Chapter 9: Go out with me

ABIGAIL

It had been a while since Abigail felt at peace. 

She held on to the railing of the balcony, staring at the city lights. Her lips twitched as she thought back to what she did a day ago. The moment she got home, she called one of Felicia’s workers who had been fired. From a line that she destroyed once her work was done. 

After all, she did not want any kind of evidence pointing to her that she was the one who bribed him to tamper with the slides and video that was supposed to be played at the party. 

It was a good thing she attended the party. How else would she have seen the look on their faces? So satisfying. 

Abigail’s phone beeped and she it from her purse. She scoffed at the text. It was from one of her failed dates, asking how she was doing. As much as it was annoying, she could not help but consider it. If she wanted to gain enough power to fight back, marrying was essential even if she did not want it. 

“Enjoying the view?” 

Abigail stilled at the baritone voice she heard from behind her. It was followed by footsteps she had not noticed earlier, until she felt his presence beside her. 

“Why are you here?” Abigail asked. 

“Should I be honest?” Alistair asked, but she did not answer. It was her opportunity to figure out his true intentions, so she looked at him. 

“I followed you. And then stood over there, watching you”. Just like he was watching her now. 

Abigail’s brows drew together slightly, as she looked back at him. 

Alistair licked his lips and muttered, “Damn, I sound like a stalker”. His brows drew together, as though considering the fact. 

“You are a stalker”, Abigail accused, and he looked at her as though she was laying false accusations on him.

“How did you get my number?” She asked. Abigail figured out that starting from the beginning of it all was the best way to go about it. 

“Oh that”, he nodded in realization, and she waited, for him to either answer or avoid the question.

“Misuse of power”, he said, and she raised a brow at him. 

“Come to think of it, if I had not done that, then you would not have gotten those pictures. How else would you have done what you did?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about”, she denied, and his lips pulled into a smile. 

“That was impressive by the way”, he said. 

Misuse of power, Abigail thought. 

Alistair was the CEO of a multimillionaire Cyber security and surveillance company. And at that moment, she became aware of how he got those photos and videos of Caleb. It was probably a piece of cake for him. 

“Are you…”

“If you are asking whether I am invading your privacy, then no is the answer”. His lips tugged into a small smile.

Abigail felt relieved, even though she knew not to trust him. 

“Why should I believe you?” She questioned, looking at him. The cold breeze blew against her face, which made her narrow her eyes. The low temperature made goose bumps rise on her skin. 

“I have no reason to lie to you”, he said. For a brief moment, Abigail thought he looked trustworthy. Until she remembered that Alistair was a man who knew how to deceive even the wisest of people. 

Suddenly, he took off his jacket, and Abigail found herself watching the way his shirt clung on to his arms as he moved. If he noticed her eyeing him, he did not show it. 

Before she could protest, Abigail felt herself engulfed by the warmth and scent of his jacket as he draped it over her shoulders. 

If it was someone else, she would have refused the act of chivalry, regardless of how cold she was. But she wanted to know what he was thinking and planning. So she remained still, watching him as he walked to stand beside her again. 

On a second thought, she did not dislike the protection from the cold weather, and the jacket smelled nice. She asked herself what cologne he was using. 

“Thank you”, she said, pulling the jacket against her. 

“For?” His brows furrowed.

“For taking down those pictures, for sending me a video of my cheating ex-fiancé and for the jacket”. She had not ask for any of the favors, but she benefited from them. What she wanted to know was why he did it, and what he would gain from it. 

“Hmm”, he hummed with a nod. 

“Why did you do it?” She asked. 

“I take care of my debtors, Abigail. How else will I ensure that they pay me?” 

And they were back to the debt. One would think she had borrowed millions of dollars from him with the way he kept demanding to be paid. But she owed him nothing. 

“Fine. Tell me what you want so we can get this over with”. If it was something reasonable, she would pay it back. After all, he did do her favors, and it was only fair. 

Alistair remained silent, as if contemplating on something. 

“This is your last chance, Mr. Alvarez. Else I will assume that I have compensated you”, she warned. Alistair smirked and bit his lips. She was no longer willing to participate in whatever game he was playing. 

“Do you really want to get rid of me that badly? It breaks my heart”. He pouted, fluttering his long lashes at her. 

Was he drunk? Why was he making that silly expression at her?

“That look does not suit you. Don’t do it”. She said, staring at him blankly.

He let out a chuckle, and she stared at him, trying to figure out what she said that was funny. 

