Chapter 23: Burned Warehouse
1163words
A loud sound jolted me awake. I sat up in bed, groggy and disoriented.
"What the hell?" I grumbled, reaching for my phone, ready to scold whoever had the nerve to call at this hour. "Why are you..."
"Good morning, Sir," a breathless voice interrupted.
"What is it? Why are you panting?" My irritation faded as concern took over.
"It's... there's a fire, Sir," the voice replied.
I leaped out of bed. "Fire? Where?"
"One of the external warehouses, Sir."
"Shit!" I cursed, rushing to the bathroom. "Call the firefighters. I'm on my way," I ordered before hanging up.
In what felt like no time at all, I was at the warehouse.
As I stepped out of my car onto the grounds of my external jewelry warehouse, my heart sank. The once-proud building, which had housed my most valuable creations, lay in ruins. Smoke still rose from the rubble, and debris was scattered everywhere like the remnants of shattered dreams.
I stumbled back, unable to contain my emotions. "How the hell did this happen?" I groaned, facing the warehouse manager.
"We are not sure, Sir. Everything was fine when we left last night. We returned to find everything burned down," he explained.
"You can't be serious, Edwardo! How can something like this happen without your knowledge? You are the damn warehouse manager! Look at what your negligence has caused."
"Believe me, Sir, I know nothing about this. It looks like a bomb blast. I would never do something like this to my source of livelihood, Sir. Please," he pleaded.
"Find out who did this. You have my permission to use any company resources. If you don't, every staff member here will be arrested and won't be released until the culprit is found."
"I will do my best, Sir," he affirmed, calling out to the staff. "Hey everyone, come with me."
A wave of dizziness washed over me as I turned to leave for the office.
"My love?" Everleigh appeared by my side, holding my hand. "Are you okay? How did this happen?"
"Let go of me!" I snapped, jerking my hand away. "And stop asking me stupid questions."
"Where have you been? I have been trying to reach you. You weren't answering my calls. I was worried. Have you eaten? Have you been sleeping well?"
"Are you out of your mind? Which part of 'stop asking me stupid questions' don't you understand?" I barked, heading to my car.
She followed closely. "Please, Nathan, don't shut me out. I'm your wife. We need to figure this out together," she insisted.
Just then, my phone rang. The number was unfamiliar.
"Nathan Reyes speaking. Who's this?" I answered.
"Hello, Nathan. Did you get my message?" A familiar, mocking voice responded.
"Scarlett?" I asked, surprised.
"Yes, it's me. How do you like my little gift? Was it... shocking?"
"Are you responsible for this?"
"I wasn't planning on admitting it, but you are clever enough to figure it out."
"How could you do this? Do you have any idea what you have done? The value of the goods in that warehouse? What's wrong with you?"
"Oh, please. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and you are already complaining? What will you do when I take everything from you?"
"Don't push me, Scarlett. Just because I care about you doesn't mean you can mess with my business. Try this again, and I won't hesitate to get you arrested. Understand?"
"Oh my, I'm trembling with fear, Nathan. Watch me burn down everything you have built, and then you will see I'm serious," she sneered. "And by the way, tell that little wife of yours to stay out of my property. Next time she sets foot there, I will send her ashes to you." She hung up.
"Argh!" I growled, clenching my fists.
"What did she say? Is she responsible for this?" Everleigh asked, her voice trembling.
"Don't expect me to retrieve your ashes if she burns you alive," I muttered, climbing into my car and slamming the door shut.
"Wait! I took a cab. You can't leave me here!" she cried, chasing after the car.
Reluctantly, I let her in.
"What happened to the cars?" I asked as I pulled away.
"I couldn't find the keys in time, so I took a cab."
"Why were you in such a hurry to get here?"
"I thought you would need me. I know how much this place means to you," she said softly.
I glanced at her before focusing back on the road.
"I'm not taking you home. I'm going to the office. Take a cab back."
"I want to stay with you."
"Why? Why are you acting like I was in the warehouse when it exploded?"
"God forbid. Nothing like that will ever happen to you," she said firmly. "I haven't seen you in days. I missed you." She placed her hand on mine, resting on the steering wheel.
"Why did you go to Scarlett's place?"
"I don't know. I guess I missed her. She is still my best friend, you know?" There was a hint of regret in her voice.
"Then why did you betray her?"
"I never intended to betray my best friend. Humans make mistakes, right? Mine was just too terrible to be forgiven. Scarlett was so angry. I have never seen her like that. I feel awful."
"What made you use your father and my mother to force me to marry you?"
We had never had this conversation before. It was time.
"I never loved anyone before I met you. It was love at first sight, and I couldn't control myself. When I found out you were with Scarlett, I was jealous. She always had the attention of boys, even though I was the wealthy one," she started, sighing deeply.
"I felt rejected, but I eventually got used to it. I didn't let it bother me because I was focused on my career, and relationships weren't a priority. But when I met you, everything changed. I tried to suppress my feelings because I didn't want to come between you and Scarlett. I don't know why I listened to bad advice and betrayed my childhood friend. Scarlett didn't deserve what I did to her. She was the best friend I ever had. I don't deserve to be called her friend anymore. I'm terrible."
Tears streamed down her face. I pulled over and handed her my handkerchief.
"There's no point crying over spilled milk. We just have to make things right," I said gently.
"But she doesn't want to see me. How will she ever listen to me?"
"She will come around. Trust me," I reassured her, though I wasn't sure myself.
"So, when are you coming home?" she asked.
"I'm not coming back anytime soon. Don't get your hopes up."
"But why?"
Before I could answer, my phone beeped. I opened the notification, and what I saw almost made my spirit leave my body.
