AFTER NEVER (Charlotte's Story)

Chapter 68/140: A Call From Hell

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Ignoring any form of privacy-respect, Rickard Ellington Conway snatched the phone from my hand, pressing on the loud speaker button so that what the speaker on the other line was saying would be heard.

I didn't really mind that, he knew everything after all. And well, I had much more important things on mind at the moment.

He was on the other side of the line.

He.

The man who left us eleven months ago without a word.

The man who abandoned me.

My father.

"Charlotte?" He questioned, again, his voice tired, unstable, shaking.

I shuddered.

"D-Dad, where," I gulped to maintain my voice, "Where are you?!"

"I-I'm..." My father's voice looked lost, he didn't seem in his completely awake state, "I cannot say..."

My heartbeat rate probably went beyond abnormal levels.

"Dad, f-focus with me," I pleaded, eying the phone with so much despair, "Where are you?" My voice shook, as a tear or two kept streaming down my face, "Where can I find you??"

A long silence came in response, but the line was still connected.

"I... I cannot tell you..." Dad's response came, dazed, as though he were under some anaesthetic.

I was starting to lose my temper.

"Wh-What do you mean you can't tell me?!" I snapped, tears strolling down, my voice shaking, "It's Charlotte, dad! Charlotte!" I choked, "Where are you?!"

A shaking sigh came from the other side of the phone, "Are-Are you safe?"

I eyed the phone with wide eyes, for a second not registering what he just said.

Seriously?

Surprisingly enough, my lips twitched, and my smile appeared, defeated, surrendering.

"Apart from the fact that I'm being targeted, that I was almost kidnapped thrice up till now, and that I found out I had an illegal sister just two days ago, everything is just fine, thank you for asking." I spat, my smile and tears appearing in union.

"Wh-Wha..." My father's voice was unrecognisable. "Illegal...?"

I snorted, "That's not my aim right now, we can talk all that later!" I gulped, "I need to see you, dad! I'm being targeted because of you! I need to see you and we can solve this together!!" I pleaded, desperately, "Jus...Just please tell me where you are..." My voice disappeared in tiredness.

And God was I tired.

Tired of this whole problem which I had no fault in.

The man before me, my employer, was giving my phone his poker face: the focused face.

He had stepped away from me by now, and appeared to be analysing every sound. Every word that's been going up till now.

When my gaze fell at him, he directly shifted, lifting his left hand before his full, sculpted lips. Fixing me with an arrogant, imperial, steady gaze, he gestured with his index finger before his lips for me to... continue speaking.

I blinked, but nevertheless complied.

"D-Dad? Are you still there?!" I called, uncertain.

From before me, Rickard Ellington Conway pulled his phone from his suit pocket, as he started typing something on the screen with his left hand's steeped fingers.