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📬 1:1 Roleplay (L-M) / mirage
Triggers: abduction/kidnapping, criminal gangs, poss. violence, trauma
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Daniel Winter Black BOT 12/23/2023 7:41 AM
“They say you are a mirage, anything but true. Instead I ask, isn’t life itself a delusion too?” Daniel possessed everything a man could desire. He was enveloped in wealth and respect, with a woman by his side whenever he wished. Yet, an emptiness persisted within him, a void he could never fill, no matter how hard he tried. Standing by the windowed wall of his office, overlooking the nightclub below, he held a glass of amber poison in his hand, the king surveying the empire he had built. Up there, one could get the best view of his creation. The enormous hall was shielded by black marble columns supporting the curved ceiling above. The center of the hall was dedicated to the stage of overindulgence and lust—the dance floor covered with black and white checkered marble. It led to the higher stage directly across from Daniel’s office, housing the expensive equipment for the DJ and possible space for live bands. Behind the dark columns were hidden nooks with booths for privacy and communication. Below Daniel’s office, the grand staircase led from the entrance and balconies down to the dance floor. On the balconies above was the VIP section, offering a lookout of the nightclub. Adjacent to the balcony, large cages hung from the ceiling, a special attraction awaiting living statues impersonating ancient Greek sculptures. The hall resembled more a cathedral than a nightclub, soon to be transformed by the lights, giving the white marble an ultraviolet hue and casting deep shadows on the black marble. The living statues would be accentuated by showlights, and the dance floor would come alive with a masquerade of colorful rolling lights. The workers of the club tirelessly prepared the space below for yet another night, but Daniel was lost in his thoughts, slowly sipping on his drink. With wandering thoughts, he slowly looked up at the curved ceiling, usually hidden from guests due to dim lights. It was covered with an intricate black and white fresco. Many people had
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asked Daniel about the artist, hoping to hire them for their own mansions, but Daniel always claimed to have signed a nondisclosure agreement just to obtain this masterpiece. In truth, he had spent sleepless nights, sitting on the scaffolding just below the ceiling, losing himself for months in the design. From afar, one could see designs of angels, clouds, and olive branches that transcended to darker motifs with demons. Above the windows of Daniel’s office resided the centrepiece of the fresco—a blonde male held down by countless demonlike figures while a furious goddess pressed a blade through his heart. Only Daniel knew it was him in the fresco, and Ker sending the blade through his heart, with an urge to feast on his tragedy. It was the macabre image of how he felt at a low point in his life, and sometimes he felt the urge to order the ceiling to be repainted white, just to not see his moment of weakness depicted in the fresco. His thoughts were interrupted by the daylight extinguishing and the night lights coming to life, dimming the hall and transforming the space from a cathedral to something more modern. It was time for Mirage to open its doors again and invite the elite to indulge in their sins. This prompted Daniel to finish his drink in one big sip and return to reality. He had already completed his tasks for the day, and only one was left—one he didn’t particularly want to do but something he understood had to be done for his sanity. The sense of loneliness accompanied him at every step, and the logical thing to do was to surround himself with someone who cared about sharing time with him. He never checked when or how it happened, but one day he crossed paths with Beatrix Henderson, the daughter of one of the most powerful and respected men in the city. Daniel was engrossed in his responsibilities, concluding a contract on one of the stolen art pieces he had recently acquired when Beatrix entered his life with sheer force.
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She decided to claim Daniel for herself, and for a reason Daniel couldn't explain to himself, he played along. Having traversed life alone for so long, it was refreshing that someone took the initiative and stood by his side. Although Daniel never felt the same spark of attraction Beatrix seemingly did, he kept telling himself that this might change one day, and it wasn't a bad thing to be closer to one of the giants of the city's underground world. Glancing at his silver watch with a blue clock face, he noted it was just a little past 8 pm, indicating the nightclub was already open. Another glance down to the dance floor confirmed the presence of the first guests. With a heavy sigh, it was time for Daniel to pull himself together once more and head to the meeting with Beatrix, who insisted they have dinner tonight. Daniel could only recall her constantly talking about all the reasons why it had to be today, resembling a cacophony of sounds he didn't care to decipher. Before leaving his office, he stopped by the mirror to take a glance at his appearance. Being a highly respected man in the city meant he had to take care of his appearance and look put together. He wore a simple black suit with a white buttoned-up shirt underneath, leaving some upper buttons open for a more casual look. He didn't bother with a tie today, as no important meetings were scheduled. Running his fingers through his somewhat longer ash-blonde hair, slicked back with some gel, something gold attached to his shirt sparkled – simple golden cufflinks with the letters DWB engraved onto them. His ice-blue eyes were accentuated by dark circles, but he straightened his back, putting on his careless mask before finally storming out of his office with long strides. "Carlson, you may go home. I won't be needing you today anymore," he said, throwing a look at his bodyguard, who stood outside his office and seemed to relax his shoulders as it appeared his day was over. Daniel was already heading tow
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ards the VIP area but quickly stopped in his tracks, putting his hand into his suit and pulling out a bundle of money. He counted down a few bills before handing it to Carlson. "Buy some ice cream for Trixie, I hope she is doing well," he said, giving him a small smile. Carlson's expression suggested that with this money, he could buy much more for his daughter. Daniel patted the shoulder of his bodyguard and finally headed to the VIP area, greeting people on his way there. The nightclub was progressively getting full, the music roaring through the hall, and the colorful lights bringing the space to life. Daniel always had a table reserved at the edge of the balcony overlooking the dance floor. The space was shielded from the rest of the nightclub with thick glass, dimming the deafening music downstairs, leaving only a distant sound. He took a seat facing the entrance, leaning forward, resting his chin on his hands. He hoped Beatrix would show up soon and wouldn't demand much of his time tonight, as he was too deep in his thoughts. He couldn't place his finger on what was wrong, but his alarms kept going off inside him today. His anxiety was overpowering, and in an attempt to calm his nerves, he called for one of the waitresses and ordered his favorite whiskey. A quick glance at his watch told him that Beatrix was running late, and Daniel grew annoyed, breathing heavily and taking sips from his whiskey. He was determined to give up and leave if Beatrix didn’t show up in the next fifteen minutes.
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@👯 Bunny Dancing through Life 👯
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Olivia Parker BOT 12/25/2023 2:23 PM
♫ Work it harder, make it better Do it faster, makes us stronger More than ever, hour after hour Work is never over ♫ Sitting cross legged on the floor of the one bedroom, 3rd floor apartment, Olivia Parker scribbled actively into the notebook she had folded open and balancing on one knee whilst referencing an open text book splayed on the floor in front of her. She wore light grey jogging bottoms, thick white socks and a pale pink sweater, her dark hair ruffled in messy waves and partially tied up into a rough bun - though it appeared most of her locks had escaped the confines of the hairband already. Liv’s face was make-up free, adorned by her thick framed black glasses only. The music hummed quietly out from the headphones over her head and covering her ear as she lightly hummed the tune under her breath, head bouncing side to side to the beat as she found the groove to her studying. It felt like nothing was going to disturb her flow as she finally felt she was making a dent in the coursework she had to do for her university course - she had spent so long ruminating over the subject and how she was to tackle it, it was particularly energising to finally get pen to paper and see it coming together. Her focus was so intent on the work, the music aiding in keeping her going that there was nothing that could stop~ bzz The phone on the coffee table vibrated loudly, just once, as the screen lit up brightly catching the corner of her gaze. Lifting her head, Liv looked to the phone a moment, frowning - she wasn’t going to grab it, not this time, whatever it was could wait… back to work… bzz Huffing loudly, Olivia placed the pen on top of the notebook as she threw it down onto the floor at her side, pushing herself forwards onto her knee to reach over to the phone and see who and what was disturbing her evening she had purposely blocked out to get this paper done. It shouldn’t have really been a surprise to her to see Beatrix’s name decorating the notificati
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ons panel of her lock screen, but what did surprise her was the messages within. omw be there in 5 u best have drink in bish It was typical for Bea to just assume that everyone had the time, or energy, to entertain and host her unannounced. It was also typical for Liv not to turn her away. The girls were long term best friends and although both of their lives had taken drastically different directions in the last decade - with Olivia continuing her education above and beyond the regulatory minimum with high career aspirations… and Beatrix continuing it just for the socials and nightlife that came with University. They hadn’t been spending quite as much time together lately though, with Beatrix moving her priorities to her new friend group of socialites, and whatever guy she had been jumping that week… That was possibly the reason that Olivia would throw her headphones off and start packing away her study material for her friends arrival. Once clear, she would head into her kitchen to dig out whatever wine and spirits she had available, lining them up on the side with 2 glasses.
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The roar of an engine on the road outside was the first announcement of arrival, and Olivia moved to the window to watch the large, blacked out jeep pull up in front of her apartment building. A large man in a black suit climbed out of the front of the car, looking up and down the street a moment before circling around to the back door on the passenger side. Opening it up, the mildly famous Beatrix Henderson would emerge, large overnight bag draped over her arm and black sunglasses adorning her face, even though it was just gone 7pm and the sun had already began its descent, darkening the skies above them. Only once she was inside the building would the suited man return to his seat in the car, heading back off down the street. Olivia was already at the door when the soft rap of Beatrix’s knuckles came vibrating through, opening the door to greet her with a big grin. The smile wasn’t reciprocated though, as Beatrix pushed her way past Olivia and into the small flat. Tilting her head down she would slide the glasses further down her nose, looking around the open living / dining / kitchen space and scoffing quietly to herself as soon as she saw the drink sat out. ”Why do you have two glasses Liv? Are you spending your evening drinking alone again?” Beatrix’s tone was far from that of a best friend to another, but Olivia shrugged it off - at this point, they were more like sisters, and what were sisters if not occasionally belittling to each other. Chuckling quietly, Olivia went over to grab the glasses and a bottle, before being interrupted again. ”I really need you sober anyway, you’ll need to drive. Pour me a glass of the red while I go dress will you? Oh… and if my parents call you, your hamster died and I spent the whole night here consoling you ok?” With that, the storm that was Beatrix swept through the apartment and disappeared into Olivia’s bedroom, swinging the door closed behind her. Olivia couldn’t help but stand looking a little dumbfounded at th
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e closed door, a little confused… where was she driving to? Why was her hamster… which she had never owned… dead? And why was Beatrix getting changed without insisting she pick out a suitable outfit for Olivia also if they were apparently heading out for the night? Despite the questions, Olivia did as asked and poured the single glass of red wine before heading into the bedroom, pushing open the door just as Beatrix was pulling herself into a body-tight, bandage style mini-dress. “What’s going on Bea? I thought… you were coming to hang out… like old times?” She asked, passing over the glass of wine before moving to sit on the bed and watch. Beatrix took the glass while barely looking at her, taking a sip before moving to fix up her long, brown hair in the mirror, straight and smooth as it fell around her shoulders and down her back. ”I’m heading out… and quite frankly I’m fed up of all the questions from my father on where I’m going and who I’m seeing so tonight… they think I’m here with you. You’re going to take me down to Mirage. I’ll be back in the morning so fathers driver can pick me up from here… or you can take me home. Either makes them believe I was with you.” Of course… Liv was being used as a scapegoat. It wouldn’t be the first time, nor the last, that she had lied to her best friends parents about them being together. Usually it was to cover for an overnight stay with a boyfriend in their teen years… but now… they were both 26, firmly into adulthood, she doubted Beatrix’s parents really cared that much about their daughter possibly spending time overnight with a boy… “All this just to go out to a nightclub? Why couldn’t you say you were with Lilly or Jacob if you’re going out with them…” Liv would begin to question, before a look of realisation would dawn over her face. “You’re… not going to see that guy again are you? I thought you said you were breaking up with him… that he was boring you?”
