Chapter 4 To Find Peace Within

• ~… And to make amends with your heart, and find peace within.~
• After freshening up and putting the past behind, Rickard went back to the Mansion he shared with Hannah, got his stuffs and went back to his office. He spent the whole day neck deep in meetings and finishing up deals and tiger paperwork which had piled over the past week. Both his secretary, Claire and his vice president Ray Johnson were glad to have their boss back even though, in a robotic form.
• Rickard looked up from a contract he was proofreading and saw it was already Eight p.m. He decided to call it a day and grabbed the folder which had informations about various penthouses ready for sale. He planned on selling every property related to Hannah so as to completely get his mind off her.
• He wanted to see all his properties here in Manhattan and to start afresh.
• Just as he was about to grab his suit jacket, Claire knocked on the door and poked her head in.
• “I am about to leave now Ms. Claire, the rest can be discussed tomorrow.” He said as he shrugged on his suit jacket.
• “I can see that sir,” She said, then walked in to hand me a document, “But this came in three days ago. I was going to give you in the morning but it got buried underneath the documents I was mailing today. I apologize.”
• “It’s okay. You can also call it a day Claire.” Rickard said as he took the white document from her.
• Claire smiled and nodded as she left.
• Rickard’s heartbeat increased as his gaze focused on the documents content.
• SPRINGWORTH EAST HOSPITAL.
• Without even opening it, Rickard knew what it was. It was the medical bill of the abortion.
• Rickard tried to control the rage of fury that emitted from his body as he clenched his jaw and took deep breaths through his mouth.
• Richard chucked the envelop on his desk and strode out of the office with only one destination in mind.
• >>>>>>>>>>>
• Mirabel knew she was getting more than a little tipsy as the bartender handed her the fifth shot of vodka but she didn’t care. She needed something to dull the ache in her heart and the sense of lost.
• The past one week was a whirlwind of activity as she had prepared for the funeral and attended relatives and friends who came their grievances which promptly kept the hurt and loss at bay but today when Carl’s attorney read the will with only Sandra and herself in presence, it came as a blow in the chest for Mirabel. It was done. He was gone forever. A fresh wave of tears sprouted out despite her crying herself dry yesterday at the cemetery with Sandra.
• Carl had left the penthouse for Sandra, along with a letter, which after reading the letter left Sandra inconsolable. Rests of his assets were liquidated along with the funds left to him by their parents and his three bank accounts were merged and left in the name of Mirabel.
• After their meeting with Carl’s attorney, Mirabel had driven Sandra home am spent some time with her. When she left from there it was already six in the evening and without thinking, Mirabel had ended up in the bar, drinking away her sorrow.
• After her five vodka shots, Mirabel signaled the bartender and asked for whiskey, neat.
• The bartender handed it to her and said, “This is the last one for you pretty lady.”
• Mirabel threw back the whiskey and smiled at the bartender who seemed to be swaying in her field of vision.
• “You want me to call the taxi?”
• “Nahhh, I’m good.” She said as she got up from the stool and swayed away.
• “Yep! I’m totally fine.” She kept muttering to herself as she moved away from the bar. She was starting to feel suffocated in the bar with its dim light and too much laughter.
• She made her way outside. Once out of the bar in fresh air, her head cleared up a little. She could hold her alcohol well but not well enough to drive so she decided to flag down a taxi.
• She walked around the corner and slammed into a wall, well a chest that sure enough felt like a wall.
• Rickard stood at the corner of the street that led to the bar he had in mind. He had driven here in fury wanting to once again, numb himself with alcohol but once he reached, he got double minded. He had already spent the past week drinking and he wasn’t ready to keep sulking away over his situation.
• Just as he finally decided and was about to turn around and leave, a woman abruptly turned the corner and slammed into him.
• He automatically reached for her arms to steady her but within the next second the woman had kicked his shin and he was on his knees with his right arm twisted behind his back.
• “What the heck?!” Rickard yelled.
• The money his hands touched her arms, her alcohol driven brain didn’t differentiate a protective touch from a dangerous one and years of martial art training which was now a reflex for Mirabel came into play and she had the man on his knees before he could even speak.
• “Don’t even fucking think about it.” Mirabel said, adrenaline rushing high in her body.
• “What the fuck!” She heard the man cursed.
• Rickard was surprised, to say the least. He could smell the alcohol off this woman yet she had taken him down. Six feet plus of muscle, down in a second. He could have just tossed her back down over his head but he knew she had done it as a protective maneuver and he stayed still, hoping she would realize he is not attempting to rape her.
• “I was just helping,” Rickard said in a low voice and he felt her grip loosen on him. He hadn’t seen her face, only a flash of auburn hair when she had crashed into him.
• Mirabel loosened her grip, the adrenaline was wearing off and she suddenly felt weak and dizzy.
• A minute later, Richard heard the woman crash behind him as she passed out cold on the pavement.