AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, my conscience cries in a frantic feedback loop. I don't know what Hayden did or didn't do. All I know is I don't trust him, and I can't bear to look at him or be near him—or witness Jeremy pummel him into an early grave right here at DreamScape if their paths should cross.
And same goes for my family, who's undoubtedly searching for me with broken hearts. I can't bear their sorrow or their optimistic schemes of retribution, not when we're ants against a serpentine giant. I want a quiet space, where I can gather my thoughts and mourn without fear of Hayden finding me.
So, I let my instincts guide me the rest of the way.
To Mei's apartment.
THIRTY-NINE
HAYDEN
I've turned New York City on its head.
For three miserable days, I've torn through the penthouse, searching for Juliana. Staked outside her parents' and Jeremy's apartment complexes, knowing better than to knock on their doors, unless I'm fiending for a black eye. Or worse.
After no such luck, I grilled that Meghan character at The Caffeine Cove for information, even though Juliana told me she quit last week. I've even started waltzing into places she never frequents. Certain restaurants on the complete opposite side of the city, gyms, boutiques, grocery stores, wandering aimlessly like some heartbroken zombie on speed, as if I'm just going to happen upon her at the Westside Market.
But of course, I haven't, and she won't return any of my calls or respond to any number of my exhaustingly long text messages. She's camped out at her best friend's apartment. I just know it. Problem is, I don't know the first thing about Mei, least of all where she lives. I debated hiring a private investigator, if it weren't for the inevitable questions they'd ask.
So, I'm pivoting to the next most productive course of action...
Blowing off steam.
Ding.
I burst through the elevator door, slipping through the narrow gap when it's just wide enough for my frame, nearly sidelining a patiently waiting man in a suit. Molten rage seers through my veins as I zoom along the perimeter of a sea of cubicles, earning weird looks I couldn't care less about.
Out of my peripheral, Doris's head pops up. "And where in the world have you been...? Hey, where do you think you're..."
A couple more turns, and I'm met with a wall of offices, all surrounded by glass. Like exemplary figureheads in fishbowls for the employees in cubicles, executives, and other higher-ups peacefully clack on their keyboards or talk on the phone, secluded behind oak doors adorned with impressive plaques. I make note of each one as I storm by.
Chief Legal Officer.
Managing Director.
Chief Technology Officer.
Senior Vice President.
Executive Vice President.
CEO & Founder—
Oh, would you look at that? He's actually in today. With Elias, too? Gosh, how could I be so lucky? Hopefully, I don't disrupt their meeting. Nothing's worse than a family feud.
I throw open the door. "WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?"
The door slams from behind, trapping me in the silent fishbowl with two corporate sharks. One who sits behind the massive oak desk, the city skyline his backdrop. The other twists around in his seat across the table, eyeing me.
Elias frowns. "Jesus, Hayden. You look like shit."
I do. Baggy eyes, no doubt. Greasy hair. And I can't recall what I'm wearing—probably the first thing my fingers grazed from off the floor after getting two hours of sleep.
I look past his shoulder, to the man wearing a smug smile. The parasite I call father. "I said, I'm here for some fucking answers."
He chuckles—actually chuckles, as Elias's brows cinch in confusion. "Can't this wait, Son? We're in the middle of something."
"Did you really just call me that?"
