Chapter 4 LOVE OR JUSTICE

He fixes his gaze deeper into mine as he speaks. "You have taken off on a very dangerous path. Only God knows where it will lead you. At least, you will never say I didn't warn you." He states, or rather, warns.

His words hang like a heavy cloud over my head. The Don's last words before I left the club last night bang with rebounds in my head, perfectly blending with Dan's.

'You are trekking on a very dangerous path. You will not like the outcome. Don't say I didn't warn you.'

Same exact words. Same weight and dread in them. How come? Why?

"What do you know, Dan?" I fume, glaring at him with a deadly glare and composure, but nothing of that scares him.

He remains bold. So unthreatened.

"I don't know what you are talking about." He states.

"Don't just give me that, Dan! You said the same exact words that Don Emilio said to me last night, so definitely, you know something, so speak the fuck up!" I am squealing, and he is doing his best to annoy me to the core with his irritating calmness.

"You see why I am dissuading you from stopping this insanity, Irma? You are losing your mind. You are becoming so paranoid, trying to connect dots even where there are none." He says so softly, but deeply.

"Am I just paranoid, really?" I ask, unable to crack this beckoning puzzle.

I don't believe I am paranoid. There must be a reason why he is against me investigating this. And how coincidental that he shares the exact sentiments with that fucking Don?!

"If you are not, then explain how you can compare my words with those of that Don you are referring to. How the fuck can I utter the same words that you heard from some fucking stranger that I didn't even know you met? And what exactly do you presume I know, huh? Where your sister is? Oh, wait. You think I know this fucking Don or something? I had a hand in her kidnapping or whatever?"

His words are laced with solely bitter derision. He's making fun of my tormenting predicament. And isn't it him who is acting paranoid now? I didn't insinuate anything even somewhat analogous to what he was implying. It was a candid question. Where are all of his qualms coming from? Why is he so wrecked by my question?

Again, he smirks, saying only he and his devils know what. And to further puzzlement, he grabs his coat from the seat. Are we done here? Like, is he contemplating leaving right now? Like this? "In case you have forgotten, I run a shipping company. I don't work with criminals. It is too much of an insult coming from someone I thought I could make my wife!"

That pierced through my heart, and I think it tore it. He thought? Not anymore?

"I did not insult you. I did not..."

"You insinuated," he cuts me off flatly, "that is as good as an insult, and I won't have any of it!" He doesn't even blink as he spits that.

"What now? Are we fighting over this again? Why can't you seem to understand me, Dan? It is my sister that is missing. I have to do all this and much more to find her. Why can't you understand my grief and where I am coming from?" I ask, a tear almost dropping, but I suck it back just in time.

This is not the time to break down. My sister needs me.

"No. We are not fighting. Never again. I am giving you time to decide whether you want this or not. Decide whether you will stop going after criminals, which isn't part of your job, or focus on me and our plans! Once you have made up your mind, you know where to find me."

And with that, he starts turning his back on me, like I don't matter anymore. Like my grief means nothing to him. Like he can't see my pain at all. Or like none of this really matters to him-not me, and neither my sister's disappearance.

Today he didn't even ask how I was or how I was doing. He doesn't really care anymore. In the middle of all that I am going through, this is what he has to say "Then I am sorry, Dan!" I speak, stopping him at the door. He turns around, and our eyes lock. "There is no stopping for me until I find my sister. And until you learn to be even just a little understanding, don't look for me!" I state with bravery that I didn't know I held.

He nods his head."Until then." He says that, shocking the hell out of me. Then he adds again. "I wish you all the luck in your search, although I don't think you will ever have it!"

Whether he said that to spite me or not, it really left me floating in a quagmire of pain and incredulity. I didn't even look at him as he slammed the door shut behind him.

What is happening? His words, his actions...what's going on?

"Are you okay?" Mary asks as she walks over to me. Seems like she found her voice after so long.

Am I okay? Of all times, my boyfriend chose to abandon me at this exact moment after giving me the cold shoulder since my sister disappeared. My sister is missing, the only family that I have, and my fiancé of three years just called it quits with me in the middle of our wedding preparations. That's great, right?

I feel like crying, but I am doing my best to hold my tears.

"You know what? I am sorry; I shouldn't have asked. "Let me just go heat your coffee. It will be a good remedy," Mary says, and just like that, she grabs my cold coffee and strolls out.

I shouldn't have asked? Coffee?

She thinks I need coffee instead of her consolations right now?

Why is everyone acting so weird today?!