Chapter 4 Don't follow me!

• Grandpa! How could he even think about doing this to me? My eyes welled up, and I desperately tried to push them back, not wanting anyone to see them. I couldn't believe my grandpa hated me so much that he now wanted me dead. It had to be that. He wouldn't have thought about involving the media when he was aware of what could happen to me after that.
• "Why does it sound worse than calling the police on her?" Our boss laughed while gesturing to us, "Bring our drinks up here."
• Mr. Kennedy was staring at me sternly when I didn't move an inch from my place, and Ronnie had to cover for me while Beckett again scolded me under his breath, taking that wine bottle from my hand, "Now, I am not letting you serve them this drink."
• Swallowing the lump in my throat, I lowered my gaze and took my position behind the counter to prepare the drinks. My colleagues asked me if I was okay. Still, I refused to answer anything from them, just put all my focus on mixing drinks to make cocktails for the ladies at the party, and kept my ears on those businessmen to know more about grandpa and also about that man named Bash.
• "For the stalking, this girl should be thrown in jail rather than bringing her into the spotlight." One of them commented, at which Bash laughed, whose back was facing me. I wished I had my glasses on. Then I wouldn't have to struggle to see his face.
• "But the stalker girl deserves it. When I say this, I mean everything I am telling you all. I have never met someone so shameless who looks proud of the unethical job she has been doing for god knows how long." I frowned at the colorful drinks I was pouring into the glasses. That Bash sounded even familiar, but why was he lying about me? "The only good thing I see about it is that I was not the one she had been stalking but my would-be business partner in this city, where I require this man's permission first before his agreement of signing the contract with me about opening one branch of my BlueBerry Clubhouse whose headquarters is in Dallas."
• One of the women said as she asked teasingly, "So, Bash. When are you planning to propose to my cousin? After her parents fixed her marriage to somewhere else?"
• Bash faked a pain in his tone when he said, "It's my birthday, and you are asking me about buying a ring for my girlfriend?"
• Another woman joined, "You see the decoration. . .she did that for you. The jet lag tired us all, but she comes here to prepare everything for you. Since junior high, she has always been by your side, but you still don't have time to give her a wedding."
• "Allow him to catch some breath, girls." Mr. Kennedy laughed, "Everything in this city is taking a toll on him."
• "How do you even live here, Roberto? It's too hot in this city." Bash huffed a breath as if he was having a hard time in this city, and I tried not to roll my eyes at him, thinking, "No one is asking you to stay, sir. Why don't you allow us to give you a lift to the airport?"
• Sounding worried, he asked about his girlfriend, "Why isn't she still here? You told me she would be here anytime. Is she okay?"
• I had been here since morning for the decor, but I didn't see anyone coming in to look at the arrangements. All thanks to mom, who kept me at her side all the time while arranging dad's meetings and events to keep my boyfriend away from her naive Milena. I had no idea why mom took me to a gynecologist until she brought up the matter of putting me on birth control in front of Jason's mother.
• And the rest is history.
• Anyways, after overhearing their conversation, I could predict how I would end up if I went to grandpa's place again. He had been planning what I had no idea about, but I could tell why he decided to take this extreme step when he knew what the outcome would be when so many people had seen me because of my mother, who always kept me in the spotlight, going against my dad's wishes.
• A chorus of hooting took me out of my thoughts, and I caught the couple of the night who stole the show.
• My face warmed up, knowing they were kissing, even when I couldn't see anything because of Bash, whose back blocked the view from me. How could anyone do that when I questioned the ground's existence for not swallowing me whole when my boyfriend used to plant kisses on my cheeks in public, ignoring my mother's warning eyes, my dad's icy glares, and his mother's disapproving look?
• "We have to take the cake there," Olga said as she placed a big cake on a chair behind the counter.
• "Will you carry this for them, Elias?"
• Andréia asked, unpacking the box while another female worker started arranging the rose petals and candle on the trolley.
