Guidelines

5 | apple cinnamon

"I need you to help me find the CEO's daughter."

We both sit in silence for about a minute. I stare at my fingernails on my right hand, and I think of the folder from earlier. I look up to Alex and see him avoiding my gaze, trying to control his expression from showing any emotion.

"Okay." His eyes widen in surprise from my response. I mean, hey, he helped me from suffocation, so I might as well help him out. I also must gain some brownie points so that he'll completely forget about suing me. I look around the room and wait for the next words to come out of his mouth.

"Okay? Did you hear what I just told you?"

I nod my head in response in his question. "I did."

His eyebrows furrow in confusion from my answer, "then why did you agree immediately?"

"Isn't it my job to help you? You also don't seem like a bad person, so why would I not help you?" The CEO's daughter could just probably be at the mall or something or out of the city because she doesn't want to go home. It shouldn't be that hard to find her.

"You're right," he hesitantly agrees with my question. Silence then fills the room.

"Okay, so, where is she?" I say, breaking the silence.

"About that, I'll tell you more about it tonight." He stares at me waiting for me to respond.

"Tonight?" I give him a confused look.

"Yes, tonight. I'll meet with you later so that I can answer any questions you have about this meeting. Is there any particular place you would like to meet at?" He coolly peels off a post-it and places it on his table ready to write down what I say.

Why is he so straightforward? I think about my schedule later, and I remember that I promised mom earlier that I would watch the cupcake shop tonight. "Actually, I need to watch my mom's cupcake shop until 9."

"I could meet you there when you're finished. Is that okay with you?" He asks.

I hesitantly nod my head.

"I'll meet you at 9. Same place from two days ago, right?"

I don't say anything and nod my head once again.

He looks at his watch, "It's 5PM. You may leave."

I look my watch to see that he is right, "I will be leaving then, Mr. Alex."

He nods and focuses his attention on the papers in front of him. I step out of his room and grab my coat and purse from another room to leave.

* * *

"Emma is home!" I walk into my mom's shop and the fresh scent bread and coffee fills my nose.

"Welcome back!" Ms. Evans greets me.

"Thank you! Whew, what a day!" I go to the back of the kitchen and grab an apron.

"Your boss giving you a hard time?" Mrs. Evans turns me around and ties my apron.

"He's okay I guess, a little cold but nothing I can't handle," I tie my hair up with the hair tie on my wrist.

"You can do this my sweetheart! If anyone would have a hard time, it would be him because you are quite a handful," she says jokingly as her laugh resonates through the bakery.

"What a meanie," I laugh and shove her playfully.

"Well, I'll be off. Take care my sweetheart, and please don't set anything on fire again." She winks at me and takes off her apron.

I teasingly stick out my tongue at her, "You take care as well, bye-bye!"

Mrs. Evans leaves, and I am left alone once again. The bells on the door rings, and I attend to the customer.

* * *

I look at my watch, and it reads 9:07. I turn the open sign to closed, and I walk out the door to see if Alex is outside. I catch no sight of him, and I go back inside. I look at my watch, and it reads 9:12. I get ready to lock the door, but a figure from the outside stops me. The door opens the door and reveals an out-of-breath Alex.

Alex tries to catch his breath and looks at me straight in the eyes, "I'm sorry for running late."

Taken aback by his arrival, I open the door for him. "Come in."

We both sit down at one of the tables, and I go the back and get him a coffee. He looks around the bakery, slightly shudders, and puts his briefcase on his lap. I come back with the coffee and place the cup in front of him. He takes out an envelope as I sit across from him and pushes it towards me.

"Open it," he says. I open the envelope to see the picture of the girl that I printed out earlier.

My eyes scan the paper. Olivia Cruz, age 25. "So, is this his daughter?"

"No. Mr. Winand, the CEO, sent this to me a few months back. This is Olivia Cruz, but she has something to do with his missing daughter. Actually, her mother has some connection with the CEO's daughter, but her mother wouldn't meet with me or anyone from the company at all. That's why we're trying to talk to Olivia Cruz instead."

As he was explaining to me, one word catches my attention. "Did you just say missing?"

He furrows his eyebrows and nods slowly at me, "Yes, missing. That is why I need your help."

I thought she'd just be somewhere like a mall or out of the city. I didn't know we were going to play detective and find a missing person.

"Wait," I gather my thoughts and breathe in deeply. "How does she look like then?"

"I don't know," he shrugs.

"You don't know?"

He shakes his head. "The last time her father saw her was when she was born."

"So, we have no idea who she is?" I feel a headache coming.

"Exactly."

"What's going to happen now?" I put down the envelope and focus all my attention to him.

"I'll just need to meet with Olivia Cruz."

"How are you so sure that she'll meet with you?" This is beyond crazy. I mean I'm crazy, but this situation itself is crazier. Alex drinks his coffee and puts down his cup.

"Because you'll be with me."

A/N: hi everyone! i know it's been forever (pls don't fight me), but here is chapter 5! i think about guidelines a lot, so this past year and a half was also story planning as well. thank you so much for your endless support! i get notified in my email every time i get a comment for this story, and it literally puts a smile on my face :-) someone recently commented that it was time for an update because it's 2018, and i was like "U R RIGHT!" i hope you all enjoy this chapter and have a great day!