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”He still has his uses… besides, the guys obsessed with me, it’s quite cute really.” Olivia sighed and rolled her eyes. The guy in question she only knew very few details about…. Beatrix always met him at Mirage whenever they would go out, he had some elusive career that left him loaded enough to hold Beatrix’s attention for more than a week and whatever reputation or career he had…. She was adamant about keeping it quiet from her father for as long as possible. There was likely a danger to him to, as Olivia had only ever known Beatrix to last more than 2 weeks with someone dangerous. The obsession comment… well, that was null and void, Beatrix believed the whole world was obsessed with her, the only person who probably was was Olivia. “Bea… this doesn’t sound like a good idea. Why don’t you just stay here with me? Like your parents think you are? I have Ice Cream in the freezer and we can watch some of those stupid old films like we used to?” It was a useless offer as Bea didn’t even halt her getting-ready process, instead grabbing her phone and checking the time before looking to Olivia, gesturing with a hand at her. ”Get your keys, I’m running late enough for him to be wanting me.” Liv frowned… sighed… then stood up, crossing her arms under her chest as she stared to Beatrix. She was about to do something she had never done before… and would likely never do again, but somehow, somewhere, deep inside she had found some courage. “I’m not driving you there. Stay here… or don’t. But you’ll have to go out on your own! You can’t just use people all the time! I’m meant to be your friend and you walk all over me and use me as an excuse! You’ve not seen me for two weeks and when you do you can’t wait to be out the door!” The final faint, sliver of hope that Bea may just stay… be old Beatrix again, was dashed the moment the woman grabbed up her bag and just stormed out the door, not saying another thing to Olivia as she went. Sighing, Olivia fell backwards o
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nto her bed, staring up disheartened at the ceiling. It was going to be a long night… and there was no way she would be able to return to her paper. Instead… she would find that tub of ice cream from her freezer, curl up in a blanket on the sofa, and eat through the heartbreak caused by her best friend letting her down… again. Maybe this time would be the last time… maybe this time she would finally cut her off… Or maybe not, as Olivia constantly glanced to her phone, hopeful for a message from Bea that she was fine, that she was sorry, that she was coming back…
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@Taiga On The Shelf 🐅
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Daniel Winter Black BOT 12/27/2023 7:51 AM
Every passing minute added to Daniel's annoyance, making it increasingly difficult to sit in one place as he shifted on the padded seat. The glass of whiskey in his hand was now empty, and another button on his shirt had come undone. Leaning back, he stared at his glass, rolling it between his fingers. The atmosphere around him was thick with tension, and it was hard to discern whether he was in a state of utter depression or contemplating burning down the entire world. The waitress approached his table multiple times, inquiring about another drink or food, but each time, she was sent away with a single twitch of Daniel's fingers. Growing weary of the confusing and exhausting day, Daniel was ready to end the date and head to his penthouse. However, as he placed his glass on the table and prepared to rise, the surrounding space was shattered by a high-pitched shrill voice. "Daniel! Get up and greet me properly!" The very essence of Beatrix Henderson was condensed in her first words. Slowly, Daniel raised his cold gaze toward Beatrix, taking a moment to assess her look. He couldn't deny that Beatrix was an attractive woman. Her white dress hugged her curves, accentuating her impressive breasts that could turn heads. Her straight hair lay behind her shoulders, framing her face ever so slightly. With a look of a predator, there was no doubt she knew about her influence on others. Despite this, Daniel remained unmoved, seemingly immune to the storm that was brewing before his eyes. "You are late," Daniel's voice had a rasp to it from the alcohol he had consumed previously. From his stance, it was clear he wouldn't follow Beatrix's orders, and something about his gaze made her shuffle her feet clad in high heels, squinting her foxy brown eyes. They locked eyes, each waiting for the other to break. Due to Daniel's presence, attention was drawn to their table, prompting Beatrix to finally relent. She let out a laugh that was supposed to cover up her uncertainty and walke
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d over to Daniel, bending forward in a rather unnatural yet certainly attractive way. She grabbed onto Daniel's chin with her manicured fingers, pressing her full lips onto his. Daniel's discontent was expressed by a deep groan as Beatrix assaulted his lips, but he wasn't in the mood for a scene and allowed Beatrix a moment of dominance. He found himself seriously questioning why he kept meeting with her and what his ultimate goal was. With a satisfied grin, Beatrix leaned back and finally took her seat across from Daniel. He raised an eyebrow, looking over Beatrix with a questioning look about her intentions, but all he got was a silly laugh. She slightly fixed her fringe on her forehead and leaned forward, placing her arms on the table and pressing her breasts against it to ensure they stood out even more. "It takes time to look as attractive as I am, I can't rush it," Beatrix’s voice was laced with sweet poison. She naively blinked with her eyes, and Daniel noticed the other thing that drove him to the brink of madness every time. Her long fake eyelashes caught on her long fringe every time she blinked, and Daniel felt the urge to brush the fringe back and fasten it with a clip on top of her head. But it seemed as if Daniel was ready to endure the annoyance just for the chance of a relationship with someone present in his higher circles who understood the world he was operating in. "Well, Beatrix, I can see the effort you put into it," he said, his tone laced with sarcasm. "But I've been here for quite a while, drowning my patience in whiskey. You could have at least texted or called if you were going to be fashionably late."
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Beatrix let out a melodious laugh once more, pulling attention from other guests in the VIP area. She was clearly not bothered by Daniel's irritation and seemed to have control over their encounter. "Oh, Daniel, you know I'm worth the wait," she replied, running her fingers through her hair with an air of mock modesty. "Besides, I don't operate on anyone else's schedule but my own." Daniel couldn't argue with that. Beatrix was a force to be reckoned with, and he had learned that the hard way. He signaled the waitress, who had been watching the interaction unfold with a mix of curiosity and discomfort, hoping to order their dinner and drinks as fast as possible. The faster they had their dinner, the sooner they could proceed with the night. Although Daniel couldn't stand her company for a long time, she made up for it in bed, and something about letting out his frustrations through passion made him take a big breath to find patience. As the night wore on, the tension between Daniel and Beatrix persisted, but both of them played it off by engaging in small talk. The relationship was built on benefits, not on love. Daniel was feeling alone navigating the world around him that he had built and wanted someone by his side who could understand it. He was getting sick of short one-night stands with random females he met in his night club, who were more into it for his wealth and status than his very being. When he thought about Beatrix, he was sure she was with him for his wealth and status as well, but sometimes she let her mask slip, revealing a warmer side of herself that kept Daniel interested. She had her claws in his soul, unwilling to let go, and Daniel played along. The waitress kept bringing red wine for Beatrix, and with every sip of the wine, she grew more bearable for Daniel. The malicious undertone in her voice was dissipating, she grew more playful and less talkative. At one moment, Daniel noticed she was more open tonight, telling him some stories from her
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teenage years. They were mostly silly stories, but it was the first time Beatrix told him about her best friend Olivia. He didn't care about her best friend, but he was engaged in finding out another side of Beatrix. For a short period, his shoulders relaxed, and something resembling a grin appeared on his face, seeing how much the stories meant to Beatrix. He was glad he could sit back and listen to her talk, it didn't seem that she was interested in Daniel's stories from his teenage years anyway. Even when their relationship was as twisted, he could imagine spending nights together like this. After all, some people kept saying that love can develop, and their connection could be fruitful due to Daniel's status in the underground art dealership and Beatrix’s inheritance from her father. When arranged marriages worked out for people, Daniel believed this twisted relationship could succeed. If only Beatrix was less self-centered and got rid of her damn fringe that stuck to her fake eyelashes. The night was fueled by the intoxicating combination of alcohol and unspoken desires. Daniel and Beatrix found themselves standing by the private elevator leading to one of Daniel's apartments. He owned not only the hall of the night club situated on the ground floor but also the whole building above. Most high-class apartments were rented out, but Daniel kept both the apartment they were heading to and the last two floors where his penthouse was situated. His penthouse was off-limits to pretty much anyone except his bodyguards and the housekeeper, it was the one place he wasn't willing to share with anyone. Beatrix once asked him why he owned the whole building and only had a single three-bedroom apartment in the middle of the building for himself, but he managed to dodge the question by telling her he didn't need much space for himself.
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The decision to move to Daniel's apartment seemed almost inevitable, a silent agreement between two individuals who understood the unspoken rules of their arrangement. The journey to Daniel's apartment in the elevator was filled with an electric anticipation. Beatrix's hand brushed against Daniel's, the subtle contact sending shivers down his spine. It prompted him to press Beatrix against one of the walls, the air thick with a shared desire that transcended the superficial nature of their connection. But Daniel wasn't one to jump into action, his patience was made of steel as he pressed his body against hers, his face only inches away from hers. He gently sent his fingers through her hair, which made Beatrix lean forward. She wanted to throw herself onto him, but Daniel managed to pull away, a tsk escaping his tongue as he also let out a laugh at her impatience. For the first time tonight, he had control over her. Upon entering Daniel's apartment, the atmosphere changed. Beatrix, ever the provocateur, couldn't allow losing control and took the lead again. She moved closer to Daniel, her eyes locking onto his with an intensity that mirrored the storm within, and Daniel let go. After all, Beatrix had to make up for being late. Without uttering a word, they allowed the unspoken desire to unfold. Daniel's earlier frustrations seemed to dissipate in the heat of the moment as the night took a turn towards passion. Behind closed doors, away from the prying eyes of their social circles, they found temporary solace in each other—a connection born out of convenience, desire, and a shared understanding of the complexities that defined their lives. As the night unfolded, the boundaries between them blurred, and for a brief moment, the complexities between them melted away, leaving only the raw, unbridled connection that kept them entangled in this tumultuous dance. Yet Daniel never foresaw that Beatrix's exceptional eagerness was fueled by the fact that it was their last dan
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ce. Everything would be washed away with the first sun rays, leaving Daniel alone in the ruffled-up sheets. It was the curse that followed him every step of the way—the curse of always being left alone.
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@👯 Bunny Dancing through Life 👯
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Olivia Parker BOT 12/27/2023 12:45 PM
Olivia wasn’t exactly sure what time she had fallen asleep the night before, curled up on her couch with a blanket wrapped around her, ice cream tub in hand. The sunlight streamed through the open blinds of the apartment, creeping across the floor as the minutes ticked by until the warmth and light hit Liv’s eyelids. Slowly, she blinked them open, looking about the room confused. It took a few minutes for her to remember exactly why she was asleep in the front room rather than her bed, the empty tub of icecream and a spoon tucked under one arm and her phone clasped tightly in the other. Memories of the night before came back though, and the sinking feeling that she still hadn’t heard anything from Beatrix yet came on in a wave. Swiping her thumb across the touch screen of the phone in her hand she saw the lack of notifications and groaned. It was nearing 8am, and it was unlike Beatrix to spend a full night with someone else… but there was a chance she had just woken late too. Olivia was feeling awful for how she had spoken to her friend the night before, how she had sent her out on her own. It had been a building frustration for sure, but she regretted snapping at her. At the end of the day it was just how Beatrix was… how she functioned. Liv couldn’t hold that against her. In an effort to make it up to her, Liv pushed from the couch and headed to the kitchen, looking to see what she could rustle up for breakfast for her and her friend when she finally arrived. Pulling out several ingredients she put them to the side before flicking open her messaging app, tapping a quick text to Beatrix and hitting send. Let me know when you’re on your way. I’m making pancakes. x With that sent, she grabbed the frying pan and prepared her pancake mixture, putting it aside in a jug once it was mixed and ready to go - she could start cooking them up once Beatrix had confirmed she was enroute. Checking her phone again, 8:30am now, she saw the message however hadn’t even been re
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ad yet. This was extremely unusual - especially as Bea wanted to get picked up from her house as evidence of having spent the night. It was still early though… maybe she had had a particularly late night and not yet come to. Maybe she was, for once, enjoying some morning company… Chewing her cheek, Liv tried to push away the feeling that something was wrong. Instead, she busied herself in getting ready for the day. Her hair was a matted mess from where she had fallen asleep on the sofa, mascara smudged around her eyes and the clothing she had worn yesterday was not smelling particularly fresh. Heading into her bedroom, she slowly stripped off, putting her glasses on the bedside table as she did so before moving through to the bathroom. Occasionally, she would glance at the phone, unlocking and checking the status on the text. Still unread as she climbed into the shower. The shower was longer than usual as Liv tried her best to distract herself from the growing anxious knot in her stomach that told her something wasn’t right that morning. She washed her hair twice, followed by lathering herself in her favourite body wash. Grabbing the razor from the side, it was decided she would do a full-works shower, starting with the shaving foam on her legs and working her way up. At least 20 minutes had passed once she emerged from the shower, and of course, the first instinct was to check her phone. It was now a little after 9am and… still unread. Sinking defeated into the chair next to her dressing table, Liv tapped her nails on the wooden tabletop thinking about what she could do. It was possible that Beatrix was so angry with her she had headed directly home that morning, no doubt spinning a tail about how Liv had an early morning appointment so had dropped her off on passing rather than driving right up to the house. It wasn’t beyond the realms of possibilities after all.
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Quickly, she tapped another text, in the hopes that perhaps they were being read in the notification toasts rather than Beatrix opening the app fully. I’m sorry about yesterday. Let me know you got home safe. With that sent, she moved her phone to the charging point next to the bed, before beginning to dry her hair and set about finding an outfit for the day. She picked something simple as she had no solid plans for what would be happening, tight dark blue jeans and a black, square neck jersey tank top would do, along with her black Doc Martens to finish the outfit if she did leave the house. It took around an hour to get fully ready, her hair in loose waves once more framing her face. Just as she was finishing up with a swipe of mascara, her phone dinged a message received notification, buzzing on the bedside table. Liv would have been embarrassed to see her own reaction, launching from the dressing table and diving over the bed, landing stomach first on the bedsheets as she grabbed for her phone, swiping it open. Her heart racing she opened the app and saw the text… from Mr Henderson himself. Her stomach did a flip… this was not a good sign. Tell Beatrix to answer her phone, I need to know when she wants picking up. Fuck thought Olivia as she layed there staring at the text message, her hand shaking a little. The idea that Beatrix had merely made her own way back home already was dashed, and the fact she wasn’t reading or responding not just to Olivia, but to her own father, was even more worrisome. Panicking, Olivia flipped to her contact card for Beatrix, hitting the call button and holding the phone to her ear as she heard it ring. “Pick up, Pick up… Gods sake Beatrix pick up your phone!” Olivia would mutter under her breath. After 6 or 7 rings though, the call switched to voicemail, Beatrix’s voice ringing through the phone with the instructions to leave a message. “Bea, it’s me, I’m sorry about last night… your father is messaging me asking a
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bout you… can you just come back now? Or let me know you’re ok? Even just a text… I’ll cover for you for now Beatrix but… I need to know you’re ok.” Sighing she hung up the phone, ending the message. Almost instantly though, she would hit dial again. As soon as it went to voicemail she hung up before trying again, and repeated this a good 6 times, hoping and praying the calls would wake Beatrix or catch her attention, whatever she was doing. After the 6th attempt, her phone buzzed indicating a missed call, and of course, it was from Mr Henderson. He was obviously getting frustrated at being ignored by the girls. Before Olivia could think through her next action, the phone started vibrating and ringing in her hand again. “Morning Mr Henderson… sorry… yes she’s here. Uhm… she’s still asleep, we had a bit of a late night. Actually… I don’t think you need to worry about picking her up… we’re going to head out and do some shopping like old times. Yes… Yes I’ll let her know. Yes ok. I’ll bring her back. Thanks Mr Henderson… you too… have a good day.” Hanging up, Olivia tossed her phone to one side, moving to bury her head into her pillow with a loud groan. She had just lied to one of the most powerful men in the city. He was practically her dads boss at this point… if he won the mayoral vote he would be at any rate. If rumours were to be believed too, he wouldn’t hesitate in taking it out on her and her family if he found out she was lying - the Hendersons had always been good to her, treating her like a daughter practically, but she wouldn’t compare to their actual daughter and the idea she had put her in danger by sending her into the streets alone… well, there was probably no amount of grovelling that would undo that betrayal. That pretty much settled it… if Beatrix wasn’t going to answer or come to her, she was going to have to go find Beatrix. Where though… was another matter entirely.
