Chapter 9

• Claire took her phone and dialed Cameron's number earlier that Saturday.
• A sleepy voice answered on the fifth bring. "Hello?"
• "Hello, Jake? I am so sorry to bother you this early. This is Claire. May I speak to Cameron?"
• "Sure Claire, everything alright?"
• "It's fine, I just need to talk to Cameron for a minute."
• After a few seconds of rumbling with the phone, Cameron came on the line. "Claire, what's wrong?"
• "Charlie came here yesterday night."
• "Wait, what?"
• "He threatened me and wanted to take my life, I won't be able to come over today and please tell your daughter I will make it up to them, next time."
• "Calm down and talk to me slowly." She said and Claire exhaled.
• "I will be at the hotel for now and don't look for me at home."
• "But how is that possible? How could he have found you? You couldn't even reach him for a year and he found you? You should report this to the police."
• Claire has been hoping to avoid a phone call to the police. She doesn't want them to bring up the case about her family again. "No, I shouldn't. I think all I have to do right now is lay low. I will call you again when I know when I'll be at the hotel."
• "Okay. Have you told Elijah?"
• "Elijah? Why should I do that?"
• "He is your boss and he could help you. You should call him so you won't be alone."
• Cameron made it sound so romantic... in some way having Elijah with her will be comforting: at least he could help. But she shouldn't trust him or ask him for help. She could always depend on Louis.
• "I have to go now," Claire said. "I will talk to you soon." She hung up before Cameron could ask more questions.
• Claire scrolls through her phone directly until she found Louis's number.
• He answered on the third ring, his voice as crisp and alert as if he'd been expecting a call. "Claire, is something wrong?"
• The concern in his voice brought a knot of tears to her throat.
• "Can I get a reservation at your hotel? I know it is expensive but I will make sure to pay. I just need a place to stay for a few days."
• "Is something wrong? What happened to your house?"
• "The rain spoilt a lot of things and the house won't be comfortable to sleep in." She lied.
• "Okay. I should be able to get you a room and you don't need to pay for it. I'm always here when you need me."
• "Thank you so much, Louis." She hung the phone up and went into her bedroom.
• Claire shoved underwear, a change of clothes, and a few cosmetics into a bag. She added a phone charger.
• Charlie will definitely come back but before then, she needed to hide and Elijah doesn't even need to find out about what is going on in her life. He might complicate things.
• If she let herself think too much about why happened, she might fall apart.
• She called a cab and he drove her to Hotel Deluxe. The same hotel her male friend owns.
• When she got there, Louis already prepared her to stay and her bag was taken in by the workers. She had taken a small bag that could last her for like a week.
• She smiled the moment she saw him. She wasn't expecting to be back here so soon. "Thank you for helping me out."
• "What are friends for? Besides Elijah will be happy I helped."
• "What?"
• "Oh, wow." He remembered she doesn't know about their friendship. "Your boss is a very close friend of mine."
• "Please don't tell him about this." She begged and he nodded.
• "Your room key." He handed it to her.
• "Room 314? This is the master bedroom."
• "This is the only vacancy left and I hope you enjoy your time here." He said.
• She smiled. "Thank you." She adjusted the scarf around her neck so he won't see the scar but she was never a fan of those things and Louis knew that too but kept quiet. She must have her reasons.
• She took the elevator and went straight to her room.
• And after her bags were brought in, she went into the bathroom to take a warm bath.
• ***
• Elijah sat down on the sofa in the hotel room thinking about what his brother had said about Claire. She was in danger and he wouldn't want her to sleep in her house for another minute.
• Everything about her life was hidden, where she lived, who she met with, who her friend was, except the fact that he figured she was Mr. Hutton's daughter.
• His phone rang and it was Claire. Right, she doesn't know he was the Elijah she always talks to on the phone.
• He picked up and the moment she told him she left home due to leakage and booked a hotel room made him stand on his feet. She'd told him her room number and wished she could see him physically so they could stop talking over the phone. He didn't know what to say to her. He just told her he wished he could help and after some time, she hung up the phone.
• She was in the room next to his, how could Louis have thought of doing that? Well, he did him a favor but what if she sees him? She'd have thought he was being immoral and thought he brought in a girl. He didn't want her to think that.
• He had a home of his own but just thought hanging out at his friend's hotel would help him think better. His brother had crossed the line.
• He sat down back, thinking of how he would help her. He couldn't tell his father about what his brother was trying to do again and neither could he get his mother involved. It was Claire's fight but he was willing to help.