Chapter 18! Spotted!

In her white Chevrolet Corvette, Paige sped along the road wishing she could actually fly. The thought of Jeremy Pope sending a distress call filled her with so much dread she didn't dare think along the line of the worst case scenario.

Jeremy never asks for help but when he does, he adds benefits. Therefore, to receive a distress call from the one guy who never asks for anything makes it too terrifying to think that someone like him ended up being out of options and could only reach out to her. Paige always pictured a day when Jeremy would ask for her help. However, when it finally came, she was too scared to revel in the joy of assisting the one person she could never repay for his kindness.

Receiving all sorts of curses on the road did not deter Paige in the slightest bit as Price Pharmaceuticals was her only goal at the moment.

Lieutenant Spark looked at the scene and could not believe the sight before him. The media could not broadcast anything either as the whole place was jammed and no one could make or receive calls. The very first conjecture of the media was 'terrorism'.

Even though they could not broadcast at the moment, nothing stopped them from taking shots in the meantime. 

Lieutenant Spark picked up his phone and attempted another phone call, all to no avail. The whole place is jammed and there is no telling when things might change. There may be another explosion aimed at them. Securing the area, the few fire fighters swiftly went about their duties as they couldn't call for back up either. 

Spotting the head of the fire team after making earlier enquiries, Macho, the head of security at Price Pharmaceuticals approached him and whispered into his ears what seemed like the best news ever. In Macho words, "All personnel evacuated the premises and had been moved to a safe location before the explosion occurred." There was no need to push his men into the unknown as no one knew if more was coming. Releasing the breath he never knew he was holding, the team leader ordered his men to tackle the fire with everything they got without holding back. 

Pulling to an abrupt stop, Paige Norton couldn't stop her shaking legs from moving on their own as she momentarily forgot about everything Jeremy had ever told her, including avoiding the cameras at all cost. Not knowing how she got closer to the scene or when she even alighted her vehicle, Paige felt a sudden sharp pain in her head and squatted down while holding her head in extreme agony. Flashes of the night a few years ago replayed before her where she received a call and reached for her phone only to see a blinding light so close she couldn't describe the pain that came afterwards when she woke up in the People's hospital in Leeds.

Not having a single sense of identity or any further knowledge of her current situation, she felt so stupid for the first time in her life and broke down in tears. Not knowing why she felt a sudden stabbing pain in her chest, Paige cried until an unfamiliar yet soothing presence engulfed her in a half embrace as her injuries were too severe for a tight hug. Lying on the hospital bed, she calmed down unknowingly and lifted her head to look into the most peaceful eyes she had ever seen.

There was just something about the eyes that drew her in and she had the sudden urge to get closer to the person, to know him more. She felt familiar and unfamiliar at he same time but the frustration associated with her memory loss never appeared again from that day onwards.

Jeremy Pope became her only family and confidante. The only person she could smile to and feel no strain at all. Paige is not romantically inclined towards Jeremy but she loves him in a way she could never explain. Just like the product of a hatched egg feels familial love towards the first presence it feels upon breaking free from the confinement of the egg, Paige feels same towards Jeremy Pope. He was her only family.

The influx of memories really took her by surprise but PaIge could not bother about why she reacted so strongly to the sight before her.

In her groggy state of agony, Paige could vaguely hear the team leader speak of everyone being safe and encouraging her about the safety of any relative she might have in Price Pharmaceuticals. No one could blame him for thinking Paige was in pain over the supposed loss of a loved one in Price Pharmaceuticals. It worked anyway because she was pulled back from her memories.

Holding him for support, Paige stood to her feet from her squatting position as she processed the scene before her and things became clearer, she realised there was media presence as well as other people with various devices for recording. 

Thanking the team leader, Paige walked with her head bowed to avoid the cameras while moving towards Lieutenant Spark and showing her identification. Unfortunately, the few seconds between her rising from her feet to bowing her head accidentally got captured by a nearby camera which was focused on the work of the firemen.

Giving her uninterrupted access to the scene, Lieutenant Spark reminded  Paige to ask for anything she might need and she nodded in assent and got to work. Reversing everything in an agonising eight munites, Paige felt that the jamming system deployed at the scene seemed quite familiar but couldn't place her hands on where the familiarity stemmed from. Shrugging the strange feeling away, she proceeded to find Jeremy and located his signal not far away from her. 

