Corporate Plaything

He recognised the netbook Anna was using. It was his. Anna was hacking his computer.

Interesting.

Ralph shut his eyes and listened some more. Soft breathings. Keyboard dance. Then silence. He became curious and peeked again.

Anna sat with her hands covering her face. Her body shook. She was crying in silence.

Damn it. Ralph fought the instinct to jump off the bed and console her. How long was she going to continue this charade? She looked as if she was at the edge of the breaking point.

She was only cheerful when he distracted her with sex. If she thought he weren’t looking, Ralph caught her brooding as if the weight on her shoulders became too much for her to carry. Something must be done.

And soon.

Ralph pretended to awaken from his sleep and groped the empty side of the bed. “Anna?” He schooled his voice sleepy.

A startled gasp echoed from where she was sitting. “I…I’m here.” Fingers hammered the keyboard and the netbook was shut down hurriedly.

“What are you doing there?” Ralph kept his pretence of being clueless.

“Just checking my emails.” Feet shuffled and Anna climbed onto the bed. “Miss me?” Her voice cracked.

No matter how hard she tried to sound normal, Ralph could hear her distress. “Yeah, missed you.” He wrapped her in his arms.

She snuggled closer and buried her face on his chest. Her cheeks were damp with tears.

Ralph stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. “Love you,” he whispered.

Her body stiffened.

She didn’t believe him? She should’ve felt the sacred cevborn’s bond the moment they were intimate. Once the rite of Claiming was performed, one couldn’t live without the other, nor would they desire anyone else but their predestined mate. Netherfolks mated for life. Till death do they part. Unlike humans on the surface world.

He stroked her hair one more time and let his breathing slow as if he had drifted back asleep. Anna lay immobile, but he knew she was still awake. Maybe she couldn’t sleep, he mused. After a while, she must’ve thought he

was completely out, she clutched the edge of his boxers and cried silently in his chest. His heart sank. This had to stop. The charade had gone far enough. She didn’t deserve to continue suffering when he and his brothers could help with the solution to her problems.

He needed to talk with Justin tomorrow.

* * * *

After they finished their breakfast, Ralph excused himself and slipped into the estate’s library to call Justin. His brother beat him. Ralph’s cell rang the moment he closed the door.

“How is she?” Justin asked.

“Not good. She’s falling apart.”

Justin cursed. “Matt just found out her father was abducted some time last night.”

“You’re still using that private detective?”

“Around the clock. Her neighbour filed a missing person report when she couldn’t find him this morning.”

“Her neighbour?”

“Anna paid her to do some cooking and laundry for him. Joseph Vincent is ill.”

“Bad?”

“She said he had a bypass surgery last year. Did she do anything odd yesterday?”