• "No, I have to make the drinks. . ." Showing the mixture and the list, I sighed in dismay. "They are asking for what I never heard of, girls. So, be careful when you push it in the center as the floor is slippery, and then the water. Ask the other guys if- "
• There was no way I would do more for Bash. If I knew that the arrangement was for someone who would spread rumors about me being an ambitiously shameless woman, I would have said no to my manager's face. And now they hoped to carry the cake for him!
• "That's fine, no issues!" Olga laughed it off. Looking at me hopefully, Andréia asked, "Do you need a hand?"
• "No, I am all set."
• Quickly, I placed a few glasses of cocktails on a tray and took them for the ladies on resting chairs. They had been waiting for a while now, and I was grateful to them for being understanding with me instead of turning a blind eye to the crisis here.
• The party went on, and no one brought up my family in their conversation again, which put me at ease.
• I, along with the other colleagues, who came early for work, immediately left the pool as soon as the manager sent a few servers to replace us. That man was an annoying but thoughtful person who covered for us if we were in trouble.
• After changing into my hoodie, I left the locker room with my backpack and headed to take the elevator. I was so exhausted and hungry that I wiped off my makeup and put on my glass as I tucked the cap down to hide my face completely.
• The elevator door opened, and I thought about stepping in but froze when a man suddenly appeared behind me, sneering, "You!"
• Huh? I frowned, but then I decided to ignore whoever it was. Stepping inside the elevator, I turned around, but the man grasped my shoulder only to pull me out as he growled in my face, "Who let you into this private club?"
• My eyes widened when they met with a pair of icy green orbs.
• That birthday boy, he was, who talked nonsense about me.
• But why does he look familiar to me?
• He couldn't be that celebrity guy on that bus, could he?
• But he sounded like that guy, and that faint cut on his perfectly shaped eyebrow looked the same.
• Oh, hell!
• I stammered in fright, "So. . .sorry, sir. But I don't know you."
• How am I supposed to recognize this man when he had his facemask and dark shades on that day?
• "You followed me here!" Looking at me with rage, he glowered, "How dare are you?"
• My heart dropped in the pit of my stomach, seeing him fishing out his phone from his jacket.
• "No, sir, please. Believe in me. Please. I am not that kind of girl." I begged as I tried to pry his grip over my shoulder.
• "I know what kind of girl you are!" He laughed, but that didn't reach his eyes. "You got the photos of us with you, don't you?" He didn't wait for my response and pushed me inside the elevator. "Wait till the police arrive here. I won't leave you today until I send you to where you belong, lass."
• Do something, Millie. Think of a way to get rid of this man before he sends you behind the bar.
• My subconscious screamed in my mind, and I saw the man tapping on the switch panel.
• Adrenaline rushed into me, and I began sweating like hell in anticipation in my chest. I thought of doing something, but nothing came to my mind, and no matter what I said, he was not taking any, as he believed in his intuition that I had been stalking him.
• The door slowly started to close, and I saw the door of hell opening for me.
• If he took me to the first floor, I would lose my job and put my life at stake. Suddenly, an idea popped into my mind, and I wasted no time kicking his legs, and seeing him off guard, I shoved him out of the elevator before the door closed in his face.
• "Fuck!" The last thing I heard from him as he looked at me with astonishment in his eyes.
• My heart was beating loudly against my ribcage in fear still. The man could easily catch me if he took the stairs.
• As the elevator door opened, I ran out and dashed towards the back door quickly after pushing the crowd away from me. Thankfully, I didn't bring my motorcycle with me today, so I could manage it if the manager asked us to gather in the office the next day at work.
• "That's her! Catch her fast!"
• I heard his voice and footsteps approaching me in the passage behind the club.
• My cheeks paled, and I fastened my pace before the men behind me caught me, but then, I bumped into someone.
• I looked up, and my heart missed a beat, recognizing the woman was that man's girlfriend.
• Is she here to catch me?
• My throat went dry.
• The possibility was so high that I started taking my mother's name in my mind.
• But this woman proved me wrong when she left my way, but I regretted the moment I thought of thanking her, meeting her gaze.
• "Remember, you owe me, Emily." She smiled at me, which could put anyone at ease, but it freaked me out inside at some point that my breathing halted there. "We will meet soon."
• Then I fled with yet another threat to my life.