Chapter 5 Her reappearance

~Alfred~

I had traveled for a business trip out of the city, and Daniel, with my private chauffeur, came to pick me up from the airport.

A few steps to where the car was waiting for me, Daniel instantly hopped out of the car, yelling 'mummy mummy.'

At first, I assumed he was referring to me, probably a slip of the tongue, but he strolled in another direction.

Towards a lady emerging from the pickup zone exuding elegance in a stunning brown gown that accentuated her curves, her long, sleek ponytail cascaded down her back, complementing her poised demeanor. A shield partially covered her face, adding an air of mystery to her already captivating presence.

"Daniel, Daniel," Felix, my private chauffeur, beckoned.

But Daniel ignored him, left with no option. I went after him but was momentarily dumbfounded the moment the lady glanced over her shoulder.

Ariela!

Her name escaped my lips inadvertently.

In a split second, before I could catch my breath and piece the scene before me, she disappeared.

Leaving Daniel disappointed.

Leaving me stunned and bewildered.

I tried to shake off the feeling that I was just hallucinating.

But I wasn't, because Daniel was a witness to the unimaginable presence of Ariela.

I've virtually searched the whole of San Francisco for her. I had searched the nooks and crannies of the city, hoping and praying to catch a glimpse of the woman I had dumped like trash. The woman I had disregarded and ridiculed.

The day she disappeared, it felt like a scale fell from my eyes. I realized I had made the most terrible mistake of my life.

How stupid and unreasonable I'd deliberately turn a blind eye to the rarest gems, and choose bronze to gold.

The guilt of my despicable act dug deep in my heart.

I'd yearned for her return, I wished to be given a second chance to rewrite my mistakes.

But it never came to pass, days turned months and months into years, but Ariela remained like a shadow, never to be caught until this very moment

I saw her again; it wasn't a dream, and I wasn't imagining things. She was really standard in front of me but gone within a second.

The intensity of my shock heightened the moment a Rolls-Royce Sweptail drove her away, one of the most expensive cars.

My Jaw-dropped!

"Daddy, that is mummy, right?" Daniel muttered immediately, jolting me back to reality.

"Yeh.. hh, maybe.. it....." I stuttered, unable to produce meaningful words out of shock.

"Is mummy, I'm really certain, daddy, but she doesn't want me close," His face pouted in disappointment.

"It seems mummy doesn't want us anymore, she doesn't love me anymore, and it's all my fault," his face saddened.

"I was too naughty. Will she ever forgive me? Daddy," his eyes glistening with tears at this point.

"Come on, buddy, don't be too hard on yourself. We both messed up, but I promise, we will find a way out," I said, reassuring Daniel with the tiny bead of hope I held.

The drive back home was quiet; the aura in the car was filled with sadness, regret, and disappointment. Daniel's gloomy mood mirrored his disposition ever since he realized Ariela was gone. He became a shadow of himself, seeing him in such a state breaks me more. It's all my fault. Loela, whom I'd presumed would be of assistance, kept touring the world in the name of vacation.

The moment Ariela left, Loela's attitude flapped. The love, warmth, and attention she'd poured into Daniel ceased. She became so detached from him with the excuse of being busy. Daniel became broken and dejected.

Ceaseless complaints from his school teacher about his moody attitude and lack of attention. Daniel turned from a vibrant to a timid boy, and the guilt dug deep in my heart

The rest of the evening passed by silently, leaving me buried in my thoughts, thoughts of regret and remorse. Daniel, however, refused to touch his dinner, deeply consumed by his misery. The whole house seems to be grieving, grieving Ariela's rejection.

"Will you bring back mummy?"

Daniel's question hung in the air unanswered.

I couldn't bring myself to lie or give false hope, I'd rather watch and see what time holds for us.

The next day at the office, I couldn't focus on the workload before me. Deeply immersed in my thoughts, Ariela's image keeps playing in my head, how her composure radiates confidence and sophistication, unlike the timid and naive Ariela I used to know.

A knock on the door interrupted my train of thought. Denise, head of the Accounting department, walked in with a stash of folders in his hands.

"Good day, sir. I have the report from the accounting department."

I nod my head for him to proceed.

"And the sales are not good, it seems to be depreciating even worse than last year, we haven't been able to secure any contract lately, and some of our investors are withdrawing."

I watched him speak, but deep down, I wanted to punch something in anger, possibly him or maybe the table, wall, just anything, but they weren't the problem either.

Beads of sweat form on my forehead, and anger surges through my core. I clenched my fist to suppress the outrage.

Not at him, definitely not at him.

But at myself, at Loela, at my foolishness.

My company has been slacking down for years now, and Tyler's company is crumbling under my watch. All thanks to Loela for her mismanagement and lavish lifestyle, which ruined everything for me and possibly will put the company into bankruptcy soon.

The Tyler dynasty, known as the top architectural firm, is about to vanish into thin air. The news of Lank Concepts opening another branch here in San Francisco has worsened the situation, as many investors and clients are fleeing to them.

My brow etched into a scowl, I was raging. I need to do something, maybe come up with something before I lose my mind.

"But there might be a way to save the company..." he spoke with a ray of hope, but was interrupted by the buzzing of my phone.

Gazing at the caller, a fresh anger and irritation sipped through me.

Loela!!

The urge to smash my phone, hoping to inflict the pain on her, overwhelmed me, but I dismissed the call instantly and pulled my face towards Denise, a sign for him to continue.