Nothing Without You

XI: Bleeding On Your Tortured Tongue

Now | Adelaide

"Anything new?" I finished typing away the email to the head executive about putting all projects on pause. If Starlight releases anything new in the next couple of weeks, we are bound to shatter.

Ekim stood in front of me with her usual disguise. Glasses, hair up, pearls and a long cashmere coat. The perfect set up for a highly demanded client. Except I was her client and not vice versa.

"I followed him the whole day yesterday and found him acquainted with these two men." She placed a picture down in front of me. "You already know one of them from before." The picture was of Osama holding up some sort of... bag? "But the second one," Ekim continued as she took out another photograph, "Works with you."

Ekim placed the next picture on top of the other one and everything fell into place. Osama's holding Zahaar, not a bag, and Hasan talked to Christian in secret—without me knowing.

I honestly applauded him for the secrecy. Living in the same neighbourhood when we were children meant that all of us were tight as a knot. Before I moved next door, Hasan and Christian hung out all the time.

Even as time goes on it'll always be boys before anyone else. I had to say, I sort of admired it. Not saying I wouldn't put Umaima before the whole world and so on, but men had a relationship with each other that made me question if my definition of loyalty was rightfully defined.

"Did you hear anything specific?" I asked.

"Not exactly. It was mostly about the child in Mr. Taimoor's arms." I looked at Ekim to see if she was hiding something. This was her job but she'd been working for me a long time which meant personal feelings. She hated it, I know she did. But they were inevitable. Just like Umaima, she knew every bit of my past. I hated that, but it was a part of her job.

"What else?"

"Nothing worth mentioning."

"Really?" I raised my brows in indignation. "If it wasn't worth mentioning, you wouldn't still be standing here looking like you have something on the tip of your tongue. So tell me, what's bothering you?"

"Mr. Rasool was yelling at Mr. Hayes about something. I'm not sure if it was something entirely serious but I heard your name being said a couple of times."

If I could know anything completely 100% it would be Hasan looking out for me.

While I felt betrayed by his lack of integrity and feeling like he couldn't tell me he still talked to Christian, I knew Hasan. He was a good guy through and through. He sided with me 9 years ago and I won't hold any grudges against him. In fact, I owe him, his late wife, and Umaima for providing unsolicited comfort when Eda got into the horrific accident with Mr. Hayes.

"That's it?" I smiled at Ekim when she reciprocated my expression with a frown. "This path that you're taking isn't a safe one. It's not my place to say this, Adelaide, but if Mr. Hayes finds out that you've had me trailing him since he left..."

Her words faded out.

I knew she wasn't wrong. She was being honest and I knew it was true. But I couldn't care less about it. Have I kept an eye on him? Yes.

But I still knew nothing about him and what he had been doing all these years.

"Thank you for your concern, Ekim. But I have it handled."

I most definitely did not.

"If you say so." A beep came from her pocket and she took it out. Her eyes widened into saucers. "He's here."