“Go out with me. A dinner date”. He looked serious.

Abigail’s brows rose slightly in surprise. Was this man interested in her? Why else was he asking her out? 

It was not like she had a problem with it. She had gone on many dinner dates that did not lead anywhere. It was nothing. 

“Alright. Text me the place”, she agreed with disinterest. 

Alistair grinned at her, seemingly happy that she accepted. Then he stretched out his hand. Her eyes narrowed at it in confusion. 

“Your phone”, he said. 

Abigail guessed that he wanted to input his number, so she gave it to him. When she did, their hands brushed, making her skin tingle. She clenched the hand, brushing away the feeling. 

Alistair was undeniably attractive. It made her wonder whether he was single enough to be asking her out on a date. Not that she was interested in his love life. 

Once he was done, he gave the phone back to her. When she saw how he had saved it, she looked at him and he smiled innocently. 

He saved the number with ‘Alistair’, followed by a heart emoji. 

“Call me when you are free”, he said to her. 

With one last charming smile, he turned around and walked away. 

Abigail watched his wide back as he left. Alistair was a strange man, a puzzle she could not solve. And she did not care enough to want to solve it.

Few days later…

Abigail’s lips twitched as she scrolled through her phone, reading the article that had been posted by ‘Morning Tea’. The suspicion that Caroline had something to do with the blog had long left her mind. Not when Caroline was the topic of discussion this time. 

Photos of her with a young man that was clearly not her husband were online, and the blog had done what it was good at. Turning a simple picture or story into a social media sensation. 

To think it that it was released the same morning that the board was going to hold a meeting to vote and decide who the next chairwoman of Rivera Group would be. 

How convenient. 

As if Selena’s scandal which was barely over was not enough, someone had decided to use the same moment to ruin Caroline’s reputation. Caroline definitely had enemies, but she knew none of them. 

Who could have done it?

“Like mother, like daughter”, she read blankly. 

It benefitted her, so why should she care? She thought as she looked out through the tinted glass of her car window.

Abigail strutted into the company building, her secretary, Karina following a step behind her. The way her long legs strode, her stance, everything screamed of confidence, even though she was a nervous mess inside. The voting had been done in their absence, but they had to be there for announcement of the result. 

Workers greeted her as she passed, and she nodded at them in acknowledgement. It had been months since she appeared in the company, and they were all surprised to see her, no doubt. She slowed down when she saw Caroline, with a man and woman walking with her, approaching her. 

After the birthday party scandal, Caroline tried to call and see her, but she had not picked her calls, neither had she allowed her in. The woman was pissed off, and it was obvious from her expression. 

Abigail raised a brow when she suddenly smiled, stopping in front of her. 

“Abigail”, she said, pulling her into a hug. 

Abigail was instantly engulfed by her vanilla scent, which made her feel nauseous. It felt like spiders were crawling all over her skin, and it took everything in her not to push the woman away. 

“I know what you did. And you will pay for it”, Caroline whispered against her ear, and she stiffened. 

Of course, Caroline will not let it go. And she was ready for the consequences of her actions. 

Caroline released her, still smiling. 

“I wish you the best of luck”, she said. 

“I wish you the same”, Abigail replied, not caring if she sounded like she meant it or not. 

Caroline nodded at Karina, before she walked past her with her entourage. Karina stood beside Abigail and muttered, “She’s such a pretender”. 

“Shhh”, Abigail shushed, and Karina scoffed. 

Abigail willed her hands to remain still and not tremble from nervousness. Her heart beat faster against her ribcage in anticipation for the results to be announced. An elderly man, Mr. Tanner was standing, as he addressed them. But she could not be interested in his small talk. 

“…We all came together to decide, putting the late chairwoman, Felicia Rivera’s request into mind, personal biases aside. And as per the result of the votes, the new chairwoman of the Rivera Group will be Abigail Rivera”. 

Abigail went numb as everyone stood up, clapping their hands together. When she looked at Caroline, she was also standing, beaming with smiles as she clapped. Gulping, she willed her numb legs to stand up. 

“I…” She sighed. 

“At first when I heard that the late Chairwoman chose me, I did not know how to feel. The fact that she thought I was good enough for this position made me believe that this is something I can do. And I appreciate all of you for choosing me among other capable candidates. I promise to fulfil my duties, and not let any of you or the company down. Thank you”. 

After the little speech, the board room erupted with applauses and congratulations. Mr. Tanner left his seat to approach her, pulling her into a small, brief hug. 

