THALIA
When a woman dressed in a black suit approached me on a train track, whilst I was holding a bottle of blue spray paint in my left hand and a face covered with paint, I didn't hesitate to say no to her proposition:
BE HER BRIDESMAID AT HER WE...
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I'm sat at my office desk, catching up on some work I missed whilst I was in Spain, when my phone starts ringing.
I decide to let it ring out, I'm not in the mood to deal with people right now.
But when my phone chimes again, I grab it, press accept and then hold it up to my ear. Unaware of who's on the other end of the line.
"Mr. Ford?" Somebody speaks through the line.
I know that voice
"Hello, Esmerelda." I reply, hesitantly. The last time I saw that woman was when she had a murderous look in her eye directed at the daughter I never knew she had. Or foster daughter, shall I say.
"Richard, Hello. It's been a while hasn't it?" She laughs politely into the camera.
Not long enough though.
"You saw me last week, Esmerelda." I state, wondering where this conversation is meant to go.
"Yes, yes! One week is too long, Richard."
I go to reply, but she beats me to it, carrying on, she says, "I was just calling to ask, have you seen Bennu's wife recently? Naomi? Oh - or was it..."
"Nadine," I interrupt. "And yes, I have spoken to her briefly. But her and my son are leaving for the Maldives tomorrow, I'm letting the newlyweds have their space."
"Right. But, by any chance... has Thalia been with her at all?" She asks hesitantly.
"No." I reply bluntly.
"Not at all?"
"No." It's true, I haven't seen her with Nadine. However, I have seen her myself. At the bar the other day when she was wearing nothing but a bed sheet. And I know my sons have seen her, but something refrains me from telling her that. Like the need to protect Thalia from Esmerelda.
She sighs into the other end of the line. "Okay then... it's just - just that - I - we'll she's, oh I don't know!"
"What happened?"
She sighs once more, "well, you know. Teenagers. Piece of work, aren't they? She's just a bit of a drama queen. I haven't seen her... in a while."
I furrow my eyebrows at that, "she's missing?"
"Oh, well - I guess - I guess so - missing - yeah."she stumbles over her own words.
"Why do you think she's run away?"
"Oh, I don't know. Attention?" She says boredly into the phone.
"Hm." I mumble into the phone. Somethings up. Wrong move Esmerelda, calling an ex FBI agent when your kid is missing. Perhaps she thought she was being clever, but I can tell there's something that's not being said. And I intend to find out.
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"Oh Thankyou so much, Richard, for inviting me over. This has all really shaken me up. I'm worried sick." Esmerelda lies instantly as soon as she steps foot into my home.
I invited her over, telling her I was going to help find Thalia. I am going to help find Thalia, but not for the reason she thinks I am. I'm going to get to the bottom of this. I'm going to figure out the truth.
"No problem." I just smile half-heartedly.
She struts straight into the living room area and sits down, perching on the very edge of the sofa. "Thank god you're an FBI agent. Or were. I really need to find her."
"Seems like you're really missing her."
"Yes! That's it, I'm missing her a lot. It's really hard for me right now, Rich."
Daphnene walks in, "would you like anything, Sir?" She asks, waiting by the doorframe.
"No, we're okay. Thankyou, Daphene."
She just nods an turns back around, heading back into the foyer.
"So, do you know why she ran away? You say anything... or do anything."
"No, I never. I told her to... to stop being a brat. She was being disrespectful!" Esmerelda argues. She has her guard up. She isn't telling me the whole truth. "Sensitive, if you ask me." She mumbles.
"I wasn't." I smile.
She looks taken aback by my comment. "Richard-"
Laughter cuts us off. Loud laughter. It's not one of my boys, it's a higher pitch. Lighter.
Then I start to hear Gio laughing alongside her, he sounds breathless.
He's got a girl over?
I was not expecting that. He hardly speaks to us, so him bringing someone round is pretty huge news.
The laughter nears, until it stops. And I see my son and Thalia stood in the doorway. Thalias face went from happy to mortified in the blink of an eye.
"Thalia," Esmerelda smile, standing up off of the sofa. Esmerelda walks towards her and Thalia just takes a step back, almost like she's shielding herself with Giovannis body.
Esmerelda falters in her steps. "We're going home."
"No," Thalia replies quietly. She's not as bold as she was at the dinner or at the pub. She's quieter. Less outspoken.
Esmerelda rolls her eyes, stepping towards them again. "Yes, now c'mon. Stop causing a scene."
Thalia steps back again, a lot further back. I stand up and walk towards them. She looks scared. Terrified, in fact.
"T..." Gio says, eyebrows furrowed and a confused expression plastered on his face.
Thalia looks like she's fighting back tears. "Cant come to your house. I promised Gio I'd sleep over."
I can't tell by my Sons expression that that wasn't a plan at all. But he seems to go along with the lie. "Yeah, it's my birthday tomorrow. I wanted her there, that's cool right?"
Lie. It is not his birthday tomorrow.
"Well, I-"
"Thankyou, Miss." Gio smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes.
"Well, um, okay." Esmerelda says, she looks confused. Or surprised.
Thalia walks closer to us and tugs on Gio's arm, "can we go upstairs, please?"
"Yeah." And they are already half way up the stairs.
As soon as they disappear, Esmerelda spins on her heel and faces me. "You can relax now." I tell her. But I know she won't be relaxing. Because if Thalia is anywhere out of Esme's sight, it means her secrets can be exposed. And I can't wait to find out.
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A/n
Hello!
Opinions on chapters in Richards pov? I was thinking of starting mixing up the povs in the story.
Also if there's any sorta plot lines you want me to add in, just lmk here.
