SHE'S BACK

That very morning, a call from Sam disrupted Eiryss' day as the maiden failed to get home after the small party they have at the Coittè resto-bar. Eiryss bombarded the team’s Head Director with multiple calls.

The Head Director went to the KCA building early in the morning. Eiryss' presence was already in the place who had arrived at the building earlier than him. The two of them are currently in an emergency meeting room while waiting for the production team that was with them last night at the resto-bar.

The Head Director made an emergency call to the team as Eiryss wouldn't stop calling and whining at him. His morning was disturbed by the manager's call. He was in the middle of an intense hangover when he arrived at the KCA building.

"For god's sake Eiryss, Sumire is old enough to be missing," the Head Director told the manager as his gaze followed Eiryss striding in the room to and fro.

"But she didn't answer my call and she also didn't go home. Sam also looked for her at possible Hotels where she could check in," Eiryss said hysterically as she walked unsteadily inside and visibly tense. "And we checked the CCTV at the resto-bar but the part was cleanly cut when we all went home. Isn't that very suspicious?" she added.

"Maybe their CCTV just malfunctioned or something, and besides, Sumire disappeared less than 24 hours ago. Who knows maybe she was with her friends."

Said the Head Director. Eiryss, on the other hand, looked at him with her teeth buried in her thumb. Face contorted in complete worries.

"Sumire has no friends." Eiryss firmly said.

"How about her cousin?" The Head Director asked. He was also getting stressed by Eiryss' restless actions. He gently massages his temple when a streak of headache hurt him.

"I called them but Sumire wasn't with them." Eiryss abruptly responded.

"Okay. We'll wait for the team to arrive. Settle down."

The Head Director just said and the manager agreed with him. While they were waiting for the arrival of the production team in the room, Eiryss never stopped calling Sumire's number but she always failed to reach her several times.

The Head Director unbelievably shook his head as he looked at the manager's troubled face.

"You know Eiryss, I think Engr. Aslanov has something to do with this. I think Sumire is with him right now. Engr. Aslanov is such a mysterious person. His existence is a definition of an enigma. Anywhere in the Brethren city, even here in the KCA building, have no records of his existence. Every recorded video or captured photo of his presence is completely erased after he leaves."

The Head Director suddenly said that Eiryss turn her attention to what he says. She frowned.

"Then do you have his number?" Eiryss asked hopefully.

"No one in this building has it." The Head Director abruptly replied.

"Do you know his address by chance?" Eiryss asked again.

"No," the Head Director sat down once when he felt dizzy. "Even the CEO doesn't have his address." He added once drinking a glass of water.

"That's utterly ridiculous. How can he reach out if there's an important meeting with the shareholders?" The manager asked, unable to believe what she just heard. Eiryss sat opposite the Head Director.

"To be honest, when he visited the set, that was the first time he set foot and showed up in the KCA building. His existence is unknown to none. About the emergency meeting, we don't know how he found out. He just sent his trusted men on behalf of his presence even if we didn't say anything yet. "

Long response of the Head Director that they fell into silence for a few seconds. But later the manager asked again.

"How did you all know that?"

"Because I am one of the shareholders," the Head Director revealed to her that Eiryss was slightly surprised. The manager was about to ask more questions when the door of the emergency meeting room burst open. The staffs who were obviously just awake and Trevor who was still looking handsome from any angle were spat on. He seems like he wasn't getting hammered last night.

"Damn, my head still hurts."

"I'm still sleepy,"

"I think I drank too much last night."

Murmurs of complaining as they enter the room. Everyone was already there except for Victoria Scarlet. The manager of the second lead actress made a video call and everyone saw Victoria lying unconscious in the hospital bed due to a severe fever last night. Victoria's manager didn't reveal Sumire's whereabouts as she was spending her night with Victoria in the hospital.

When the Head Director asked each of them they had only one answer: They do not know where Sumire is.

Trevor, on the other hand, was feeling uneasy in his position as he called someone on the phone but didn't pick up his calls. "Damn it!" The young man curses under his breath when his third call was rejected.

"Are you okay?" Eiryss asked, looking up at the man. Trevor was a tall man but his beauty and frame are nothing compared to the man who visited their set. The manager noticed his pallor.

"I am not. I was worried about Sumire. I've been calling her many times but she's out of reach. I've called my friend's police officer to look for her."

Trevor said while tapping Eiryss's shoulder to ease her down.

"Thank you," Eiryss gratefully bowing her head slightly. 'I hope she's really okay.' the manager silently prayed.

"It's peculiar how I got drunk even if I had a high tolerance in any alcohol. If I hadn't knocked out, I would have watched her," Trevor said having his hand fisted on his side. "I feel like it's partly my fault. I should have been taking care of her last night." He added and gritted his teeth.

"No, no, no. Don't blame yourself. After all, Sumire is my responsibility," Eiryss disagreed with him. A hint of concern for the maiden can be heard in her voice. She bowed disappointingly. "I should have stayed on her side. Now that she went missing that's because of my negligence."

The Head Director who was quietly listening to them on their side just shook his head. With the tinge of worrisome and guilt in their voices, how could these two assume as if Sumire was no longer in the world?