Lieutenant Spark watched  in awe as Paige did her work and left without sparing anyone as much as a glance. Thinking back to when she displayed the badge that gives her access to almost anywhere and a clearance level much higher than his division boss and she was only in her early twenties. He thought to himself that she must really be good at her job. 

At the Browns cafe, Jeremy was not the least bit surprised to see Paige as he looked her up and down and could tell the fluctuations in her emotions that the rest could never detect. He motioned for her to move towards him and take a sit when Milady sprang to her feet and exclaimed in excitement "woooow! The ice queen is here." Everyone robotically turned to look at her with questioning gazes but she didn't bother to clarify a thing. 

Paige was really shocked to meet Milady at the moment but her expressionless face gave nothing away. When that ever smiling face appeared before her, she felt really warm in her heart. The worries that plagued her after regaining fragments of her memory earlier in the day were suddenly washed away without any effort. Everyone looked on but the two were in a world of their own as Paige held Milady's hands leading her to the sit right beside hers, pulling it out for her and taking a sit beside her.

As Paige briefed the group about her experience and subsequent conjecture,  Kimberley was addressing the press in front of Price Pharmaceuticals.

Reporter: Can you tell us what is happening here?

Kimberley: I don't know. I'm as confused as you are.

Reporter: Did you anticipate this happening?

Kimberley: Why would I?

Reporter: How come there were no casualties?

Kimberley: Were you expecting any? I don't know about you, but I am overjoyed at the turn of events.

Repprter: How come everyone evacuated so fast? It seems as though you saw this coming! 

Kimberley: Yeah, we did. We actually had an anonymous tip-off and acted on it even though it seemed weird and absolutely ridiculous at the time. Right now, we are all glad we did.

Reporter: What is the way forward for Price Pharmaceuticals?

Kimberley: We have deciided to give our workers some time off from work as we sort out the issues at hand. Counselling services will also be made available for everyone at the cost of the company. You will agree with me that this experience is  really a traumatic one.

Reporter: Does the sorting out include the law suit against Price Pharmaceuticals?

Kimberley: Like I said, we will sort out everything and provide a peaceful working environment for all our cherished employees.

Reporter: Why do we not see any other member of your family? This seems like a very big setback for your company.

Kimberley: Which particular members of my family would you prefer to have here addressing the media? 

At that statement, the whole place quieted down and Kimberley took that silence to make her own announcements.

"Price Pharmaceuticals belongs to more people than just the Price family. Thousands depend on the company for their survival and I promise them that not a single one of them will be left hanging. All employees will receive their due in this break period. And to anyone who is delusional enough to think that this will bring us to our knees, I promise you, we will come back stronger."

With a smile on her face, she continued "to our unknown informant, we thank you for saving our lives in such a timely manner. Price Pharmaceuticals will cherish the gift and give more hope to the hopeless through our drugs. I want to end on this note by saying that sickle cell anaemia will no more be a dilemma of any family. That I promise. Kimberley bowed to no one in particular to signify the end of the interview.

The whole place was in an uproar but Kimberley ignored all the commotion and walked back to her car and drove off under the protection of Macho and his other security team members. 

At the Browns restaurant, Kimberley walked in to meet the smiling faces of everyone as Jeremy stood up to pull a chair for her which she gladly took. It was clear they watched everything that just transpired.

Looking at him, Kimberley couldnt help but wonder if her employees and herself could have been part of the rubbles she saw at what used to be a giant sky scraper. No amount of words could explain her emotions at the moment.

Seeing her zone out, Jeremy grabbed Kimberley's hand beneath the table and squeezed it with just the right amount of force in a reassuring manner. Without being told, he knew exactly what she was thinking, as it was written all over her face. Throughout the meal, Kimberley felt like her ten year old self being saved once again but this time, she was saved by Jeremy.

Whiles the group enjoyed their meal in gratitude for avoiding a disaster, the world outside their private room was in an uproar.

Somewhere in Amsterdam 

Declan jumped to his feet and stared at his Television screen wide eyed, overjoyed, yet confllicted about what to do next. How will Paige react towards him if she gets to know the truth behind the death of her parents? The tag of being a cheat had not been removed from him either. The one thing he ever wanted so bad could slip through his hands even before he grabbed it. Seeing Paige after such a long time, even though it was just through a television screen, it made him scared out of his wits.

There was no telling about the turmoil in his heart at the moment. 

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