Loved

Iris’s P. O. V.

” If I had a say in this, I’d like to wonder why you were called?” Edward said after a yawn.

We were already driving down to the address Chance had given over the phone.

The road was too quiet and except for a few bodies moving in corners and Shadow’s whom I presume to be notorious teenagers, nothing else was found.

The half Moon illuminated the road as well as the street lights and our car moved somewhat slowly with me in the passenger seat.

” Huh?”

” I mean it’s midnight and that alley is notorious for all things not positive, so why would Chance call up a lady specifically you at this time to come get Hunter?” He explained further but his voice was extremely hoarse.

” Maybe cause I was the nearest contact he could reach?”

” I don’t believe that. Mr Chance is very good friend of Hunter that we all know of, he could have called me with Hunter’s phone or better still with his phone because I’m pretty sure Chance has my number”

Now I just became scared.

I never analyzed it this way before.

Yeah, I was startled that of all people to call at this hour it was me despite Hunter and I not being on right terms.

But this throws a whole new light to the situation.

” You don’t think they’re gonna hurt me right?”

They can’t. Mr McConnell would have their heads if my parents don’t do it first.

” Mr Chance I’m sure won’t touch you but I’ll advise to stay away from Hunter. A drunk Hunter in the presence of whom he’s angry at isn’t a good fit”

How does he know he’s angry with me? Is it that obvious?

I gulped and remained silent all through the rest of our ride.

We got to the club in a few minutes and the Sal Paulo building seemed lifeless.

All lights surrounding it were put out and the place looked closed down for the night.

I just elevated from scared to terrified.

” Err- Edward?”

” Hold on a minute. This is a two four seven operating business so there must be a genuine reason as to why it’s closed. Let me call Chance”

Edward pulled out his phone from the holding compartment and after a few taps on the screen, he held it up to his ear.

” Hello…. Yes………. We’re outside……. But the place is closed……… Uhun…… okay, we’ll wait” went his brief conversation on the phone.

” What did he say?”

” He’s coming out now”

” That doesn’t explain why the place is locked”

” He said they paid the owner to shut down because of an emergency” He turned off the car and stepped out.

Within seconds, I followed suit.

Chance stepped out of the building after a minute and walked up to us.

” Edward thanks for coming with” he acknowledged and Edward in return only gave a firm nod.

” Why’s the place closed up?” My curiosity getting the better of me.

” After Hunter got drunk he kinda became … Uh…. violent, so I paid the owner to wrap up for the night and say nothing” he explained and gestured with his hands for us to follow him back into the building.

I looked to Edward for confirmation and he nodded in agreement, so the three of us walked into the isolated club with me inching towards Edward.

When we walked in, the place was an utter mess.

A few glass tables were broken, spilled drinks everywhere, sofas and stools were turned over whilst the windows looked shattered.

You could barely almost sight a bare floor to step on.

Then we heard him. Hunter’s voice from another room within the building.

‘ why? Why!? Just to avoid falling in love with him but she had to. Everything is just lost. All lost’

He sounded like he was sobbing and I felt a sting in my chest.

All this just because I may have ruined a deal for him?

“Where is he?” Edward asked clearly bothered about the situation of things.

” Third floor. I think he’s throwing up in a toilet” Chance pointed to the stairs and Edward rushed in the direction.

” What actually happened?” I asked, this view looks like a mortal combat war took place in here.

” Like I said, Hunter got a little violent after he got drunk. I made the manager order everyone to leave. Including himself and say nothing”

The perks of being rich.

I nodded and continue to examine the area and one thing caught my eye.

Blood.

Blood was streaked across a table and it wasn’t little.

” Did he hurt himself?” I asked and moved closer to the crimson stained glass.

” Yes. But he’s all bandaged up” Chance replied.

Hunter was screaming again and I think it’s cause he’s seen Edward.

Please don’t tell my father. Please Edward don’t tell him.

I cringed at his words. They actually seem pained and under panic.

What exactly could this deal have meant to him?

I looked to Chance only to find him staring at me with examining eyes.

” Chance why was I called here?” If it was only to get Hunter, Edward was right he could have just called him himself.

” I needed someone who will actually come and not go on about how irresponsible we are” he shrugged and walked up to the bar table that is the only clear surface in the room.