“Felicia is not an idiot. If she thinks you can do it, then you can”, he said, his face pulled into a wide smiles.

“Congratulations Abigail”, Caroline said, hugging her briefly. 

Abigail knew that it was more than her feud with Caroline. This was a new responsibility and she had to be better. She had to prove Felicia right. If only she was here…

Abigail steeled herself, as she shook hands with the board members, mustering a small smile at them. Her shoulders felt like something heavy were weighing them down. When her eyes met Caroline’s the woman gave her a smile. It was too pleasant to be true. 

Abigail stood in her bedroom, still clad in her work clothes which was a simple blue dress and a pair of heels. She stared at the framed photograph on her nightstand. In it was her grandmother, sitting on a stool while she stood behind her with her hands on her shoulders. 

None of them were smiling, but she could remember the joy she felt the day they took the photo. It was her grandmother’s birthday. She touched the photo, staring at it longingly. 

“I miss you. And I wish you were here”, she said. 

Reigning her emotions in, Abigail picked up her phone to call someone she had been avoiding. She made a promise, and she was going to fulfill it. 

Abigail’s eyes narrowed at the heart emoji beside Alistair’s name. She had forgotten to change it. Nevertheless, she called him. 

“Good evening”, she said.

“Evening, and congratulations”, came his rather cheerful voice. 

The news had reached everyone that the new chairwoman of the Rivera Group was Abigail Rivera. It made her nervous and excited. 

“Thank you. Are you free tonight?” She asked. 

“Depends. Why are you asking?” 

Abigail pursed her lips. This man... she thought. 

“The dinner. Did you forget?” 

“I did not. What do you think of the Velvet Vine?” 

The Velvet Vine was a fancy restaurant only frequented by the wealthy. Even then, one needed to have a reservation in advance. 

“That is good. I will meet you there”. 

Alistair clicked his tongue and said, “You won’t even let me pick you up?”

“You do not need to show up at my house, Mr. Alvarez. I will be there”, she replied sternly.

And then she ended the call. Alistair Alvarez had a kind of charm that he wielded like a weapon, along with his looks. But she was immune to them. 

Fancy dinner meant fancy dress, so she was in her closet, looking for what to wear. Something elegant but not too much, she thought, as her eyes scanned the sea of dresses possessed. 

“Argh!” Abigail yelped, when she felt something heavy hit her the back of her head, followed by intense pain. Her face twisted in agony. 

Before she could turn around to see her assailant, she was grabbed from behind, a handkerchief slapped over nose and mouth. The only thing that she could hear was the sound of her own struggle and muffled screams. 

She panicked, her heart threatening to escape her chest. 

Fear… She had not felt true fear in a long time. 

Abigail struggled against the man, but he did not budge. She was not frail, but he was stronger than her and she stood no chance against him. The man was masked, so she could not see his face. She scratched, hit him with her hands and legs but it was all in vain. 

Abigail stilled slowly, pretending to be unconscious while desperately hoping he would fall for it. A few moments later, she began to feel the effect of the drug on her. 

Please… please… she prayed.

The man let go of her. But before she could react, he grabbed the back of her head, banging her forehead against the wall, hard and fast. 

She screamed, her vision blurring. It felt like her skull was cracking with every hit.

“Argh! Stop! Please!” She cried and pleaded, but the monster was not stopping. 

Pain she had not felt in a long time rippled through her head. So intense that she could barely scream again. He did not give her time to recover, as he kept hitting her head against the wall. Blood smeared her face and vision, and she stopped struggling. 

Her entire body had gotten weak. Her mind in disarray, barely able to think of anything except the body numbing pain she was in. 

So this is how I die… She thought, before everything went black. 

It was dark. And she was in a room, all alone. Hungry, thirsty. Her throat felt dry from screaming for help. All she could do was wait… 

Abigail groaned, shutting her eyes tight with the intense headache. Everything hurt. Her entire body felt so heavy, she could barely move. She forced her eyes open, instantly attacked by the brightness of the room. She winced and closed her eyes. 

“Argh”, she groaned, moaning in pain as she moved her body. It felt like there was something banging in her head, threatening to make it explode. 

Where am I? She thought. 

When she opened her eyes again, she was greeted by the blurry sight of a man standing over her. She blinked, waiting for a clearer view. 

And then she saw him. 

“Morning, sleeping beauty”, he said, smiling down at her. 

Alistair Alvarez, she thought, her heart sinking with dread.