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The limited information Beatrix had ever given Olivia about her mystery man did not include where he lived, or if he was even a local to the city itself. They did always meet at Mirage though… so hopefully that would be a good place to start. Liv just had to hope that there would be someone there, security or a manager, at the middle of the day that could hopefully help her out. Grabbing her keys, Liv headed out to her car, a small Mitsubishi Mirage… suitably named for the destination it seemed. Olivia’s apartment was around 40 minutes outside of the main hub for nightlife with daytime traffic, which just lead to making her more anxious. Her phone was connected to the handsfree radio inside the car, and she would occasionally dial Beatrix’s number again, trying to get through. Just as she was pulling into the car part near the nightclub though the call would do something new… instead of ringing, it went straight to voicemail. Her number was either blocked, or Beatrix’s phone was out of battery and dead. It was now even more urgent for her to find her in person. Walking up to the building for Mirage she would rap her knuckles on the door hard, over and over again. The other side of the door seemed quiet though with no answer. Sighing, she marched her way around the building to another entrance, one that seemed to lead to the apartments above it. There was a button marked “security” though, and she buzzed it, pressing it again and again until there was a click confirming connection. She didn’t wait for the voice to come through though, talking quick. “Hi there! Sorry, this is urgent, I really need to talk to someone about the club downstairs… please.” Her voice was pretty pleading, which seemed to work as the buzz indicated the door was unlocked for her. Pulling it open, she hurried inside to be greeted by a rather large fellow in the security uniform, he merely grunted at her, crossing his arms around him as he waited for more explanation from her. “Uhm… my fr
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iend was here meeting someone last night. She’s met them here a few times… I’m hoping I could see the security tapes or maybe someone would recognise him? I can’t get hold of her and… it’s pretty urgent…” Grabbing her phone out she would unlock it, flicking to her gallery and finding a picture of her and Beatrix together, turning to show it to the Security guard. He seemed to take a long look at it, before looking back at Olivia behind the phone. ”What’s your name girl?” “Uhm… Olivia Parker.” ”Stay here… I’ll make a few calls and see what we can do.” With that comment her turned and walked back to the security office a little off the main lobby area. Liv itched at her arm impatiently, pacing a little back and forth as she waited for news. Hopefully they would be able to do something… someone must recognise her, Beatrix wasn’t exactly a subtle person and given she had become quite the regular… if he refused to help, Olivia would just have to wait until the club itself opened later. But would it be too late then?
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Daniel Winter Black BOT 12/29/2023 9:55 AM
The rays of the sun streaming through the windowed wall abruptly pulled Daniel from his troubled sleep. This was a recurring event, and he grappled with an inability to put an end to it. His breath quickened, the blankets on his body feeling like constricting chains. This was the aftermath of a series of events that unfolded during his childhood and teenage years. Though he never suffered from vivid nightmares, the lingering echoes of the past, accompanied by the emotions they carried, continued to dominate his sleep. After wrenching the sheets from his body and taking several deep breaths, he finally managed to pry open his eyes, surveying the spacious bedroom nestled in a corner of the building. Two windowed walls afforded him one of the most breathtaking views of the city. He was relieved to find the space beside him empty, he was not inclined to share the reasons for his distress. Beatrix, as far as he knew, remained oblivious to his past, likely assuming he hailed from a wealthy family or was someone who had pots of luck in life. Daniel Black seemingly had it all, making it implausible that he ever endured hard times. Distracted from his thoughts by the city view, Daniel noted the sun still hidden behind other skyscrapers, casting an orange hue in the sky. Despite the absence of clouds, it was a supposed sunny day with a pleasant cold breeze—a perfect day for a forest hike just half an hour away. However, it was a routine Wednesday, burdened with too many responsibilities. Daniel had to push aside his desires and return to the reality he had meticulously crafted, a reality that his ringing phone beside the bed reminded him of. A melodic voice came through the speaker, announcing, "This is your wake-up call, sir." Despite being lost in his thoughts, Daniel felt lighter upon hearing the voice, and a small smile crept onto his lips. "I've already prepared your favorite chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast!" Despite the positive tone, brimming with energy, a pau
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se ensued before the next words were uttered. "Is Ms. Henderson joining you for breakfast today? Should I bring it over?" Taking a deep breath to collect himself, Daniel replied, "Good morning, Martha. No, Beatrix and I won't be having breakfast together. I'll come over in 10." His voice, still raspy from the previous night, carried a warmth reserved for the very few in his life. Martha had been his housekeeper for the past seven years, witnessing the exponential growth of Daniel's business alongside him. An older woman who had spent her life as a house cleaner before crossing paths with Daniel, Martha became indispensable to him. Their bond solidified after a party he organized in his old apartment, a celebration of his first successful year. It marked the moment he secured a stolen art piece and found a buyer, proving his capabilities to his mentor. The stolen artwork was a painting from the 80’s of a dark-haired woman with piercing blue eyes sitting on an armchair, dressed in a long black dress, holding a glass ball emitting a light blue glow. Lady Mirage. Despite the success of the party, Daniel vowed never to host such an event in his living quarters again, as it left his apartment a disaster. There was no way he could manage to ever bring the apartment to its original state, making him order a cleaning service. This decision introduced him to Martha, who arrived at his apartment armed with cleaning supplies and an unabashed willingness to call Daniel out for being an idiot in three different languages. This was when he realized Martha was irreplaceable. Convincing her to work for him evolved from cleaning his apartment once a week to a more substantial employment as Daniel expanded his dealership. Martha, in a way, became a mother figure for him, although he would never admit it. He took care of her as much as she took care of him.
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A single ride in the elevator brought Daniel to his penthouse, where he was greeted by the sweet smell of pancakes and freshly brewed coffee. The penthouse presented a stark contrast to the apartment. The apartment featured a modern minimalistic style with sharp edges, stainless steel, black marble floors, and white walls. In contrast, the penthouse was designed in a rustic style, boasting dark oak hardwood floors and wooden beams on the high ceilings. The walls comprised partly warm grey bricks but mostly beige paint, showcasing art pieces illuminated with spotlights. The paintings were a blend of pieces Daniel sourced for himself and ones he created. The penthouse's interior could be mistaken for a rustic cottage house if not for the windowed walls offering a view over the town. "Here you are!" Martha's head appeared from the kitchen space, her bright smile challenging the sun itself. She wore brown hair sprinkled with grey fashioned in a high bun, bound by a headband. Daniel greeted her with a smile and a wink. Martha, the only constant in his life, provided him with the energy to face another day, even when Beatrix couldn't offer the same warmth. Within an hour, Daniel had taken a shower and shared breakfast with Martha. Recently, he had ceased shaving, allowing a beard to form, a choice that Martha disapproved of. However, Daniel was determined to embrace this new look, perhaps signaling a gradual indifference toward self-care. This change was further manifested by his somewhat longer hair, now slicked back. Despite these alterations, he maintained a fresh and neat appearance. For the day, he opted to wear one of his grey suits with a dark blue button-up shirt underneath, feeling no inclination to wear a tie on this particular day again. One of the perks of living in the same building as his nightclub was the short path to his office. He didn't have to battle morning traffic but could simply take the elevator to the ground floor. By his office, he exchanged
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a few words with Carlson, who was ready to work in his usual spot. They discussed Carlson's fun evening with his daughter, prompting Daniel to momentarily ponder what it would be like to have a child. However, he quickly pushed such thoughts to the back of his mind, considering the impracticality of introducing a child into the borderline criminal world he operated in. He attributed these musings to persistent loneliness, expecting them to dissipate soon. The first part of the morning was consumed by calls, document compilation, and signatures. Bureaucracy thrived even in the illegal scene, with some contracts sealed by blood rather than ink. Laundering money from illegal auctions to Daniel's nightclub and the rented apartments above became an intricate game. Despite the overwhelming nature of these tasks, Daniel persevered, his little empire steadily growing without a defined goal. An empire with a population of one.
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Just as the day seemed destined to be another spent in the office, buried under stacks of documents and senseless calls, a knock on the door interrupted the routine. "Someone named Olivia Parker is looking for Ms. Henderson," Carlson peeked through the open door. Daniel, initially confused, quickly connected the dots, recalling the stories Beatrix had shared the night before. However, the reason for Beatrix's best friend showing up at his nightclub looking for her remained elusive. "Mr. Black? What should I tell her?" Carlson's question snapped Daniel out of his confusion. Clearing his throat and setting down the pen he was holding, Daniel instructed, "Bring her here, I want to know why she is looking for Beatrix." Leaning back in his leather chair, resting his elbows on the armrests and bringing his hands to his chin, Daniel waited for Carlson to bring Olivia. As he glanced outside the windows down to the dimly lit nightclub, he tried to prepare himself for the impending storm, imagining countless reasons why someone would come looking for Beatrix. He found patience within himself, already anticipating someone like Beatrix, if not worse, storming into his office like a harpy in search of her friend. With a deep sigh, he turned his gaze toward his office door. May the storm come in.
9:56 AM
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Olivia Parker BOT 12/29/2023 11:53 AM
The waiting in the lobby of the apartment building side of the Mirage was the most excruciating part of the day so far, Olivia found, where her pacing had switched to standing near the wall with an impatient tapping of her foot, her hand at her mouth as she chewed nervously on her nail. It was unlike Beatrix to go missing like this - certainly with her phone now being off, it was unheard of for her to disconnect from her social circle. Thinking of that though, Olivia looked to her phone again, pulling up Beatrix’s contact card once more and trying to call it one last time. Once again the call went straight to voicemail, and with a shaky hand Olivia returned the phone to her pocket. It felt worse having it in her hand so she hoped being unable to see the lack of notifications would help calm her nerves somewhat. Her mind was already racing with possibilities of what could have happened. Did she even make it to the club or to her date that night before? Maybe she had attempted to walk the journey over getting a cab and had been attacked enroute. Or she had taken a cab… the driver of which didn’t agree with Mr Henderson’s mayoral campaign and had taken her to plot against him? It was a common fear of the Hendersons… or so Olivia had been told by Beatrix when she had asked why she had the families driver taking her everywhere nowadays. Had Beatrix made it to the club… which hopefully Olivia was soon about to find out… the question then came to how the date went. Beatrix had uttered comments of being bored of the guy… maybe she had attempted to end things and he had grown aggressive and violent? Maybe she was hurt… in a hospital bed somewhere… disfigured beyond recognition. Suddenly Olivia felt the itch she was in the wrong place, perhaps her search should have started at the hospitals first. But then… if that was where she was… they wouldn’t kick her out without knowing who she was, so she would still be there once Olivia was done with the club - and at least this wa
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y she could find out who the guy was perhaps so she’d know who was responsible. Looking around the lobby again, Olivia let out a loud, audible sigh with a slump of her shoulders. The security guard had been gone for a few minutes now and showed no sign of coming back. Walking further in, Liv tried her best to determine exactly which door the guy had gone into, glancing around the room. One looked particularly like an office, so she started marching in that direction with the intention to rap her knuckles hard on the door again - perhaps the guy hadn’t realised just how urgent this matter was. Before she could touch the door though, it had swung open again and Liv was facing the mans torso. Blinking, Liv turned her gaze upwards to find the man peering at her in as much surprise as she had at that very moment. Clearing his throat, the man stepped aside, gesturing for her to head into the office he was just coming out from. Olivia nodded and headed in, maintaining the level of confidence she had mustered up from her intentions to knock on the door. It remained, however, only until she had walked in and stood opposite the desk behind which Daniel was sat. Olivia wasn’t entirely sure what she had expected, perhaps someone more like the security guard who had let her through. Whatever it had been though, it hadn’t been the man she now stood before. His suit was sharp and well-fitted, despite the relaxed nature of the shirt, top button open as he was without a tie. The attire alone spoke volumes about the man beneath it, the care he had put into his appearance and dressing well, the expensive nature of the suit suggesting his wealth. Even his slightly longer hair and facial hair seemed to be in well groomed form, if not allowing a slightly softer touch to the structure of his suit. The calm nature with which he looked to her with those piercing blue eyes was disarming, and for a split second Olivia had forgotten her reason for her visit.
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She watched him back, her own expression betraying her nervousness - if the guy had ever met Beatrix before, Olivia would appear to be the woman’s polar opposite that was for certain. Pulling her eyes from his a moment, she looked around the office - it was a rather standard space, with a few pieces of art decorating the walls. The most notable feature was definitely the large windows that, instead of showing the outside, looked in over what appeared to be the club itself. Liv had only been to Mirage, once, when it had first opened a couple of years ago. It was back when she was still trying to connect with Beatrix’s other friends and they had all been speaking of the new nightclub that was opening up, apparently owned by a renowned art-dealer. There had been other rumours as well about the new club owner, most were just fantasies though as far as Liv knew. The night had certainly been… eventful, and was one of the last times Liv had been out drinking and dancing with the group. Since then the club had become a bit of a hive for the rich and the criminal, neither criteria which Liv would meet. Looking back to the man in front of her she would reach to her pocket to pull out her phone, pulling up the picture of herself and Beatrix once more before walking over, holding the phone out to him so he could see the screen. “Uhm, the Woman in the picture, Beatrix, she was here last night. Or she was meant to be… She was meeting someone. I was just wondering if I could see the security tapes to find out who she was meeting or… any idea of where she might have meant when she left…” Liv started to explain, her voice soft but a little shaky. It occured to her though that her question seemed a little out of the blue, and without context there was no way anyone in their right mind would grant her access to security footage based on a request for it alone. “You see, she didn’t make it home today and I’ve not heard from her since… well, since before she went out yesterday.