” That’s not true. You wouldn’t care if you were told to be irresponsible. You’ve been told that quite a couple of times” I folded my arms and walked up to his side.

Chance chuckled and moved his eyes to scan my face.

” He was right when he said you’re good at analysing situations”

Is the ‘he’ Hunter?

Then he confirmed my suspicion. ” Yes, I did have other reasons but looking at you now I’m having second thoughts about it”.

” So my coming here will be a waste?”

“Probably” he shrugged.

” I’m not leaving here till you spill” I glared at him and he matches my look.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

” Edward will make you”

” He’s not here yet”

” I’m not saying”

” Chance, don’t test my patience. I promise you it isn’t long”

He laughed at my threat and raised his both hands in surrender.

” Fine. Since you asked”

I hummed and waited for him.

” Have you ever wondered why this deal meant a lot to Hunter?”

I internally rolled my eyes.

He’s actually going to try and convince me to stay away from Mason too?

I’d like to see him try.

” Yes. Like literally every day since the dealed was accepted”

” Well, let me start from the beginning. Jules, Hunter is in debt”

Debt? His accounting information looks perfect to me.

” What do you mean by debt? I’m his secretary in case you’ve forgotten”

” I’m fully aware of your position, but by debt I mean drug debts”

Drug? Did he just say drug debts?

” Hunter did drugs?”

Hunter was literally your bad boy in high school but I had no fucking idea he did drugs. Those could land him in jail.

” Don’t act all confused, you of all people should know that Hunter wasn’t really the best in his past”

That I agree.

” Yes, but I never knew he did drugs”

” He also dealt them, under one particular guy named Soldo”

” What?”

” Here’s the full story. Years ago Hunter not only took drugs but also dealt them. He marketed for Soldo to well known politicians and public figures for millions. Due to his parents iconic personality he had access to those people and the goods were delivered easy. One day his Dad caught him with satchels of pot worth at least a billion, then his Dad destroyed the drugs and threatened him with his future career, saying he wouldn’t have a hand in his business in future. Threatened to send him to a Rehabilitation home but Hunter promised to stop and his father let it go”

All the hairs on my skin stood erect as the room dropped below zero degrees to me.

” But you know what they say, once an addict always an addict. Hunter had become addicted to the drugs and found it difficult to stop taking them though he stopped dealing. He started using his allowances to buy his drugs from elsewhere because he had actually lost money from the pot his dad destroyed so he could never go back to Soldo.”

Chance rubbed his head and I can see this story isn’t one he loved to tell, but he continued still.

” Some months ago, Hunter received a package. Wanna know what was inside? Pictures… Lots and lots of photos of Hunter smoking weed, sniffing cocaine and many others. All these photos were taken after Hunter’s Dad had warned him to stay away from the habit and the person dropped a letter off, saying he’s got more where those photos came from and will leak them to his dad and the authorities unless he paid back the billions he had lost because of him with an eight hundred and fifty million dollar commission”

” How do you know they were taken after the warning?” I stopped his story to digest the hidden notes.

” There was this art club Mr McConnell sent Hunter to, so he could train his talent and abandon the habit for drugs after he had found out. Hunter used the site to his advantage because his Dad will never suspect foul play in the extra curricular he sent Hunter to. So all the photos were taken there. His dad will definitely know it was after his warning”

I was still confused.

” So how does Mr Reid fit into this?” I asked Chance who already looked exhausted.

” Mr Reid used to be a feared drug dealer in the day, but with time he quit but still has influence over some crooks in the business”

” So why go into a business deal with Reid? Why not just ask him for help? They do seem particularly fond of him” my questions are only to calm down my scared mind.

” Approaching Mr Reid on his past life, he may not likely answer, but once Hunter starts to work with him, Reid would want to keep a good name and his partner being accused of illegal deeds is most likely to create traces to him and he wouldn’t want that seeing it’s also a secret for him. So he’ll obviously pull some strings in the tyrant world and do whatever he can to silence them while Hunter pays off the debt” these explanations keep opening doors for more questions.

” How sure are you that Mr Reid was truly a dealer in the past?”

” Once you get in that circle, you’ll get to know everyone around you. Those you should beware of and never dare to cross. Mr Reid was one of those”

” Why can’t Hunter just pay them their debts in bits? He has enough money to do so.”

