The Innocent Lover

Chapter 23: Lucas

'Lynn: Your girlfriend is partying with your dad'

'Lynn: told you not to hang out with gold-diggers'

Two texts from Lynn, a few pictures for evidence, and twenty-two missed calls from Iris. I had been busy the entire day till evening and I hadn't glanced at my phone all the while. Mary and Jerald were offline too which made the events going on even worse. Iris was with my dad.

The last time I had brushed off Jerald telling me my dad was with my girlfriend, it ended in tears and bad blood. Which is why I was on a plane, flying back home after ditching the company. I chose her over my mother's legacy, and I wanted to make sure I got it right this time. I was going to make both of them pay, Iris and my father, for making me into a fool once again.

I stared at the picture in my phone once more as if to fuel my rage. They were in his car, and my dad was looking at her intently. Iris was smiling the same way she did when talking to me. Shit it irritated me like never before, I just wanted the plane to get a boost or something and make us arrive in time.

In time for me to take action, before it got too late.

~

I arrived in the city moments later at around 11 PM.

The first thing I did was dial Mary's number and she answered.

"Hello"

"Come pick me up at the airport, Iris is missing," I said before cutting the line. I had been so furious I forgot to call an Uber or the company.

Not to worry, Mary and Jerald arrived right on time and hurried over to me. I was already waiting outside for them.

"She had called me too," Mary said as she was rushing over to me.

"And me," Jerald said.

"Well, why didn't you answer?" I said through gritted teeth. My mind had these disgusting - foul - intensively excruciating thoughts that I tried to rub out of my mind.

"Whoa, chill man, we all want to know where she is too," Mary said rushing over to match up my strides. She was the short one and catching up with both me and Jerald seemed to take a toll on her. Not like I cared, I wanted to get to my dad and Iris, fast.

"Yeah, we were all busy or else we would never have ignored her. What going on anyways". Jerald's voice was full of concern.

So I told them, about the pictures, the missed calls and how the time intervals were different.

"Ugh, if only I hadn't gone to Joe's house," Mary said. "I would know what's happening. No one is at their house this moment"
" Things just got more complicated," Jerald said, "Why does she have to stay bottled up that iris"

" umm, if you had a sharp memory, you would realize she called not just me, but all three of us. Knowing her she likely had a hard time deciding to call but she did anyway. She is opening up. We just weren't available when she decided to. God, I feel like an asshole".

We reached the car and  I reached for the driver's seat, but Jerald stopped me from going in.

"You're the most stressed out of all of us," he said.

I glared at him. " get out of my way".

"No". He was annoying me, and he knew it.

" Jerald! "

"Lucas, shut up and go sit down. I'm driving, you can't drive in such a state". He was right, but somehow his being right made me even more frustrated.

"Will you stop acting like children fighting to sit near the car window and just sit in the car, or else we won't get to Iris on time . Shit might happen". At the mention of iris, I returned to my senses. Mary was right shit could happen, or it was happening already.

"Fine," I said finally complying.

Jerald drove the car with such speed Mary kept shrieking whenever we passed a car or two.

"So, where would Iris be at this time" she said, her voice a little shaky. We were passing through some potholes.

We all knew what my father could do, and no one bothered to bring it up, because it was rather upsetting and cringe-worthy which unfortunately couldn't occupy our time at that moment.

"She was at the company from the pictures". I said.

" Then we go there,"  Mary said. " To the office lands". She tried to make the mood less gloomy, but her attempt wasn't even close to a spark. No one responded to her poor excuse for a joke.

So we drove in silence, the car jerking us in every direction, up, down, or sideways depending on whether we had reached a hump or a pothole. Once I even hit my head on the roof. But that was just mute compared to what was going on I'm my head, in my body. I was angry, scared, and pitiful. Why did it always have to be me?

~

We searched the entire company grounds, but no one was there. We even went department by department, but still we couldn't find them. I was tired of searching, where could she have gone with my dad? What was she thinking? I tried to call Lynn but she didn't answer. Just what was going on with people and not answering tonight?

"Maybe she just wanted my money after all," I mumbled once I was in the car.

I hadn't realized Mary and Jerald were back.

Mary looked furious, very as she stepped in front of me and pulled me out of the car.

"You're lucky we're stressed right now because I want to slap you so badly," she mumbled.

"Why would you when she went away with my Dad? Maybe she came onto me because she wanted-"

True to her word, Mary slapped me across the face before I could finish talking. She raised her hand to land in another blow but Jerald managed to grab her by the shoulders and pull her to him.

"Leave him he is stressed," he said. Even though he defended me, I knew him all too well. He was even more furious than Mary, but he composed himself.

"Stressed or not, that doesn't give him the right to bad mouth her. Especially when he was the one who followed her around like a fuckin' stalker psycho. Did she want your money? Did she ever ask you to pay for her staff? She lives in the same suburb as you-you stupid boy". She breathed heavily as if she was about to lash out again, but just then, her phone rang.

"Wait till I'm done talking to my dad," she said. "Hello Dad........ What?!....... Oh my God we are looking for her.......... thanks, we will be heading there soon ........... Twenty minutes best..... Keep him in check, bye".

Iris, I thought they were talking about her as I heard bits of Mary's conversation with her dad. They had found her, or they were with her, probably.

"We have no time to spare, they are at the new pub in Warren Park. Who even goes there?! Anywho, we have to hurry NOW!".

No sooner had the words left her lips, than we were already heading for the car. The ride there was silent. My mind was afresh, knowing I was going to see her again. I wanted answers, from her especially. Why would she betray me after I had told her about my dad over and over again?

As for him, I was sure today was the limit, he had crossed the line. If I saw him holding her in any way lustful whatsoever, I was going to hit him so hard he would need to be in the ICU for the next few days, or months.

"Sorry Mom" I muttered under my breath as the car drifted in the dark. "I'm going to have to let loose".

We passed through a fatal accident right by the sports stadium, with an SUV that had been broken to pieces and overturned and a big truck that had been hit till the front was removed. It looked like everyone involved in the accident had been hurt, and I didn't want to know the details, the scene was enough to make me look away. Luckily Jerald drove past the crime scene with ease since there was no traffic.

The accident managed to shake me off a little, but I still wanted answers.

Especially from Iris.

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Sorry about the late update you guys:-(.