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She was meant to be coming back to mine this morning and I can’t get hold of her. It’s not normal for her to disappear like this.”
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Daniel Winter Black BOT 12/29/2023 1:36 PM
There was no doubt that a storm had arrived. Daniel hadn't anticipated Olivia's entrance, coming shortly after Carlson had departed. He found himself questioning whether his bodyguard had permitted someone to roam freely through the halls. This triggered a switch inside him, a surge of irritation that coursed through him, manifesting in a single tap of his fingers on the table's surface. He knew he would need to address this with Carlson later, reminding him of his duty to monitor those entering his part of the building. The irritation swelled within him, dangerously close to overflowing. However, it dissipated in an instant, like extinguishing fire, the moment Olivia walked into his office. She was a breath of fresh air in Daniel's routine, shattering every expectation he had of Beatrix's best friend. Here was a woman who seemed out of place next to Beatrix. For a moment, he found himself captivated by the blue of her eyes, a sickeningly familiar feeling striking his chest—a sense of déjà vu suggesting he had lived through this moment countless times. He struggled to comprehend his sudden confusion, leaning his head to the side, grateful for Olivia's momentary distraction as she surveyed the office. The urge to tell her to run from this twisted world he inhabited surged within him. However, he couldn't afford a moment of weakness. After closing his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath, and reassessing the situation, he regained his composure. Observing the anxious woman standing before him, her eyes pleading for assistance, he noticed her pull out her phone, holding out a photo for him to see. Beatrix was undoubtedly in the photo alongside Olivia. Daniel looked at both women, at the woman with whom he had a twisted relationship and the woman he had never seen before. He couldn't help but fixate on Olivia's smile in the photo, pretending to study it closely to etch the image in the back of his mind. “There is no doubt you and Ms. Henderson seem close,” Daniel began
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cautiously. Olivia's shaky, soft voice interfered with his senses, leaving him uncertain about how to ease her distress. “I understand your concern about your friend... It must be very distressing not hearing from a friend... For less than 24 hours…”
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Daniel felt his composure slipping away, desperately searching for the right words and pausing frequently. Articulating his thoughts made the situation more absurd than it was before. He found himself genuinely wondering why anyone would be concerned after not hearing from Beatrix for a while. Beatrix was a wild creature, impossible to tame, living by her own rules. Her independence made her appealing to Daniel—she wasn't one to beg for his attention whenever she was bored. “There is no need to pull security tapes. Ms. Henderson and I met yesterday night and spent the night together. As far as I’m concerned, she may be sitting in a nail salon and not picking up her phone due to her drying manicure,” his voice took on a stern tone. Convinced that projecting confidence would provide some comfort for Olivia and alleviate her anxiety, he continued, “I’m sure she will turn up… When she feels like it.” Checking the silver watch on his arm, he pulled back the sleeve of his suit. Realizing it was almost noon, Daniel acknowledged that he could take a break. Yet, he had to address Olivia first, unsure if his response had satisfied her. Standing up, revealing his true height and broad shoulders, he circled the table, leaning back on the front and crossing his arms. Looking down at Olivia, who stood a step away, he tilted his head, attempting to decipher her thoughts. A spark in his blue eyes showed a subtle interest that could easily be overlooked.
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“Is there anything else I can do for you, Ms. Parker?” As he asked, Daniel couldn’t help but drown in her blue eyes, her vulnerability stirring an unexpected curiosity within him. He could only hope she would walk away and never return to his lion’s den filled with danger and twisted games.
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Olivia Parker BOT 12/30/2023 7:45 AM
As Daniel viewed the photograph on her phone, Liv felt her heart racing harder in her chest. He seemed to be taking a longer look than she expected, and the assumption was that perhaps he recognised Beatrix in the image and was just trying to recall where and when he had seen her before. In the photo, Beatrix was clearly pouting to the camera, lips pursed and chin lifted to elongate her neck, contrasting to Olivia who was beaming happy at the camera with her head tilted towards her friend. It was the most recent photo she had of them together and Olivia couldn’t help but wonder if it was going to be the last one. There was that flip of her stomach again, worrying something terrible had happened. However, as the man before her spoke and uttered Bea’s last name, Liv’s eyes widened in surprise. If she had thought he was trying to remember where he had seen Beatrix before she was proven wrong, as not only had he recognised her but he knew her well to be able to refer to her as such. She wondered, too, whether the security guard who had greeted her also knew Beatrix - maybe that’s why she had been taken in to see the manager rather than just shown the tapes, or shown the door. Pulling her phone back she would move to put it back in her pocket, her gaze narrowing suspiciously as she watched Daniel. The slight ridicule of her for being so worried so soon hadn’t gone unnoticed though and Liv found herself letting out a heavy sigh at the comment, biting her cheek to avoid a quick retort back as she wasn’t wanting to get into trouble. Of course, it would be hard for someone to take her seriously - no one knew Beatrix the way she did, so they wouldn’t get how out-of-character this was for her. It was also going to hard to explain that sinking feeling she had that something just seemed… wrong. The gut feeling that something bad had happened, or was going to happen soon if she didn’t get ahead of it. That being said, she wasn’t going to let anyone, especially not the well-sui
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ted man in front of her, belittle her concerns and try and send her on her way without answers. Olivia was psyching herself up to tell him so too when he surprised her once more by announcing that it was him that Beatrix had been meeting with. Really - this shouldn’t have been such a shock. Beatrix herself loved to be the most powerful person in any room… and you could bet money that if she wasn’t, she was sleeping with the person who was. Power and Authority was like a drug to her - so Olivia should have really expected that she would have found her way to the owner of Mirage, and given he was age-appropriate for them, into his pants. The continued insistence however that Olivia’s concerns were unfounded enraged her somewhat, making her cross her arms under her bust and stand a little straighter, trying to reflect back that confidence and authority with which he spoke. “You don’t understand…” Liv would begin, seeing however that his attention seemed to have already waned as he checked his watch. Perhaps she was delaying him for a meeting, or other matters to which he needed to attend to. Either way… she could try and use that to her advantage. As he stood and slowly made his way around the table, Olivia instinctively stepped to the side so she wouldn’t be between him and the door. Sure, it would mean she couldn’t stop him leaving… but a quick side glance at the papers on the desk suggested he wouldn’t dare to leave with her there anyway. That meant what she needed to do was ensure he couldn’t make her leave the room. Hence, stepping to the side. Lifting her chin, Olivia’s pale blue gaze rose to meet Daniels own gaze as he leaned against the desk and looked to her. Her height… or lack of it, wasn’t exactly helping her maintain that slight air of confidence she had tried to present, and once again she found the way he looked at her somewhat disarming.
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The glint in his eye almost suggested something unsaid between them, making her gulp nervously as her arms crossed over her body loosened a little. The man was certainly attractive - dangerously so - she could see exactly why Beatrix was having fun with him. The thought brought a slight blush to her cheeks, making her look away as he asked if there was anything else. She wasn’t done. Turning, she would move to circle his desk herself, the opposite side he had come from and putting Daniel, and the desk, between her and the door. It would at least give her a second or two to try and figure something out if he wanted to drag her from the room - or more likely if he sent the security guard to remove her. Standing next to the chair he had previously occupied she looked straight to him again, her gaze once more pleading for him to at least hear her out… at least understand her side of this. “Beatrix doesn’t just disappear… not like this. I’ve been ringing and texting her all morning and she hasn’t even looked at her phone, let alone responded. Even if she had gone to get her nails done… even the nails of Beatrix Henderson don’t take 4 hours.” Sighing she glanced out into the club again, thinking through what she was doing, what she was wanting. It was clear Bea wasn’t here now, so that just made this the first breadcrumb in her search. The least she could leave here with was an idea of where the next breadcrumb could be. “Can you just tell me when she left? Surely you have camera’s on the door that would show what direction she went in… if she met anyone else?...” There was a pause as Olivia carefully weighed up her next comment. It wasn’t something she had necessarily came in planning to do, or use, but right now she was feeling out of options. Looking back to Daniel she watched him carefully for his response. “Look, Mr Henderson currently thinks Beatrix is with me. If I can’t figure out where she went from here… I’m just going to have to tell him what I know. T
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hat she snuck out last night and came here… for you. If he comes here he’s going to want more than to see your security tapes.”
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Daniel Winter Black BOT 12/30/2023 11:47 AM
It became evident to Daniel that Olivia wouldn't back down until she achieved her goal. Her determined body language, subtly widening herself as if preparing to intercept Daniel's path, left no doubt. Through years of leading a business, Daniel had learned that time was the most precious asset, no amount of money could buy even an extra second of life. Daniel valued his time, evident in a fully booked appointment book where every single day was meticulously planned to carve out free time for his own pleasure. Allowing Olivia to stand in his office for more than 5 minutes was unprecedented. He should've called Carlson and told him to escort Ms. Parker outside for his lunch, yet he didn't move an inch, still observing Olivia in front of him. He could see the way her brain gears were moving, and the amusement coming with it was reeling him into an area he was yet to enter. No matter how hard he tried to fight off her worries, his protective instincts threatened to surface. It struck him that the instincts were driven more by Olivia’s shaky voice than the concern for Beatrix’s whereabouts. He found himself wondering about the significance of a relationship with Beatrix again, a sour taste rising to his mouth. The relationship brought constant challenges, and now one of Beatrix’s friends was frantically knocking on his door, demanding to know where her friend was. He didn’t have any influence over Beatrix and was sure that if he were to pick up his phone to call her, he wouldn’t get an answer either. His hands were tied in this situation, and he felt the control slipping away through his fingers, as his words weren’t enough to calm Olivia and allow him to go on with his day. His patience was tested further the moment Olivia disappeared from his line of sight and headed behind his back, to his side of his table. His fingers gripped a little tighter onto his crossed arms. Daniel had strict borders concerning his space, and Olivia crossed them full speed, igno
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ring the signs, pass control, and security check all at once. No one ever dared move around his office without his approval. The irritation was rising deep within him once more, but he couldn’t find within himself to turn around and remind Olivia of manners. Daniel was hit with words of concern from the back, prompting him to close his eyes and take a deep breath. Olivia’s voice managed to nag at his patience every single time, and he wondered if that was the reason why she was a friend of Beatrix. Looks can be deceiving, and the influence she had on Daniel was sweet poison, making him imagine Olivia wasn’t as sweet and simple as her appearance may suggest. He was sure Olivia knew exactly which buttons she had to press to generate a reaction, but he wasn’t about to drop everything and run through the city to look for Beatrix and calm down Olivia. But first, he had to calm himself down and think of a plan, take back the reins of the situation. He pushed himself off the table, heading directly to the sofa standing in front of it. By its side stood a cart with an array of beverages, and it seemed more enticing than before. His first instinct was to pour himself a glass of whiskey, but he quickly stopped himself, redirecting his grasp towards some water instead. He seriously had to do something about his temptation to find solace in alcohol as it was growing along with the demise of his will to grow as a businessman and reach greater heights. Deep inside, he earned self-destruction, as there wasn’t much to gain from life anymore, and it wasn’t like anyone would care if he suddenly disappeared from the scene. They would dance on his bones.
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With a deep sigh, he took a seat in the corner of the sofa, holding the whiskey glass filled with water and taking an observing look at Olivia again. The anxious look was still written on her face as she kept talking about Beatrix’s alleged disappearance. She stood behind his table near his chair, in an area no one ever stepped before except Daniel. Even Beatrix never dared to step there, their one-time passionate lunch break on the table being the closest to it. Yet, Olivia stood there without a single consideration that it might be inappropriate. “Why don’t you take a seat,” Daniel pointed with his glass towards his office chair. He kept his deep voice calm, yet the tone of influence was set within it. “I can’t tell you the exact time she left, but it would’ve been somewhere between 2 and 8 am. Knowing Ms. Henderson, she isn’t an early bird, so I would assume she left shortly after 2 am. We don’t have security cameras in or outside the living quarters as it would breach the confidentiality of our tenants.” He kept his answer about the security cameras very vague. It was an unwritten rule in this building as many of the tenants were involved in criminal circles, and an unexpected visit from authorities could compromise their work. The security cameras were always broken, and there was no need for them anyway as there were bodyguards around the building surveying the space. “Ms. Henderson and I had a date planned yesterday. It sounds highly suspicious to me that a grown woman would sneak out to meet with someone,” nothing in Daniel’s appearance spoke of his concern, but his thoughts were already spinning. Why would Beatrix’s father assume she was with her best friend when Beatrix arranged the date with him by herself? It didn’t make a lot of sense to him. He took another sip of his water, taking a short look outside the window on the ceiling covered with his fresco, trying to come up with a logical answer. He squinted his eyes before slowly turning back tow
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ards Olivia. “I’m sure Mr. Henderson is aware of his daughter’s… quirks. Beatrix is going to show up on her schedule when she feels like it, and she isn’t someone who is helpless,” a spark of amusement kindled in his eyes as he brought his glass to his lips again, trying to hide a smirk. “If she ever were kidnapped, she would’ve been thrown on the side of the road just a few hours later because of her incessantly talking.”