” Is it amusing that you’re his secretary and never noticed Hunter’s account is jointed with the company’s account?”

” Huh?”

What is really happening in the world?

” Even though Hunter’s Dad held his son by his words, he couldn’t be too careful. So back then he reduced Hunter’s allowances to half even if it didn’t stop him, it limited what he could afford. And now that Hunter has the business, Mr McConnell connected Hunter and the company’s account together, so he could monitor Hunter’s money usage. If over a billion should go missing his Dad may secretly go digging and find out”

That explains what his Dad said before I arrived here.

” And keep an eye on him, he may be carrying out illicit deals under my nose and for all I know he’s capable”

His Dad still has a doubtful side.

” But how does he intend to pay back?” Knowing he can’t use his own account.

” One of the perks of working with Mr Reid is the fact that the money belong to both Reid and Hunter, meaning the money can’t get to the company’s account . Hunter and Reid would open a new joint account for it’s cause. If Reid agrees to help, he will have no problem with Hunter using their money”

I was dumb. This was the reason behind Hunter’s recent behavior.

He had a perfect plan and I just screwed it up effortlessly.

I heard grunting sounds and I turned to see Edward carrying a passed out Hunter down the steps.

He slung one of Hunter’s arms around his neck and used his other arm to firmly hold his body in place.

” I don’t know what drinks you guys had that made Hunter hallucinate and lose his mind but I don’t want that happening again. Miss Jules I’ll be in the car”

Edward dragged Hunter out of the building with obvious anger towards the both men very clear in his eyes and I felt more guilty than I ever had in my life.

Hunter wasn’t someone I should help, but I’m not someone to revenge.

” Does Edward know?” I whispered to Chance with my voice almost cracked as I watched them leave the scene.

” No. No one does. I’m even lucky he told me. And here’s the funny part”

There’s more?

” If Hunter tries to get any authorities involved, they’re gonna kill him. They stated their plans very clearly on the note they sent to him”

” If Hunter reports to the authorities won’t he be in trouble too?”. He was a dealer in the past too.

” Yes, but confessing to a past indulgence is only going to cost him a fine. But if those guys leak this to the authorities he’s up for at least ten years in jail” Chance stood up from his seat and dusted his shirt.

” But it’s all in the past”

” These guys can manipulate anything. Right now Hunter isn’t safe. Jules he needs this deal and I know he’s going to kill me for telling you this story but I had to so you’d see what it’s causing for him. Hunter is my friend and he only wants your distance from Mason temporarily, once this is done you guys can go ahead”

” Then why was he so calm, I mean he’s literally on a death seal” why didn’t he try something bigger than what he’s been trying.

” It’s like he’s accepted fate. He knew one day everything will be out. He said he’s been trying to get you away from Mason but you never listened, so he made two options. Take it to the police and get killed or let them do whatever they want and lose his job, his money, his freedom for at least ten years if not more and lose his dad’s trust. He’s done trying to save himself”

If there was a dagger in my heart before, it just twisted.

Hunter was willing to lose everything just to let me be.

” Why would he do that?” I questioned.

” Do what?”

” Lose everything just to let me and Mason be”

Chance chuckled at my words and spoke softly.

” Hunter has been my friend for years and if there’s one thing I know, it’s Hunter actually has a heart despite how hard that may be to believe for you. But I assume everything he did, he’s doing or he’s willing to do all have a reason. You should ask him why”

Yeah like he’s ever going to give me an answer.

” Jules, I should get going. And I want you to think about what I just told you. I’m not telling you anything, but I’m giving you a floor to make your choice”

Is there even a choice to make?

” How are you gonna get home?” I asked him as he started walking away.

” I’ll order up a cab or call my driver. Don’t worry about it”

” You can use his car and return it later. He won’t mind right?”

” Hmmm… Sounds like a great idea. Thanks.”

” Yeah.. goodnight Chance.”

He laughed and I raised a brow in confusion.

” That’s the second time you’ve called my name since I’ve known you.” He glanced round with a smirk on his lips. ” This place is gonna cost a lot to fix huh?” His smirk still evident before he looks at me for the last time.

” Good night Jules”

And he walked out, afterwards I followed and everyone drove home.