The Ice Princess and The Bad Boy

Chapter Sixteen - Gone

{Chapter Sixteen - Gone}

•Eli Desmond•

It's been a week now since I last saw Preston. She wasn't present and neither was Grayson. I asked Ali if she had any idea where they were and she looked completely lost. That girl never knew what was going on.

"Are you sure you have no idea where she is?" I pestered Ali as we entered the house.

"No, I don't know what happened to Violet." She sighed in frustration.

"Are you like for sure?"

"Yes, I texted her and she never replied," she stated and I was about to open my mouth when she added, "and yes, I did call her, it went straight to voicemail. Now stop bothering me alreadly!"

"But-" I started again.

"God! If you really want to find out what happened to Violet, just go to her house!" Ali rushed off when my dad entered the foyer.

"Did something happen to Violet?" He looked at me, expantantly.

I shrugged in reply and wondered why my father was home so earlier. "Why are you back home early today? Aren't you supposed to be coming home tomorrow?"

"Business trip ended earlier. I got the deal earlier than expected," he replied with cold eyes.

I started towards the front door.

"Where are you off to? You just got home from school," my dad called.

"I'm going over to Roy's," I lied as I exited the mansion. Off to Preston's house, I go.

When I arrived and knocked on Preston's front door, Grayson wasn't the one to open the door to my surprise.

"Mr. Desmond, what are you doing here?" The previous maid who opened the door the first time I was at the Preston's stood in front of me.

"I was wondering if Violet was home," I replied. Saying Preston's first name was so foreign to me.

"Oh, Miss. Violet left the country," she said as a troubled look spread across her face.

"She left the country?" I asked in disbelief.

"I'm so sorry, I was not supposed to tell anyone," she mumbled nervously.

"But why? Where outside of the country?"

"I do not know," she began to close shut the door.

"Wait," I tried to stop the door.

"Have a good day, Mr. Desmond," the maid muttered before slamming the door right in my face.

I walked back to my car at the slowest pace possible. So I guess Preston left the country with Grayson most likely. But, why in the world did they leave? I recalled what happened the last time I saw Preston. Flashbacks of Preston stopping the middle of the street as a car came speeding towards all rushed back to mind. I was following her from a safe distance and I was about to run and push her out of the car's way when Grayson beat me to it. It was so fishy how Preston was in a rush to go somewhere after Grayson pushed her out of the way. It looked like Grayson had told her something frightening. There was something going on. No one suddenly leaves the country for no reason...

• • •

Another week passed and today was the night of the winter concert. Ali had told me that Preston still hadn't contacted her and it killed me that I still had no idea where she was or why she left so suddenly.

"Are you ready, Eli?" Isabelle said as she grabbed a hold of arm.  I didn't bother shaking her off.

There was 15 minutes before the concert would begin and you could heard the loud chattering coming from the audience sitting behind the red curtains.