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With that, he took another look at his watch, seeing that half of his lunch break was over, and it made him sigh. It was a mystery why he willingly endured Olivia’s company, listening to her concerns and trying to calm her down in his own manner. He had several choices - he could either call Carlson and let him throw out Olivia, miss his lunch break altogether, or somehow incorporate Olivia into his lunch break. He had an inner battle, not being sure of what he wanted or needed in this moment. Olivia was a breath of fresh air in his daily routine, even if it came with troubling feelings. She was someone he forgot existed with a seemingly pure soul, the naivety that came with living outside a criminal vicinity, and a lightness carried in her voice. At least it was the way Daniel perceived her from the outside, as the way she behaved was far from someone like Beatrix or the regular women in his night club. But he also understood it wasn’t the right move to get involved with her. There was nothing he could gain through contact with her. Even when he felt like drowning in Olivia’s eyes and stepping into her uncharted territory, he was already in a committed relationship with Beatrix and he wasn’t a cheater. Speaking in formal terms, Olivia had nothing to give except occasional sex, and it wasn’t something Daniel was looking for. She also didn’t look like someone running an underground corporation he could make a deal with. The absurdity of his own thoughts hit him with a previously unknown force. What in the world are you thinking about, Daniel? Olivia’s presence was seeping into his bones like sweet poison, and he had to get rid of her. It didn’t matter that Beatrix wasn’t answering her phone and her whereabouts were unknown. She wasn’t gone for long yet, and it wasn’t something out of the ordinary for her. “Ms. Henderson is going to show up. Now, you have to excuse me, but it is time for my next appointment,” he put the glass on the table beside the sofa, rising fr
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om it and already heading to the door. He didn’t have the time to play a babysitter for Olivia or a private investigator looking for Beatrix. “Carlson is going to show you the way out.” He stood by the door, showing with his hand towards it. He could’ve walked out and told Carlson to accompany Olivia outside, but he couldn’t step over his gentlemanly principles and waited for the lady to walk out herself. He could only hope he didn’t have to drag her out himself.
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Olivia Parker BOT 12/31/2023 6:20 AM
Olivia kept her eyes fixed on Daniel as she now stood behind the desk, watching the tension clear as day in his posture from having her behind the desk. It was obvious she had pushed some buttons by taking those steps, and briefly made her hesitate in whether to return to her previous spot or stay where she was. She stayed though, and Daniel said nothing about it or the annoyance it clearly caused. As he pushed off the desk, it was Olivia’s turn herself to tense up, ready to move away if he was planning to follow her round. To her surprise though, he moved off to one of the corners of the room, the drinks cart she hadn’t registered when she had come in. Taking a deep breath, Liv dropped her arms from where they were crossed over her frame now, bringing them to her side as she waited somewhat impatiently for a response to her questions and… somewhat of a threat of getting Beatrix’s father involved. She could only assume he would know who that was… after all, Bea wasn’t exactly subtle in telling everyone she came into contact with that her father was the Henderson who was currently bidding for the Mayoral position within the city. It probably was the sort of comment that would get her in trouble and attract unwanted attention from those supporting the other candidates - although from what Liv had heard in the news, most of the shadier parts of the city were in full favour of Henderson getting the spot. How he had won them over… she had no idea and wasn’t sure she would want to find out either. As Daniel sunk into the sofa alongside the drinks cart, glass of water in hand, Olivia raised a brow. The drink choice wasn’t exactly what she had been expecting from the owner of a nightclub whom had a drinks cart of various spirits within his office. Perhaps the alcohol was more intended for those he had meetings with, a way of bringing them more on side perhaps, dulling their senses. She wished he had chosen something stronger as it would have been more in benefit to her
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though. His comment about taking a seat made her glance at the leather clad office chair she was standing alongside. He had been bothered by her moving behind his desk so she was sure the idea of her taking a seat there would be a step too far… but… sometimes you had to take risks to get any sort of reward from life. Reaching a hand out, Liv gently twisted the chair so it was facing more towards her before turning to take a seat, sitting diagonally across it so her back was between the backrest and the arm support. The chair was surprisingly cushioned, no doubt a high expense he had put out when setting up the office - she would have expected no less. Resting her elbow on the arm of the chair she peered to him, watching for any twitch or flinch from him at the sight of her now sitting behind his desk, in his chair, like she owned the place. The idea of what that looked like made her smirk briefly, before she brought her mind back to the matters at hand - Beatrix and her possible whereabouts. The announcement there was so security cameras caught her by surprise though - she, personally, would never take residence in somewhere that wasn’t suitably monitored at all hours of the day, but then she had nothing to hide. It hadn’t ever occurred to her that there would be people who wouldn’t want documented evidence of visitors and their own comings and goings to their home. It also put her in a bit of a difficult spot - if she had no idea whether Beatrix got into a car or which direction she went when she left, that would make finding the next piece of the puzzle a particular struggle. As Olivia considered this stumbling block in her progress, Daniel continued regarding the date, and addressing the fact Beatrix had snuck out.
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She hadn’t considered that perhaps he wasn’t aware at the actual lack of freedom Beatrix had in her daily life - living in the shadow of her father and brother, both of whom were highly paranoid about any competitors getting an upper hand by use of Bea, meant a lot of her comings and goings happened under their radar. Beatrix did a great job of putting across the sense of being a young woman, independent and in control of her life - only those truly closest to her knew the truth behind that. “You’d be surprised how little Mr Henderson knows about Beatrix and she prefers to keep it that way.” Olivia would finally interject, moving to lean forwards, her lower arms resting on the desktop in front of her. She was careful not to touch any of the papers there and had made a concerted effort not to glance at them too. From what she could tell out of the corner of her eye, the various numbers running down the pages suggested financials - nothing of interest to her or her visit. “Mr Henderson is… particularly protective of his daughter. He didn’t know anything about the last 3 boyfriends she had, you included, and she prefers to keep it that way. Besides… I can’t say her taste in men is exactly one her father would approve of either. No offence…” Her gaze peered over Daniel and his stance, wondering how he would take such a comment. Sure, outwardly he was very well put together and successful in his business - but the rumours that circulated about his other activities would raise Beatrix’s fathers brow no doubt, and knowing Beatrix, there was definitely more to him than just being a successful businessman. She didn’t go for those who came by their money and success via honest hard work alone. Olivia watched the way Daniel checked his watch though, again, and it made her raise a brow herself to how much of a hurry he was to get rid of her. It looked for a moment like he was deep in thought about something.. Was it about his next meeting? How to get rid of her? Hopefully…
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he was thinking of Bea and how long it had been. Olivia’s only hope at the moment was she could make the man care about the situation half as much as she did. His comment however, regarding whether or not Beatrix had been kidnapped, dashed hopes of having him be that bothered. The statement regarding how much she would annoy them almost came across… a little spitefully? It made her think back to how Beatrix had just the night before comments on the guys obsession for her - as expected, it was showing to have been an exaggeration of the truth. Though it did raise the question of why he was with her… sure, Olivia herself could adknowledge that Beatrix could be a bit of a talker. She was very self-centred and often oblivious to those around her wanting to speak and… even if they did, Bea often was not interested in what they could have to say. It wasn’t ever something Olivia would comment out loud though. “Are you seriously telling me… that your girlfriend likely left here at 2am to walk alone through the city and you don’t think it should be concerning that no one has heard from her or knows her whereabouts? It… doesn’t matter how much she can or cannot look after herself. I don’t know if you’ve walked the city late at night yourself, but it is not a safe place for a woman, alone, to be. Especially not someone like Beatrix who I’m guessing was probably somewhat drunk when she left too?!” The obvious annoyance and rage was beginning to come through in Olivia’s voice now, taking the place of the nervous and shaky side that he had first been presented with. It was clear he was trying to get rid of her now, especially as he had made his move to the door to show her out, and wasn’t willing to help - but Olivia, also, wasn’t willing to leave.
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She wasn’t accepting a no and it showed in the way she leaned back in his chair once more, making no effort to get out of it. “Look, apart from me, you’re the only person right now that knows shes missing, whether you want to believe it or not. And as I also get the impression you aren’t telling me everything, I’m not going from here until I have at least another lead on where she might be. So it’s probably worthwhile you delay your next appointment and just get to helping me - because if I don’t find her, I can’t keep lying to her parents about where she is - and the moment they find out you are possibly responsible for going missing, you won’t have a business left to worry about attending appointments for!” With that she would pull her phone out from her pocket, swiping to unlock it and scrolling through her contact list. Finding who she was looking for she would tap to call, spinning the chair slightly so she would be facing out the window rather than to Daniel. She didn’t want him to see how red her face had got, or more importantly, the glistening hint of tears in her eyes. The frustration had got to her and now, she had to do the next best thing she could to find Beatrix - until hopefully Daniel backed down and agreed to help her. It didn’t take long for someone to answer her call. “Hey Brenda, it’s Liv… I was just wondering if the A&E department had any Jane Doe’s in over the last say… 10 hours at all? Around 5”6, brunette, brown eyes, mid to late twenties? Yes… if you could check… I’ll hold.” Olivia sighed, closing her eyes as she listened to the hold music of the hospital she worked at as part of her residency. It was one of several in the city, closest to her home so if anything had happened to Beatrix on her way back to hers the most likely she would have been taken to. The voice soon returned, interrupting the hold music as she spoke. “Ok, thanks for checking anyway. No it’s fine, I’ll ring around.” The call disconnected and Liv pulled her phon
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e back to scroll to the next number, still with her back to Daniel.
6:22 AM
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Daniel Winter Black BOT 1/1/2024 1:29 PM
The way Olivia made herself comfortable in Daniel’s office chair not only added to his brewing irritation but also stirred an entirely different feeling inside of him. Still standing by the door, his hand pointing at it, his eyebrows slowly rising as Olivia diverted her attention to her phone, Daniel couldn't recall the last time he had been so blatantly disrespected, his request utterly ignored. The imagined rage rising to his throat was quickly replaced by a cold shower of thoughts, prompting him to confront this challenge. He couldn't deny that some of Olivia's claims stirred concern within him. Beatrix was indeed someone who lived according to her own rules, and initially, Daniel didn't concern himself with her whereabouts. However, the more he listened to Olivia talk, the more her perspective on Beatrix and the story of her alleged disappearance didn't make sense. Olivia raised valid points that Daniel couldn't easily dismiss. Even if he found Beatrix's presence challenging at times, she still belonged to him, and it was part of his responsibility to ensure her safety. It wasn't a good image to be someone incapable of taking care of their loved ones. How could he be trusted to source stolen art pieces when he allowed someone to kidnap his girlfriend? The hand that had been pointing to the door transformed into a fist, though Olivia seemed oblivious as she continued her phone conversation with an A&E, inquiring about Beatrix's possible admission. Daniel struggled to fathom the conflicting emotions inside him as he observed Olivia in the chair, but there was no time for contemplation—lunch break was out of the question. He took a final, scrutinizing look at Olivia in the chair as she scrolled through her phone. The blue light emanating from the device illuminated her face, reflecting in her black-framed glasses. She was fully engrossed in her phone, the worried expression persisting, seemingly indifferent to Daniel's presence in the room. Daniel couldn't sha
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ke the déjà vu feeling, observing her face aglow with the blue light, her shorter dark hair framing her features. Two words echoed in his mind - Lady Mirage. The absence of a lunch break was truly wearing on him, and he was resolute in his determination to take prompt action. Pulling the door open, he stepped outside and closed it behind him, immediately leaning against it and gazing at the ceiling with a deep sigh. That woman was going to be the death of him. "Is everything alright, sir?" Carlson inquired from his usual spot by the door, his concerned expression signaling his readiness for action. Daniel raised a finger, taking a moment to compose himself before clearing his throat and pushing off the door to face his bodyguard. "I want you to ask around about Beatrix's whereabouts after our meeting. Ms. Parker inside is claiming she has gone missing, and something makes me believe that," Daniel instructed. Carlson listened carefully, a stern look on his face indicating his determination to leave no stone and pebble unturned in the city to find Beatrix. "Also... Keep it quiet. For now."
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With a single nod, Carlson walked away, his phone in hand, prepared to make calls with the rest of the team. Daniel was confident that his request would be taken seriously, having no doubt in Carlson's abilities. Left alone in the hall, Daniel took a moment to release some of his pent-up emotions. He pressed his hands onto his hips, swinging his suit jacket back, and paced up and down the hall near the door. His head hung low as he breathed heavily, attempting to devise a better plan. However, control was slipping further from his grasp. There was one thing he could do, though. Pulling his head back and running his fingers through his longer hair, he retrieved his phone from the inner pocket of his suit. He could attempt to call Beatrix himself. Maybe Olivia was exaggerating, and Beatrix didn’t answer due to a trivial disagreement among women. Unfortunately, his call was quickly redirected to voicemail as well. "Hello, Beatrix. I enjoyed our night yesterday and thought to give you a call, see how you are doing. Please, call me back when you can," Daniel's voice trailed with a gentle tone as he tried to conceal the irritation beneath it. He wasn't entirely truthful, but he knew that women appreciated hearing a man's feelings, and even if he was feigning it, it might aid his cause. After a short pause, he added, "I miss you." Having concluded the call, Daniel scanned the hall before fixing his gaze on the door. He needed to find a way to distract Olivia and hoped Carlson would reach Beatrix soon enough. The way things were unfolding, he knew his routine Wednesday wouldn't return to its usual track. Daniel turned to the doors with determination, leaning forward and opening both at the same time, wondering what awaited him behind them. "Are you done calling every department, Ms. Parker? I would like you to join me for lunch," his tone indicated that it wasn’t an offer but rather an order. Daniel understood that a hungry woman is worse than a war and hoped a lunch tog
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ether would allow him to finally enjoy a break and perhaps calm down Olivia. "I want you to tell me everything that happened yesterday evening between you and Beatrix." With that, he turned around on his heels, heading down the hall towards the VIP section of the nightclub. Daniel couldn't fathom that Olivia would ignore his demand but kept his stride shorter, hoping she would catch up and follow him. Being the owner of an exclusive nightclub had its perks - you could head down to the VIP section and have any meal you liked during your lunch break without needing to go somewhere else. Although only a table for one was set during this time, it wasn't unusual for Daniel to invite someone else for lunch. He kept telling himself that the lunch break would calm both of their nerves, and afterward, Carlson would show up with good news. Olivia would be calmed down, Beatrix would be found in one of the nail salons, and the balance in the universe would be finally restored.
