The Billionaire's Getaway Tryst

~Chapter 41~

Echoes.

Echoes.

Echoes.

Everywhere was echoing and all I could hear were the ear splitting noises.

Just as that paparazzo guy was ten feet ahead of me, trying to get to the exit before I could catch him, did I come out of my trance.

With anxious eyes, I looked over at my dad to see him staring at me worriedly. "Dad," I started, putting my hands on his shoulder. "Congratulations again. And, you too, Angela," I said when she finally came and stood beside my dad with a happy smile twinkling on her beautiful, glowing face.

"Thank you, Valerie," she acknowledged my wishes unlike my dad, who was still staring at me with concern filled eyes.

I waved at Chase and he did the same before excusing himself with an apologetic expression to attend a phone call. "Also, thanks for the dedication, dad. Like for real." Hastily, I searched for that camera guy again, who was stopped by a couple to click their pictures. I could sense that he was in a hurry just like I was to follow him.

A few seconds later, someone pulled Angela to the side with a wide, teasing grin and I assumed that she must be her relative or something. That left me with my dad alone and I knew what was coming.

"Val, what's wrong? You seem like you've seen a ghost." Again, it was just an echo. Echo of my dad's voice.

That's when I saw that paparazzo moving past the couple who didn't suspect a thing about him after clicking their pictures.

"Valerie-"

"Dad," I cut him off and turned to him with wide eyes. "I-I am sorry but I'll be… right back." I jutted out my thumb in a random direction.

He must have noticed my staring at the "cameraman" of his wedding because he looked at him too. "Who's he?" He didn't even spare me a glance while asking that.

I sighed heavily because that man was very close to the exit doors. "I'll explain everything to you, I promise but right now… I need to catch him," I told him, rushing out my words.

This time, he looked at me with an unamused look. "It's too risky, honey. I can't just let you to go behind hi-"

"Dad," I interrupted him again impatiently and tapped my feet on the ground. "Please," I begged with pleading eyes.

My desperation must have given away because he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine but if I don't see you back in fifteen minutes, I am going to call the police… in my wedding suit."

I laughed and shook my head. "Okay… though make that thirty. Thirty minutes."

"I am not-"

"Thirty minutes. Deal." And with that, I was off. Well, not literally because my heels were too painful to run in so I took quick, determined steps with my arms moving back and forth alongside me like I was marching.

When my shoe bite got too much and walking in my stilettos seemed insufferable, I quickly unclasped them and held them in my hands. I could tell that I looked weird right now as I was sprinting past people with a crazed look.

I had the biggest urge to toss away my heels but they were way too expensive to do that.

"Valerie?"

"Not now, Shi-" I stopped before I could finish the sentence and slowly turned to Shivaay, who was scrunching his nose at me.

"Are you auditioning for the runaway bride or something?"

I looked over his shoulder to see my other friends yapping away and laughing at Ivan's jokes. "Listen, I don't have time to explain anything right now but… give me your shoes. And before you go asking "why?", I don't have the time to answer that either. Now… your shoes." I gestured for him to be quick.