Chapter 5: Unveiling Secrets

“Damn, I should really reconsider my choice of friends, or maybe just get rid of the ones I've already got," Baxter muttered to himself with a smile as he finally stepped into his penthouse apartment, the with echoes of the night still ringing in his ears.

Collapsing onto his bed, Baxter’s thoughts drifted back to the club – to her. The memory of her infectious laughter and the sparkle in her eyes, the red and fluster of her cheeks all replaying behind his closed eyelids. Why did she leave so suddenly? What was she running from?

Baxter reached for his phone to call Sebastian unable to shake the image of the mysterious woman – the bunny, as he had taken to calling her in his mind.

"Hey, Seb, I need you to run a background check on someone for me. Her name is Daphne… Baxter hesitated, realizing he didn't get the chance to know her last name. "Well, you’ll figure it out yourself, She's the woman I met at the club tonight. Get it over to me within the next hour."

"Hold on, don’t tell me it's what I'm thinking, Baxter?" Sebastian's voice came through the phone, laced with concern. "Are you seriously considering her?"

"Maybe," Baxter's response was curt, his tone dripping with authority. "It depends on what you find out, Seb. Make it quick, so I know what I need to do next. I can’t afford to dilly-dally any longer."

Sebastian persisted, his voice wavering slightly. "Baxter, I know we’re in a rush, especially after the meeting with your father this morning, but don’t you think you should think this through? I mean, you don’t even know her…"

But Baxter's firm voice cut him off mid-sentence. "Sebastian, I don’t remember asking for your opinion. I just need you to get the job done and revert to me within the next hour. It's an order from your boss, not your friend."

Sebastian fell silent on the other end of the line, his hesitation palpable even through the phone. He knew better than to argue further with Baxter when he adopted that tone. With a resigned sigh, he muttered an affirmative response before quickly ending the call.

Meanwhile, Baxter remained seated on the edge of his bed, his mind consumed by thoughts of his bunny. Initially, he had never considered her as more than a passing acquaintance.

Each memory of their brief encounter replaying in his mind like a lucid reverie. He couldn't shake the image of her, the way her gaze held a captivating blend of both sadness and fear. It was almost like she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.

But after she left the way she did, almost like she was desperately trying to run away from something, he couldn’t help but be curious about her. He needed to understand why she carried such profound sadness in her eyes and the fear that had quickly surfaced as soon as she spoke about her grandfather. That mysterious allure she held drew him in like a moth to a flame.

Three hours later, there was a sharp knock on Baxter's door, jolting him from his sleep. "Seb, what are you doing here? You know what, never mind that. Come back later in the day. I'm too tired for whatever it is you've got to say," Baxter said running his hand through his ruffled hair.

Sebastian wasted no time ushering himself in and getting to the point. "Baxter, I've done the background search you asked for.

"Okay, and you could have sent it to me like any normal person, but you decided to show up at my place at seven in the morning," Baxter grumbled, his voice thick with sleepiness.

“Baxter listen to me! Daphne Collins didn't exist before six years ago." Sebastian started with a serious expression.

Baxter's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean, she didn't exist?"

Sebastian continued, his voice grave. "I couldn't find any trace of her past beyond the last six years. It's as if she appeared out of thin air, at least that’s what I got from our usual sources.”

A chill ran down Baxter's spine at Sebastian's words. "And what did you find out from your other connections?"

Sebastian hesitated for a moment before responding, "I was able to dig up some information, but it wasn't easy, or cheap. She has clearly gone to great lengths to keep her past hidden. Whatever she's running from, it's serious."

Baxter's mind raced with possibilities as he absorbed the gravity of Sebastian's words. Who was Daphne, really? And what secrets was she hiding?

The atmosphere was tense as Sebastian, started with the results of his investigation into Daphne's background. Baxter leaned back in the couch, his expression unreadable as he listened intently to Sebastian’s findings.

Seb took a deep breath before continuing. "Well, it seems that Daphne Collins is actually Daphne Blackhaurt. Six years ago, she changed her identity. And the reason behind it is... troubling, to say the least." Look, Baxter with what I’ve found out about her, I don’t think its smart to get involved with her.

Baxter raised an eyebrow, a hint of impatience creeping into his tone. "Cut to the chase, Seb. What were you able to find out?"

Sebastian cleared his throat as he steeled himself to deliver his findings. "When Daphne was just ten years old, her grandfather was arrested and tagged as the Reaper, an infamous serial killer in Texas back in the late nineteen nineties. She spent her teenage years in some orphanage in complete agony, surrounded by hate and torture. Everyone saw her as the granddaughter of a serial killer, and she couldn't escape the stigma."

Baxter's expression darkened as he absorbed the gravity of Sebastian’s words. "So, she changed her identity to escape her past?"

Sebastian nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, it seems that way. She left Texas when she turned nineteen, trying to leave behind the nightmare that haunted her."

Baxter leaned back, his expression clearly clouded. "Listen to me Baxter, I know I've said this before, and it isn’t my place, but I really don’t think you can take someone like her as your bride, even if it's just for a year no matter how desperate you are. If this gets out, it won't be bad for just you but for the company as well. You will practically be handing the seat of CEO to Madame and Louis," Sebastian continued, his tone edged with concern.

As the first rays of morning light seeped into Baxter's penthouse, Sebastian stood before him, concern etched into every line of his face. "Baxter, I understand the need for a bride and soon, but have you considered the consequences? Taking someone like her as your contract wife, it could tarnish your reputation and the company's image, It could be a PR nightmare."

After what felt like an eternity of contemplation, a smirk tugged at the corners of Baxter's lips. It was the smirk of a man who welcomed challenges with open arms, who reveled in the thrill of the unknown. With a determined glint in his eyes, he turned to face Sebastian, his decision made.

"I don't give a damn how it makes me look, or the company for that matter," Baxter declared, his voice laced with a steely resolve. "If she's managed to hide her past for six years, she can certainly do it for one more. I've made up my mind."

"Baxter, even if you're planning to use her past to threaten her, what makes you so sure she'll still agree to it? I mean, this is LA—everyone has something they're running from," Sebastian asked with a scoff.

Baxter listened to Sebastian's words carefully. He knew he had a point; Los Angeles was a city of secrets and broken dreams, where everyone seemed to be running from something. But there was a steely resolve in Baxter's eyes as he responded.

"Leave that to me, Seb. I'll handle it myself," Baxter asserted with a confident nod, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Sebastian's expression shifted, his concern etched into every line of his face as he attempted to dissuade Baxter. "But, Baxter, think about the repercussions. You can't just ignore the risks. This could jeopardize everything you've worked for. What if this blows up in your face? What if—"

Baxter's eyes narrowed, his tone cutting through Sebastian's protests. "Enough, Sebastian. I've weighed the risks, and I'm willing to take them. Now, I need you to do your job and make it happen. Understood?"

Sebastian hesitated, the weight of Baxter's command pressing down on him. But then, with a resigned sigh, he nodded. "Yes, Baxter. I'll... I'll handle it."

Tension crackled in the air, Baxter had clearly resolved what to do, his determination clear. And as the sun rose higher in the sky, casting long shadows across the room, the stage was set for what was to come.