1:29 PM
@👯 Bunny Dancing through Life 👯
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Olivia Parker BOT 1/1/2024 10:48 PM
Olivia sighed as she listened to the ringing tone through to the second city hospital - who were much slower to answer than the first as she didn't have a staff line to call through on. In the reflection of the window she could just about see the reflection of Daniel by the door, and the way his arm had dropped and he had looked at her - she imagined in somewhat disbelief- was mildly amusing. It wasn't a far stretch of the imagination to assume that Daniel hadn't had someone so blatantly ignore his requests or... demands to leave his office before. Though he had been in somewhat of a relationship with Beatrix so... maybe he had. The click of the door confirmed his departure from the office - an unexpected turn for Olivia for sure as she twisted the chair back round, staring now at the double closed doors. The last thing she had expected was that he would walk out and leave her alone there - was this hurting her plans to annoy him into finally taking some action? Possibly. But he would have to return at some point and hopefully that would be before she had to leave. The call was still pending to connect to someone in her ear. Curiously, Olivia leaned forward in the chair and glanced over the papers on the desk now she was alone. Her previous assumptions had been correct, the papers indicated the business financials of both the club and the apartments above. Though there was something else there. The numbers weren't quite adding up and on some papers were incomes and outgoings that didn't quite align with everything else - sources redacted. Giving a slight groan of contempt Liv could easily see that there was some fiddling of the figures at play there - not the most heinous of crimes of course, but proved Beatrix's taste in men was still sitting on the wrong side of the law for Livs preference. The sudden voice connecting on the line distracted Olivia from her snooping and she rose from the chair, moving to look out the window into the club once again as she repeate
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d her request from earlier. The response would be quicker this time as the woman on the other end of the phone insisted to take Olivias name and number and they would call back if anyone matching her description was there. Having passed over her details, the call quickly ended. This allowed her a quiet moment to think. There was still one more hospital in the area she could try and call but after that... what then? Should she just sit in the office twiddling her thumbs and waiting for either an enraged Club owner to return or one if the hospitals to call her back - hopefully with some affirming news? Contemplating the predicament she looked over the empty club, her eyes scanning the vast marble columns throughout, before lifting to the fresco painted within the dome of the cieling. She had never noticed it before, on the one occasion she had attended the club, and wondered why such an expense would be made on something no one would ever see. The imagery was curious, with a certain familiarity to the male impaled on the blade of the goddess which made Olivia perk a brow - surely it was just a co-incidence for the figure to look vaguely in the image of Daniel right? Probably just a trick of the light. Before she could think any deeper on the meaning behind the fresco imagery though, the doors behind her clicked open. She half expected as she turned that it would be the security guy returning to escort her from the building as Daniel had left, but no, it was Daniel himself. His entrance had been certainly a confident one, his hands on both doors as he came in and requested she joined him for lunch - although whether it was a request or a demand was dubious at best as he didn't await for her to accept or decline and had already headed down the corridor once again. Sighing - she figured at least this way she could push for him to give her more information too.
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With one last call to make she found the hospital number, hitting dial and raising the phone to her ear as she moved to follow him from the room. Fortunately the third and final call connected rather quickly, before she had caught up with Daniel and her request for information was repeated again. Much like the second, they took her name and number and said a doctor would call if anyone was there matching the description. The details had been given over just as she fell into step with him, about a stride behind, before she was disconnected. The calls had meant Olivia had paid little attention to exactly where they were heading for lunch until they turned a corner into the nightclub VIP section. There was a strange sense of calm in the usually high energy club, the faintest of music being played through the speakers dotted around to give a sense of ambiance rather than an uncomfortable silence. Olivia would follow Daniel to the one table set up, no doubt for him alone, before taking the seat opposite the place setting. "You know... I don't even know your name." She would finally say as they sat, looking across the table at him curiously. It probably wasn't something he was usually asked - no doubt having the same mentality as Beatrix in that the assumption was made everyone knew who they were and it was an Offense if someone didn't. Offense or no though, a name was likely something she would need going forwards. "I don't really know what you want to know about last night from my side but... I can tell you, as long as you agree to do the same. At the moment you seem to be the last person to have seen her a..." Olivia stopped herself. She was almost about to comment that he was the last person to see her alive, but doing so would voice the fear she had that Beatrix was now anything but. Assuming his guess she had left around the 2am mark to be accurate, it would now be nearing 12 hours since she was seen - that's a long time for a young woman of high importance
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to certain, dangerous groups, to be missing for. However, some comfort was surely to be found in that no ransom requests had been made yet, as far as Liv was aware anyway. "She got to mine sometime between 7 and 8... I wasn't expecting her but that's not really unusual. I thought she was coming to watch films and have a sleepover like we usually did. She hardly said a word to me though, just saying she was going out... to meet you... and if anyone asked she was spending the night consoling me over the death of a... uhm... hamster? She got changed, we had a bit of a fight because I wanted her to stay and she wanted to go... I refused to drive her here and told her if she was leaving then she had to find her own way... and that was it. She walked out the door without much else to say." Liv chewed the inside of her cheek nervously, waiting for him to brush off Beas disappearance as just childishly trying to get revenge on Liv for the fight. She was sure that wasn't the case though, they fought before, sometimes worse than this, but grudges has never been held between the girls. "I started texting and calling her around 8 this morning. At first the calls were ringing through and just not being picked up, but now they go straight to voicemail. So... your turn. Was she OK when she got here?"
10:48 PM
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Daniel Winter Black BOT 1/2/2024 11:58 AM
They took a seat at Daniel’s usual table in the corner of the VIP section by the balcony railing, overlooking the nightclub below. Daniel made sure to assist Olivia with her seat—a gesture deeply ingrained in him. Many women were swooned by it, yet Daniel did it out of habit without an intentional motive. He took his regular seat, facing the exit as he always needed to see anyone who might walk in or out. It was something he couldn't and wouldn't give up. The VIP section was mostly quiet, with ambient music streaming from the speakers. However, staff preparations for another night were in full force—the bar was being restocked, tables were being set, and a staff meeting was underway in one of the adjacent rooms. It was Daniel’s policy for the staff to continue working even when he came down for lunch. He believed it was a waste of their time to stop them working for an hour during the day just for his leisure. As they took their seats, a waitress promptly arrived with a set of tableware and a menu for Olivia. “Are you going for your usual meal today, sir?” the waitress asked gently, briefly glancing at Olivia. “Or do you want something special?” Holding another menu, she stood ready to hand it to Daniel if needed. But Daniel shook his head and smiled gently at the waitress—he had had enough changes in his routine for today. After the waitress left, Daniel turned his full attention toward Olivia. He expected her to be looking through the menu, but to his surprise, his gaze met two curious blue eyes. She inquired about his name, and it struck him. He never once thought she didn't know his name. Don't best friends exchange the names of their boyfriends? Didn't Olivia show up at his nightclub to directly ask Daniel where Beatrix was? A moment of surprise, marked by Daniel slightly raising his eyebrows, was met with his calm demeanor. He leaned back in his seat, tilting his head a little to the side and looking at Olivia from under his eyelashes. “My name is Daniel
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Black,” his voice sounded a tad deeper, a rasp behind it. “Excuse me for my manners for not introducing myself earlier. I assumed Ms. Henderson would've mentioned me in her endless monologues. Isn't that why you came to see me?” He watched Olivia carefully, still trying to decipher her true motives. It was an intricate riddle trying to understand how she ended up here or with Beatrix in the first place. Olivia didn’t seem like one of the usual high-class posse. Her looks suggested otherwise. She wasn’t dressed badly, there was a certain style behind it, but it was something far off from the usual attire of a woman in Daniel’s circles. Daniel had a dark thought that Beatrix maybe kept her close to look better. He had heard stories of girls choosing an uglier friend to shine against their background. The thought of it made him jerk his eyebrows as he reached for the glass of water, hiding his reaction behind a sip. In comparison to Beatrix Olivia had a special charm making up for the downdressed look. Olivia was deep into her story about what transpired between her and Beatrix. It was a peculiar story, and Daniel couldn’t help a smirk appear on his face as he heard about the alleged dead hamster. But he quickly wiped it from his face, he had to at least pretend he cared. If Beatrix really went missing, it didn’t matter anymore what happened between her and Olivia but more what happened after Daniel and she had a date. He tried hard to remember what happened after their lustful encounter in his apartment, but every time he thought about it, he had a blackout in the middle of it. Daniel looked intently at his glass, trying to understand it—maybe he drank too much that night? He suspected his problem with alcohol grew bigger but couldn’t imagine it went that far. The puzzle was still missing its pieces, his longer glance at his glass was covered by him clearing his throat and looking over to Olivia again.
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“You better take a moment to look at the menu, my treat,” he pointed to her menu with the glass of water he still held in his hand. It didn’t matter to him what prices stood in the menu, some of the meals cost over hundreds of dollars. He owned the place, and a lunch was mere cents in his financials. He hoped to use the moment of her distraction to check his phone. It almost burned in the inner pocket of his jacket, his intuition telling him to check his calendar. Or maybe it was his paranoia finally kicking in as Beatrix’s whereabouts were still unknown. He quickly unlocked his phone, scrolling on the screen to get to his calendar and see what else was planned for today. Daniel told himself he was doing this not out of his compulsion for control but to see what he had to cancel if Olivia stayed and kept drilling him about the allegedly missing Beatrix. He found today’s date, expecting to see grey, blue, and green tabs of a planned-out day. But something immediately caught his eye - a neon pink tab. He immediately clicked on it, a frown appearing on his face. 2:00 pm: Beatrix XOXO. He pulled the sleeve of his suit back, taking a look at his watch out of habit instead of at the clock on his phone - it was 01:48 pm. Daniel had no idea when he put the tab there, and it wasn’t like him to put such cryptic tabs in his calendar. His thoughts were going haywire, his finger hovering over the pink tab. According to it, something to do with Beatrix should happen in the next 12 minutes. Did they have a date planned, he forgot about? Maybe she would turn up by 2 pm, talk it out with Olivia, and Daniel would have to endure another date - everything would be back on track then. His chaotic thoughts were interrupted by the waitress showing up again, instantly turning to Olivia, “Ms. Parker, may I take your order?” Daniel shoved his phone back into his suit, noting the waitress used Olivia’s name. He was satisfied that word got around quickly, and staff was notified of his gu
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est’s name. It spoke of high-class service. He waited for the waitress to take Olivia’s order to proceed with his part of the deal, telling her about his last night with Beatrix. He felt as if a sword hung over his head, ready to fall onto him in the next 10 minutes, but he pushed away the feeling, diverting his attention to his part of the story. “There is not much to tell. Ms. Henderson inquired about a date on that particular evening for a few weeks, I had to cancel some of my responsibilities to make it happen. Yesterday evening, she came to our date… half an hour late, as usual,” the way Daniel talked didn’t seem like he had the warmest feelings toward Beatrix, but he kept it polite. Even if Beatrix’s company was torture at times, they shared rare lovely moments together. “She sat in the exact same seat you are in right now. We talked, ate, and drank before heading to my apartment. I’ll keep the details of what happened there to myself.” A boyish grin spoke for itself but was replaced by his cold mask again. Daniel Black always pulled on his reins, pushing his feelings, no matter what those were, far away from anyone's sight. It was the way he protected himself, emotions were easily manipulated and misused.
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“After our encounter, I must’ve fallen asleep,” he paused again, it still didn’t get brighter in his head what actually happened after the half of their tumultuous dance. It was pure black till the morning he woke up again. “She didn’t leave a note or anything before leaving.” Daniel threw a glance at his silver watch again, there were only 5 minutes left to 2 pm. Somehow it sent a shiver down his spine, but he tried to maintain his composure by taking another sip of his water again. It was ridiculous how much water he drank in the last hours just to calm himself down. He wished it were whiskey, but he had to stay sober and alert for whatever may come. He could only hope there was a happy ending coming in the next five minutes. Daniel leaned back in the seat, looking over to the ceiling. It seemed that his demons were laughing at him, and it made him look over to Olivia. There was no way to tell what was going on in Daniel Black’s head.
11:58 AM
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Olivia Parker BOT 1/3/2024 2:09 PM
Olivia would give a small smile to Daniel as he pulled the chair out for her to take the seat before heading to take his own, trying to work out what his motive was for the sudden lunch invitation and hospitality. Not so long ago he was trying to get her to leave, unwilling to compromise on the stand point that she was worrying over nothing - and now he was taking her to lunch, asking questions. She found herself wondering if something notable had happened while he was put the room. Or worse... was he trying to distract her so something could be done or cleared? That idea planted in her mind had her a little more on edge, even when the waitress came and delivered the menu and place setting. She would of course accept with a smile and a thank you to the member of staff before she headed on her way. Her eyes scanning the walls managed to locate the window to Daniels office and she found herself keeping half an eye on it while he finally introduced himself. The comment about Beatrix having not informed Olivia of his identity made her snort back a small laugh, shaking her head. "I knew she was seeing someone, that she meets him here all the time... and some other things she had uh... told me about the encounters. But she never did put an identity to you. I came looking to find out who she had been meeting... I can't say I had expected to actually find him here too" She laughed awkwardly a moment - the plan had been to try and find the identity, and then go out in the world to locate him... it wasn't meant to have been this easy. Once she had recounted her version of events from the night before she watched Daniel curiously. He had grown quiet during the story, apart from the noted smirk over the fate of her imaginary hamster. She wondered what he was thinking, if he was considering that she was just over reacting once again and Beatrix would show up fine, having just been screening her calls. The silence would cause Liv to take a deep, shaky breath as she waited fo
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r his response. The response however had not been as expected, as he merely indicated her to the menu in front of her and to select what she wished. She watched him briefly a moment, before casting a glance to his office again. There didn't seem to be any movement in there that she could see anyway. Sighing she looked down to the menu, picking it up as she sat back in her seat, crossing one leg over the other. Her eyes immediately caught sight of the prices and went wide - some of the meals were more than a months worth of groceries for her, and the idea that someone else would be footing the bill - even if it was the owner - made her a little uneasy. Chewing on her cheek she would scan through the options at the lower end of the price range, avoiding anything dancing within the triple digits. She understood now why Beatrix had been reluctant to end the relationship with Daniel, even if she had been growing, in her own words, bored of it. There were clearly benefits to such an arrangement. Out the corner of her eye she would see Daniel reach for his phone and start to scroll through it, though her main area of concern was with her meal. The options had been reduced to side dishes and one salad option with her internal budget - all of which would probably make it embarrassingly obvious why she was making the selections. Brushing her hair behind her ear, her inner turmoil was interrupted by the return of the waitress as she asked to take her order... by name. It made Olivia blink up a second in surprise, with a quiet uhh before she realised she had to make her decision. Nodding her head she would hold the menu up towards the waitress for her to take away while commenting her order.
