A Baby for the Billionaire

55

KEREM

I move away to where the music does not bother me in my attempt to talk to her, and I begin to think about the options that would imply running away to help her in case that it's necessary if she doesn't pick up the damn phone. I am sure that sooner or later I will agree to the possibility of putting a tracking chip in her arm, since a mobile application would be insufficient in my circumstances if I wanted to reach her in a situation as urgent and desperate as the current one.

I count the seconds that go by, until she finally answers. Her voice on the other end comes to me like a clamor of euphoria that restores my heart rate. I have never felt as tense as at this moment, or...I think never. Rarely did this feeling manage to invade me, I only recognize a similar one that was a real ordeal and it was in relation to Zara, whom I do not want to bring to the present now.

"Ker...Mr. Deniz?"

"Juliet, tell me you're okay."

"No, I do not know..."

"OPEN THAT DOOR, JULIET!!!"

My face must turn all colors immediately because a guy's scream just went through the phone, accompanied by a few sharp knocks against a door, getting me down to a reality that leaves me deeply terrified.

I jump up and insist "Juliet, tell me where you are, I'll come right away."

"No... I don't think you can come... Kerim-rem."

"Juliet, are you drunk?"

"I think...God, you're going to hit me."

"Why would you think that? I would never do something like that!"

"But I feel...terrible."

I hear sobs from her on the other side, she's crying, she's drunk, in danger, and the sharp blows continue to grip my ears, showing me that it's not the best idea in the world to remain at the mercy of her situation. I feel bad, I never... should have come to this place...

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

The blows continue and the horror they provoke in me increases more and more. The burning urge to grab the guy by the neck, shake him, and then throw him into a pit of acid boils inside me.

"Juliet, for God's sake, let's do something. Send me your WhatsApp location right now. Do it in real time so that I would be able to locate you at all times and that it lasts as long as possible to follow you and reach you."

"I'm far away."

She is because she's back home, but no matter where I am I swear I'll get there. I need her to stay on the phone while I do something, before whoever is on the other side right now is determined to break down that door and hurt her.

I go to Massera and tell him "I'm in the middle of an emergency."

"Is everything alright?"

"It's about Juliet. She is in trouble, a guy is harassing her at a party and she has locked herself in the bathroom."

"My God, that's terrible!"

The old man stands up and takes out his cell phone. Juliet on the other side is restless, I perceive that the guy has calmed down, the blows have not continued. Whoever messed with her is in deep trouble as of now, but the most important thing is that she can stay safe.

"Tell me what I can do for her, Kerem," Massera offers.

"A helicopter. Now."

"I have. But it depends on where you're going."

"It's not far. Maybe five hundred kilometers.

"Okay, you can get there in half an hour, but it also takes half an hour to reach the helipad."

"No time for that."

"It's the most I can do, Kerem. But I have another idea."

"Me too."

I look at my phone and show him the location.

"Perfect," he says and steps away to make a call as well.

In fact, two calls.

At the same time I try not to let go of contact with her.

"Juliet, are you still there?" I ask.

Her agitated breathing and her sobs give me the right.

"Y-yes," she confirms.

"Good. I need you to stay online all the time, okay? We're sending security to that club where the party is."

"It's just that it's not a club, it's a country house, or something like that it seems."

"It doesn't matter, we'll arrive anyway with someone and I'll leave immediately by helicopter. You try to keep yourself locked up in that place."

"Okay..."

"You are alone?"

"No," she says and cries again. "I'm with... With Rhonda."

"Rhonda?"

"My best friend."

Oh sure. I once heard Juliet telling Elijah that he would get along with that Rhonda woman.

"Is Rhonda okay?" I ask.

"She's not waking up."

"What?!"

"Kerem, I'm so sorry, I didn't think that..."

"Don't worry, check if she's breathing and if she has a pulse."

"Br-breathing...yes, but very gently and slowly."

"Do you know how to do first aid?"

"No..."

Demons!

"I'll tell you what you need to do." Tell me, what happened to Rhonda?"

"Kerem, I contacted a district attorney, they will send security forces to that address in minutes," Massera says. We have to go in search of the helicopter now.

"Okay," I reply and get back to Juliet. "Juliet, excuse me, what did you say?"

"Are you with Massera?"

"Yes."

"Oh, no, what a pity you're really with him, I feel so ashamed."

"Don't worry, the important thing is that now you and your friend are okay. Tell me where in that house you are and what happened to Rhonda."

We move. Massera warns the waitress of something and we immediately head out to find one of his drivers while I forget about my car and put an automated message to Neville to come pick it up.

"We are in the bathroom, locked in. She fainted."

"Did she drink?"

"Yes."

"What did she drink?"

"I don't know... We just drank."

"Did you drink the same as her?"

"Y-yes."

"Good heavens, Juliet!"

"Did they...drug us?"

"I don't know, it's possible. How do you feel?"

"Fine, I guess. But we've both tried the same drinks, whatever happened to her will sooner or later happen to me too."

It is enough to hear her say those words to feel that the world is paralyzed for me once again and I forget how to breathe.

I look at Massera and he knows right away that something is seriously wrong. He turns to his driver and warns him "Collin, put your horn on full blast because we're going to have to pay some fines after tonight. Fast!"

"Kerem?" Juliet asks on the other end.

"I'm still here."

"It's him... On the other side of the door. He has returned."