Everyone gathers at the large oblong table of the emergency meeting room in search of the maiden. While others were busy calling someone to ask for help, suddenly the two doors to the emergency room opened widely which made everyone slightly flinch in surprise in their respective seats.

Stunned, the fresh and breathtaking beauty of the maiden captivates everyone in the room. She was in a beige-white dress. Her cheeks are slightly blushed and her hair is wetly disheveled. She strides through the place blooming and collected.

"Good morning." Sumire greeted the staffs who were awestruck by her presence in the room.

It was like a Goddess walked past through them who shone into gold. Everyone fell into deafening silence. They all follow her through their scrutinizing gazes as she sashayed towards the direction of the Head Director, next to her manager who was standing dumbfounded and Trevor staring at her.

Everyone turned their gaze in Eiryss's direction. Eyes filled with mixed emotion. The emergency call turned out to be a hoax.

Shocked, when they saw Sumire looking fine and graceful, her face devoid of traces from the abduction. The maiden probably even had a better morning than anyone else in the room. Anger at the same time at Eiryss who disturbed them early in the morning.

Eiryss awkwardly smiled. "Hehe, it's a prank ..." Flushed in embarrassment, Eiryss said almost in a whisper. She was swallowed up by the intense shame she felt. The Head Director slap on his forehead in disbelief and Trevor was relieved to see the maiden was in good condition.

"What is happening? Why are you all gathering here? I thought there was no taping." Sumire's asked while eyes darted at everybody sitting. She had no idea what is going on.

"There was no shooting today but Eiryss has ugly pranks." The Assistant Director said and Sumire raised an eyebrow and looked at the manager.

"What prank? Can I join?" Sumire asked again.

"You're actually in it. You just don't know." The Assistant Director seconded. The other staff remain their piercing looked at Eiryss who was now shrinking back against the wall.

"Let's just forget about it. Just pretend it didn't happen." Eiryss said and look shyly away. She couldn't meet their angry stares at her.

"What do you mean to forget?" Sarcastic remarks by fat staff who obviously lack sleep. He had a pair of black circles beneath his eyes.

"There should be compensation here for disrupting our morning." Another fatty guy butts in.

"You've ruined our supposedly rest day," complaints the other staff sitting on the edge of the table.

Sumire release an audible sigh when she come to realize what Eiryss had done. She looked at the manager. "You're doing it again," said the maiden as she took her gold card from her wallet.

"Here." Sumire dropped her card on the table and the staff was stunned. Jaw-dropped and eyes almost pop out from their sockets seeing the card right in their eyes. "Treat yourselves. You can buy anything you want with this card. Properties, cars, houses etcetera." She added. Everyone mouthed at one another "wow.."

Trevor, who was now standing next to her chuckled. "Perks of being rich." He said amused looking at the maiden.

"Oh, I almost forgot." The maiden muttered to herself, flinching when she almost forgot about someone with her. Eiryss looked at her in surprise.

Sumire quickly went to the glassed window, opened it, and looked down. They were on the third floor of the building. She immediately saw Mort standing gorgeously in the lobby. Beneath the voluminous black trenchcoat he was wearing lies an expensive business suit. He is looking so dangerously handsome. His two big palms rested in his pocket.

She shouted. "Hey, I am fine now. You can go."

Mort looked up and their eyes met made Sumire slightly gasp. She even clutched the chest where her heart was pounding in an unrhythmic manner. She can't help but be overwhelmed whenever his emerald eyes met hers. There is something magical that lies beneath those orbs of green that made her spellbind.

The maiden was unaware that the rest of the team was now looking down at the lobby. Others couldn't help but admire Mort's godly beauty. Forbidding and aloof, he quite emerges as a distinct personality. Like a nigh-omnipotence presence, he radiates death and terror.

The handsome hunk locked his eyes only on one person from above wearing a white dress.

"He feels like Death waiting for us to jump."

"If Death is as handsome as him, I'm willing to die right now."

"Well, I will offer my eternal life to him."

Sumire slightly frowned at what she heard. Waves of praises and adoration for the man downstairs lingered in the room. The staff was about to wave to greet him when Mort turned his back on them and came out of the revolving door of the building. The maiden even saw Mort's one last glance at her before he got into his phantom car and left the place.

Mort headed directly to CION Brothel. The Brethren has now started to get lively. As the man hit the city's road, a call from his secretary, Klauss suddenly interrupted him.

"Boss, we've arrested Vladimir's personal assistant. We're just waiting for your presence here." Klauss said while looking at the man whose face was covered in black cloth, chained on the chair under the golden light of the red dim room. They are currently at the Underground Zero of the CION brothel while waiting for the Boss.

Mort immediately turned off the call and had another number dialed, his younger sister, Mischa.

"What do you mean by coming?" Without beating the bush, Mort's greeted Mischa with a direct question. Pair of emerald eyes focused seriously on the road.

"You just called me for that?" A cute with a hint of sarcastic tone can be heard on the other line. His sister was known for being a spoiled brat.

"Yes," Mort replied straightforwardly. He can hear Mischa sighing audibly on the other side.

"I heard that Grandpa will visit you along with the heiress of the Forbes Clan," Mischa reported that Mort's jaw clenched and ended up the call. Grips tightened on the steering wheel.