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She had decided it was better to seem cheap than entitled at any rate. He probably had spent enough on Beatrix's tastes over the weeks. "I'll just take the side of sweet potato fries and a water please, thank you" Once the waitress had departed from there table, Olivia clasped her hands together on her lap as she turned her gaze back to Daniel. He looked briefly concerned over something before he started to speak about the night prior, the date with Beatrix. His statement about her being late made Olivia chuckle quietly, remembering the remark Bea had made about making him wait. It was very typical of her - as far as Beatrix Henderson was concerned, the world revolved around her and would wait for her as long as it took. And everyone did, which unfortunately just reinforced such behaviour. The fact Beatrix sat where she was sitting now, facing Daniel the same way made Olivias brow raise, her hands squeezing together again as she looked around, picturing what the night must have been like, with the music and the crowds- quite the different atmosphere to the lunch they were sharing now. As he continued, the talking, the eating, the night... Olivia blushed as he refused the details, thankfully, as her mind was still following and likening it to their encounter now. "Yes well... I can imagine.. I mean, not imagining, I know... she's said... carry on." Olivia laughed awkwardly at herself, covering her face with one hand as she looked down at her lap. There were details Beatrix kept to herself, and details she didn't- up until that point those descriptions hadn't even crossed her mind. But now, the imagery was... vivid. Able to put a face to the actions Beatrix spoke of... it made Olivia blush brightly. If even half the stories were true then... it was more than she'd ever experienced personally. Fortunately Daniel continued though, not that there seemed to be much further to the story. Olivia struggled with the prospect of leaving someone, in the middle of the nig
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ht as they slept, after such intimate moments. But then it wouldn't be the first thing her and Beatrix weren't eye to eye on when it came to relationships. Peering at Daniel she watched as he leaned back, looking to the cieling. It gave her the idea that she wasn't hearing everything... was he still keeping something back? Was there something he hadn't told her? "Is that... normal? For her to leave with no word?" Liv asked lightly, but before he could answer the waitress had returned with a glass and a carafe of water, pouring out enough to her glass before placing it into the table and heading off again. Olivia was grateful for the drink, reaching to take hold of the cool glass and take a sip lightly. She hadn't realised quite how dehydrated she was until then, and the cool liquid also made her stomach rumble too - perhaps she should have allowed herself to order something more. Her phone buzzed angrily in her pocket, announcing an incoming call as she jumped, placing down the glass quick before pulling it out. Checking the screen, there were no details for the source of the call, making her heart race and jump into her throat. Was it Beatrix? Her father? Someone else? "Hello?... oh, yes that was me. Mhm. OK, thank you for letting me know." Sighing she put the phone down on the table, glancing to Daniel briefly a moment before shaking her head. "That was the second hospital, no sign of her there either."
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@Taiga On The Shelf 🐅
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Daniel Winter Black BOT 1/5/2024 12:24 PM
There were only a few things Daniel Black couldn't control in his life: his love for art, climate change, and the death of his mother. He was confident that the situation with Beatrix's alleged disappearance was under control, with his group of bodyguards looking into it. He kept one of the best-hired men in the city close by his side, the need for it was mostly explained through the danger of an attack by competitors trying to come at either Daniel’s money or the stolen art pieces scattered in various warehouses in the city. Daniel trusted his men, especially Carlson, who had proven his loyalty to Daniel on various occasions. It was only a matter of time before Beatrix was found in one of her favorite shops and brought to Mirage. Daniel couldn’t imagine any other outcome. Yet, he felt like he was in a car without working brakes, hurtling at maximum speed, dangerously close to crashing. The moment Daniel looked over to Olivia, he might as well have crashed, her blue eyes were reeling him in. Daniel's demons weren’t on the ceiling anymore but dancing in Olivia’s eyes, laughing at him. He couldn’t grasp what was brewing inside him, wondering if he still had his sanity or if it had already been thrown out of the window in the past couple of weeks. Everything happening around him led him to this moment, having lunch with a woman he had never met before, shattering his usual perception and throwing his movement from its orbit. Her next question took him by surprise, he was too distracted by his own thoughts, by the ticking watch on his wrist. Thankfully, the waitress came with some water for Olivia, and the moment was immediately interrupted by Olivia’s phone ringing, giving Daniel precious seconds to recuperate himself. He changed his position in his chair, another button on his shirt went undone, he ran his fingers through his longer hair, and took yet another sip of his water. Daniel watched Olivia take the call, seeing the way her face lit up with hope for a moment
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before it was extinguished with news she didn’t want to hear. In her world, Beatrix was still missing. But what Daniel didn’t expect was the brewing feeling of rage rising to his throat the moment he saw the spark of hope go out in her eyes. He glanced down at his wrist resting on the table. 60 seconds before 2. Leaning to the side, he slowly raised his glance towards Olivia again, she didn’t forget her question from before and still anticipated an answer. The way Olivia put her question made Daniel think back on the relationship with Beatrix. They had been on and off for the past 6 months, sticking together because of some principles set in the world they lived in. She was an heiress of a powerful man, and Daniel was reaching the same ranks, his name a brand in the illegal art dealership across several countries. It wasn’t a surprise fate brought them together, but neither of them tried to make it work. Daniel chuckled, turning his glance over the balcony railing, the columns holding the ceiling were more enthralling in the moment. He couldn’t look Olivia in the eye. “Define normal, Ms. Parker,” his voice was trailed with bitterness. Daniel couldn’t remember the last time he felt... normality. Every day was seeping with challenges, he was a gear in the criminal machine. He was getting used, and the way things were going, there was an expiration date hanging over his head on a sparkly neon sign. “Beatrix,” for the first time, Daniel used her name when talking about her. “She never tells anyone about her plans. She comes and goes when she pleases, no warning necessary.”
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Daniel felt that he had to snap out of whatever was nagging on his soul. It wasn’t a time to discuss the grudges he may have, let alone with Olivia. He looked over at her. She was a dangerous woman, pulling bits of truth outside of him just by glancing at him with her blue eyes. Daniel was losing control over himself, and suddenly it came to him, one more thing he couldn’t control in his life - Olivia Parker. He had to get rid of her. And he could only pray that Beatrix would show up in the last 10 seconds, ticking on his clock, release him from her best friend. Daniel looked Olivia directly into her blue eyes, there had to be a malicious intent behind her way of acting and the questions she asked. Did Beatrix set him up to test a theory of hers? See if he was loyal towards her? But the watch hit 2 pm, and Daniel still got no answers. Instead, a waiter appeared in his sight of view, carrying two steel cloches on one of his arms. He came up to the table, serving Olivia first. Putting the cloche in front of her, he waited for a second before picking up the lid and revealing her sad portion of sweet potato fries. Daniel wanted to protest and offer Olivia to additionally order something else, convinced she wouldn’t get full. But before he could say anything, the waiter put the second cloche in front of him, also taking a moment before lifting the lid. Seventeen years ago, Daniel found himself in a dead end running away from some thugs after selling a dose of cocaine to a local junkie. It was a cold and rainy Saturday night, one of the days he could go out on the streets and hopefully deal enough coke to have money for the next week. His mother was killed a few months before, and the savings he could find weren’t enough to survive. Daniel didn’t want to drop out of school, promising his mother he would never do that and end up like his deadbeat father. Letting out a word on the street quickly landed him the drug-dealing gig, promising enough money to pay off rent to the
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drunk landlord and get some food for the week. But he hadn’t been careful enough, getting noticed by local thugs while doing a deal. Daniel wasn’t exactly dealing in his own area, stepping into the competitors' area just a crosswalk too far. It was Daniel against three men, and he quickly realized he might finally face death. On the streets, only blood and money mattered, and he possessed only one of them. Daniel tried to run, the heavy rain seeping to his bones, making his limbs numb. But no matter how fast he ran, he ended up in one of the dead ends. He tried to fight back, his screams mixing with the laughter of the men. Later in life, he used to think about this moment, analyzing his every step, his every mistake. But every single time he ended up with a knife dug into his lower back, blood seeping down his chin. He was thrown to the ground, left to die in the dead end. Daniel was convinced he would die, choking on his own blood with every breath. Somewhere in the distance, a metal door smashed against the bricked wall, steps hurrying towards him. A figure appeared over him, nudging his side with the tip of his shoe, causing a moan escaping his lips. “Ah, shit. You Jane’s son?,” a voice broken through years of chain smoking filled the silence. Daniel tried to stay awake, ragged breaths escaping him, but there was only darkness.
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The very moment brought him to where he sat today, a cloche standing before him, its lid slowly picked up. Daniel was expecting to see his usual lunch - a steak with a side of potatoes. It was one of his comfort foods and something he used to look forward to in his day. But instead, he was presented with a folded-up white dress covered with blood splatters, a phone laying on top of it. The screen lit up with an incoming call. Beatrix XOXO Daniel felt as if time slowed down around him. This wasn’t some joke anymore. Someone dared to rip control out of his hands and present him with a direct threat to his persona. Daniel immediately recognized the dress, everything Olivia claimed before turned out to be true. The waiter was already turning away to walk back to the kitchen, but someone had to be punished for the assault on Daniel’s assets. On Daniel’s partner. Money or blood. The phone was still ringing from the incoming call, filling the silence. But it erupted with the loud bang of Daniel jumping from his seat and pouncing towards the waiter who was walking away. With long strides, he closed the distance between them, gripping into the back of his shirt and launching him onto the nearby table, shattering the dishware along with it. With a grunt, he turned the waiter around, smashing his back against the table. The next moment Daniel’s fist connected with the waiter’s jaw, and blood was spilled. In the background, some other staff screamed, already trying to find a solution to the disagreement. Daniel’s fist met the waiter’s jaw for another few times before the table underneath him cracked, landing both Daniel and the waiter beneath him on the floor. The waiter laughed, choking on his own blood, showing his bloody smile, “You have been served, Mr. Black.” Daniel shook the waiter, smashing his back along with his head against the hard floor before going down to his face. Daniel’s voice had nothing but cold vengeance in it, “Who sent you?” Before Daniel could get
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any reasonable answer, the waiter kept laughing, his blood landing everywhere across Daniel’s suit. The waiter didn’t seem to care he was paying with blood, seeing this as some joke and enjoying getting beaten. The VIP area was filled with different kinds of shouts, Carlson with two other men were back. They rushed in to break off the fight, pulling the waiter from underneath Daniel. The waiter was pushed up to his legs, his laughter growing raspier through the blood flowing from his mouth. One of the bodyguards shouted at him to shut up, sending another fist into his stomach. Daniel grabbed one of the white napkins on the floor, slowly getting back to his feet and turning to Carlson who stood by his side while the other two held the bloodied waiter. Daniel took a moment to rub the white napkin on his hands, wiping the blood from the waiter away. Daniel didn’t have more than some bruised knuckles, which was the least of his concerns. He turned to Carlson, raising his glance of revenge towards him. “Beatrix is gone.” The VIP area filled with silence only interrupted by the ringing phone and bloody coughs of the waiter. Daniel has lost control.
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@👯 Bunny Dancing through Life 👯
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Olivia Parker BOT 1/7/2024 2:21 PM
Olivia sat silent in the wake of her call, staring disheartened at her phone and willing for it to ring again… there was one more hospital, one more chance, one more hope that she would be found and everything could go back to normal, the morning nothing more than a weird nightmare. As she thought of that she chewed the inside of her cheek, trying not to allow too much of the emotion to show. She couldn’t allow herself to give into the panic, the dismay, not yet - certainly not in front of the one person she hoped could provide assistance. At least here, for Daniel, she wanted to look like she knew what she was doing - she had everything under control, as much as one could have control over a situation involving a missing person that was. Daniel brought the conversation back to their prior discussion though, which was a welcome distraction from her disappointment and growing worry. Glancing back up to him she perked a brow at the comment regarding normal. Although, the reaction was less to the remark and more to the tone he said it with - like the normal that came along with Beatrix wasn’t to his taste or pleasure perhaps. There was no denying that Bea was an… acquired taste, though whether you liked it or not she would find a way to force herself into your life if you were of some benefit to her for sure. It seemed that Daniel had the same impression too - recognising that Beatrix came and went on her own imperative - being involved with Beatrix in any fashion meant having to occasionally drop plans at a moment notice if she decided that day your time and attention would be spent on her. Their eyes met as he seemed to silence himself, not allowing any more truths regarding his feelings on her friend to come free. He had said enough though, enough to hint there was some underlying… resentment there. There was a pattern, each time he spoke of Beatrix it was not with the fondness and adoration one would expect from a relationship, but more of someone forced into a
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position against their better judgement. It made her wonder just why he had stayed with her for so long, what it was exactly that he was gaining from the relationship with her. Untold stories she had decided she would find out, one way or another, before this fiasco was all over. Even if Bea did show up, alive and well, Daniel had perked Olivia’s curiosity enough that she would still seek to find out more - probably from a more comfortable distance in that situation though. Sipping her water again, Olivia watched the way Daniel kept a side eye on the time, and it drew her attention there too. 2pm the watch showed. Why was he so antsy? Was he waiting for someone? Sitting upright, Olivia glanced over her shoulder to look out towards the main doors of the club, as if expecting something to happen. Nothing did though, nothing of note seemed to be going on for him to be so keen on the time. Glancing back round, she found the waiter had instead arrived with their food - not a moment too soon according to the slight groan from Olivia’s stomach. She blushed, wrapping one arm around her abdomen in an effort to calm it as the plates were placed in front of them. The waiter lifted the silver domed lid from her, and the scent of the freshly cooked fries hit her first. Despite the portion size being less than that of a full meal, the scent alone made her feel she made a right choice. Her fingers itched a little at her jumper as she resisted the urge to reach out and grab one immediately - Olivia was nothing if not polite, and she would wait for Daniel’s dish to be served ready too before she could begin. Her eyes locked to the silver dome in front of Daniel as she waited to see what it was his standard order was - perhaps something off menu? Something personal that would reveal yet another layer from Daniel Black as he sat opposite her.
