laugh.

” We’d talk more about this tomorrow, for now you need to get some rest”

” I didn’t come with anything for the journey”

” You don’t need anything, Just yourself”

××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Hunter’s pov

” You need to sleep. The journey’s long” Diane said as she drank on a glass of wine.

She was always fond of that, Diane hated silence. It always seemed to her like a vice against her sanity.

Its like Soldo knew about this special talent cause whenever he wanted to carry out a mission in a party, Diane was his agent.

Then he’d tell me ” You’re the only one who can control her, I’d like you on this too”

The memory brought a little smile on my lips.

Diane wasnt always controllable by me. She’d always insist on getting at least three glasses of alcohol before carrying out the mission in every party.

And I’d have to stand by and watch those three glasses turn to eleven.

Sometimes the amount of liquid this lady takes into her system surprises me. If I were her, I’d have popped.

Cause till today she still got the habit.

“I can’t sleep” I replied as I laid on the couch and stared at the ceiling, purposely taking deep breaths to know if I could at least fall into a light slumber.

” what’s funny?” She asked, obviously noticing my smile.

I only shrugged in response and another brief silence befell us

” You’d be fine. Just don’t give out yourself”

How easy was that? Hiding from someone you have no idea where he’s looking from.

I’ve never been more perturbed in my entire life.

” I know”

” Well you seem disturbed”

” I’m supposed to be”

” Yeah.. But you weren’t as troubled till Milis came along”

“Diane you know her actual name is Iris, stop trying to get on my nerves”

She actually started laughing. I don’t know how, but it got me laughing too.

” I like her”

” why are you telling me?” I asked and turned my head in her direction.

“I feel like”

” Okay. Good for you” returning back to my original position.

” You’re worried cause of her”

” Diane I think you’re the one who should do the sleeping, you’re talking bullshit”

” Am I?”

” Yes you are. Goodnight”

” You know how dangerous this is, what if. Just what if…”

” What if what?”

” What if she doesn’t make it out alive?”

” I’m gonna save Louisa and she’s going to be alive and well when I do”

” I’m talking about Iris. What if something happens to her and she doesn’t make it out alive”

“Nothing would happen to Iris”

” You better make sure. Cause she seems like your obvious weakpoint”