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The contents however, were nothing that she could have expected. As the lid lifted, her eyes dropped the white fabric folded neatly there, it took a moment for her to register what she was looking at, spotting the red blotches that had seeped into and stained the fabric. Her eyes widened before she spotted the phone atop the fabric, vibrating and ringing quietly announcing the incoming call. There was no mistaking that phone or the custom diamante case it came in and her heart dropped. Was this some sort of joke? Some sort of threat? Her mind raced as she wondered what could be the purpose of Bea’s phone, Bea’s dress, being delivered in such a fashion. Her instant thought was this was Daniel’s way of getting her to back off - he had tried to remove her from his office earlier after all, and had not taken too kindly to Olivia asking questions. Perhaps she was closer to finding the truth that she could have ever imagined - he had hurt her, and now he was showing Olivia that he could do the same to her if she didn’t back off. Liv’s heels pressed hard into the floor as she pushed back, causing a loud squeal of chair legs grinding against the floor in her hurry to push away. Before Olivia had a chance to rise from the chair though, Daniel was already out of his. The young woman screamed instinctively, her heart racing as she brought her hands up in an effort to cover herself from what might be coming - but his steps, they didn’t come for her. Peeking through her arms that were now covering her head she saw the moment Daniel grabbed the waiter, smashing him into a nearby table. Olivia gasped but found she had no breath, staring at the unfolding scene in front of her as she tried to register what had happened. Why was Daniel attacked the waiter? What was the dress for if not to scare her into leaving the matter alone? Was there yet another layer to this story she hadn’t unravelled? Olivia reached instinctively to her phone as Daniels fists connected with the mans jaw,
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over and over. Her hands shook as she struggled to unlock the phone, immediately going to contacts and seeking her Dads’ number. She was just about to hit call though when her phone vibrated again - incoming call from Beatrix’s father. It made her freeze in place as she stared at the name on her screen, and she realised… she couldn’t tell anyone. She couldn’t call for help. If she did, that would be admitting her lies to one of the most powerful men in the city, lies that had perhaps lead to something terrible happening to his only daughter… Tears blurred Olivia’s vision as she dropped the phone, her grip going weak on it. The phone bounced on the corner of its case before falling to the slide… and slipping just so beneath the barrier to fall towards the dancefloor below the VIP section. Olivia hadn’t noticed though, nor did she hear the crack of it hitting the ground. Instead, her mind was numb, body trembling as her eyes locked back onto the dress again - the last thing she had seen Beatrix wearing. The vision of her leaving the apartment came flooding into her mind… then there was the blood. The laugh of the waiter as he took his beating from Daniel pulled Olivia back into the present and her head shot up, staring over at the commotion. Blood. More Blood now splattered the walls, the floor, the table on which Daniel seemed to be seeking to end this mans life. Pushing herself up to her feet she moved to hurry across to what was happening - she had to stop it. The waiter had something to do with this delivery so, it was likely he was the only one with possible answers - that meant there was no way she could allow Daniel to kill him. Before she had reached them though, much larger men had hurried into the room, lead by the guard from the door that had greeted her earlier. One of them pushed Olivia back as they passed by, moving to pull Daniel and the unknown waiter apart quickly.
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Olivia could do nothing but stand alongside the stable, staring helplessly as everything was de-escalated rather quickly by the 3 men who had entered. Her hand instinctively reached to place onto the table at her side, to stop her falling as her emotioned threatened to overwhelm her. As her hand was placed though, her fingers brushed the white fabric of the dress bundled up there. Looking down, she noticed the phone, still buzzing and ringing - long than any incoming call should last for though. The identity of the caller however was a curious one… Beatrix? Why would she be in her own phone? Turning the table, Olivia’s shaky grasp reached to pick up the phone, holding it in front of her. She could hear the voices dancing between the men behind her but had no mind of what was being said - her eyes locked onto the lit up screen of the phone. Slowly, she would call out… “Daniel…” Her voice nearly cracked as she spoke, but she wasn’t about to let herself crumble just yet. Bloodshot eyes turned to look over towards him, hopefully he had heard her, and she would simply hold up the phone, showing him the call. They had to answer it, they had to find out who was on the other end. Was it Beatrix? Was it the kidnappers? It was likely going to be information on whatever it was they were demanding for her release. It was the obvious next step though… whatever was on the end of that line was the next puzzle piece… Without waiting for Daniels response, or to confirm whether he had come back to the table or not, Olivia would click to answer the call on speaker phone, her hands still shaking as she held the phone, waiting for the voice at the other end to reveal themselves…
2:22 PM
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Daniel Winter Black BOT 1/9/2024 8:32 AM
There was no doubt that Daniel had failed. It was evident that someone had either kidnapped or even killed Beatrix, the message sent to him was crystal clear. He wished he could hit the pause button for just a moment, to have some time to think. The adrenaline coursing through his bloodstream from striking the waiter's face made his heart beat at a high speed. He heard his heart in his ears, shortly catching his breath while facing Carlson. He felt everything at once - rage, the necessity of revenge, the paranoia that his staff was compromised, a hint of fear, but most of all, shame. If only he had cared more about Beatrix and been a better partner, maybe this could have been avoided. His ignorance came with a price. Carlson looked down at Daniel, his collected glance conveying more than any words could. They exchanged a glance, and Daniel's nod was everything Carlson needed to know. Daniel then looked over at the bloodied waiter, who was growing more limp in the arms of the two other bodyguards but still wore a malicious smile on his face. Daniel was ready to continue the discussion he had started with the waiter, clenching his hands into white-knuckled fists. He thought the worst had already happened, and through blood, he would get the answers he desired. However, a shaky female voice stopped him from launching at the waiter again, sending a cold shiver down his back. He was veiled with red madness, forgetting Olivia was still present. Hearing her voice after his momentary loss of control caused a crack deep inside of him. For a trifling moment, he felt as if he were fifteen again after beating a drunk who followed his mother home. He had beaten the man to half-death while his mother stood by the side. He remembered she didn’t scream or try to stop him. Only after Daniel didn’t have the energy to send his fist one more time into the man’s jaw, his mother called out his name. The quiet tone with a simmer of fear haunted him at the darkest hours. Daniel instantl
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y turned around at Olivia’s call, a wide-eyed look plastered on his face from the rush trembling his body. He couldn’t stop what was coming. Olivia was already answering the call on the phone in her hand. His heart sank to his feet, expecting the worst coming out of the speaker. He closed the distance between himself and Olivia in long strides, sending Olivia a mad glance before snatching the phone out of her hands. Daniel was sure Olivia had never encountered the horrors of the worst kinds in humanity. He couldn’t stop the need to protect her, even if he had only known her for a little more than an hour. In his inner fight, he told himself that he needed to protect her because she was one of Beatrix’s best friends. It was the only logical explanation for his actions in the moment. He had already failed Beatrix by not caring enough, and failing another female this day would irreparably shatter his ego. Holding the phone, he stepped back from Olivia, hoping she wouldn’t hear much of whatever might come from the speakers. “How did you like my present, Mr. Black?” A highly distorted voice came from the phone. There was no way to tell if it was a male or a female speaking. But the playful tone left no doubt about the malicious intentions of the caller. Carlson stepped closer towards Daniel, it was in his best interest to also hear the call. “Why don’t you tell me what you got?” The voice hinted at a sinister amusement, as if the contents of the gift were meant to be a malevolent surprise. Daniel’s jaw clenched, he threw a short glance towards Olivia before looking back at the phone.
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“Where is Beatrix Henderson?” Daniel demanded, his voice firm. He wished he could reach through the phone screen, getting to the person on the other end and beating the truth out of them. “Oh, Mr. Black, no need to get angry! Consider it a… test, of sorts. A test of your abilities to navigate the unexpected twists and turns that life may throw your way,” the mysterious voice replied, the distorted tones weaving an unsettling tapestry of menace. “You still didn’t answer my first question. Who are you and what do you want? If this is about ransom money, tell me the place and time, I’ll be there for the exchange,” Daniel took a deep breath, attempting to maintain composure. Carlson nodded by his side, giving Daniel a pat on his shoulder. He would interfere if the discussion went south. The voice evaded a direct answer. “All in good time, Mr. Black. The clock is ticking. Tick-tock, tick-tock.” Before Daniel could respond, the caller continued, “Oh, and by the way, give my regards to Beatrix’s little best friend, Olivia Parker. She’s quite an interesting character, wouldn’t you agree? I wonder what she thinks about the present. You might want to ask her about a certain incident in her past. It’s amazing how well people can hide their true selves, isn’t it?” With that, the call abruptly ended, leaving them with more questions than answers. Daniel gripped the phone tightly in his hand, already lunging toward Olivia. He leaned forward, getting to her eye level dangerously close. He knew his instincts weren’t wrong previously, the caller knowing and mentioning her name had to have the information. They knew that Olivia would show up, and it couldn’t be a coincidence. “Want to explain how they knew your name and that you would come here, huh, Firefly?” His low, quiet voice resembled a growl. Daniel felt betrayed by the stranger in front of him. Unconsciously, his glance slid down her face before shooting up again to her eyes, the rage within him burned in his blue eyes.
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“Did you get jealous of Beatrix’s daddy or how every man falls to her feet? You better speak up now, I can't promise I’ll be as patient as before with our friend over there, listening to your lies.” Daniel felt Carlson's hand gently placed on his arm, it was a silent yet polite warning to calm down. Clearly, Daniel wasn't thinking straight anymore, threatening to raise his hand on a woman even if she could be one of the group who could've kidnapped Beatrix. It was too convenient she showed up today and told him a story of Beatrix's kidnapping. The sudden click in his head put another puzzle piece in its place - this was the girl from Beatrix's stories from yesterday. Too many coincidences sent Daniel's paranoia haywire. He needed answers, and looking into Olivia’s deep blue eyes had given him none. Someone had to start talking, the clock was ticking.
8:32 AM
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Olivia Parker BOT 1/15/2024 12:05 PM
The speed with which Daniel approached her through his long strides made Olivia turn and take a nervous step back away from him, but before she could really move far he was already upon her, his hand grasping the phone in her hand and pulling it quickly from her grasp. Olivia could do nothing but watch, wide eyed in fear as he moved away from her again with the phone in his hand. A faint voice came through the call, but he was already far out of earshot that she couldn’t make out what was being said. Giving a sigh she weighed up her options to follow after him, or to wait for him to report what was said. Cautiously, her eyes glanced towards the guards that had the waiter hanging limply between them and Carlson who was still keeping an eye on Daniel and what was going on. As the large man moved closer to Daniel she felt her options were narrowed - it was unlikely she would be permitted to listen in as well. Olivia’s shoulders slumped as she moved back next to the table, her fingers lightly dancing on the wood grain as she looked over at the blood stained dress. She missed the glance back in her direction, her expression forlorn and a little defeated as she waited. She could just about hear Daniels' side of the conversation once he spoke up, and his demand to know where Beatrix was made her raise a brow, looking up and over to him. Perhaps there was still some hope, perhaps she was alive and this was indeed a call of demands for what was needed to release her. Olivia’s heart was still racing in her head though, her pulse pumping in her ears and making it hard for her to focus on what was being said. It also meant she was unaware of the continued buzzing of her phone on the dance floor far below them. As the call continued, she would edge herself a little closer to the pair, trying to gather whether the call was going in a positive way or not, especially as she heard Daniel mention about a ransom payment - that could be a positive outcome at least, or more of a lead
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on where they could go next. It occurred to Olivia that her plans were now being thought of as including him for each step of the way - that she wasn’t tackling this alone. She wondered at what point she had determined they were to be a team in this… especially as he had been so dismissive of her earlier and part of her had still suspected he was involved or behind the disappearance. Perhaps it was his reaction to the waiter that had convinced her otherwise… the pure shock of the delivery that was placed before him equal to that of hers. There was silence… and Olivia stepped away from the table, beginning to walk towards Carlson and Daniel as Daniel was listening to the voice on the other end. It very faintly sounded like her own name was said through the distortion in the voice coming from the other end, but before she could question it, Daniel had spun on his heel following the end of the call and lunged towards her. As he came close she would shriek, stepping back and finding herself hitting the back of his chair which stopped her escaping further. It didn’t stop Daniel though, the way he closed the gap, trapping her there as he leaned down into his face. Her hands reached behind her, clinging to the chair so tightly that her knuckles whitened as she felt the huff of his breath on her skin, her eyes locked to the rage filled gaze he had as he looked upon her. His shouts and demands to know why they spoke of her, what her involvement was and why she came was enough to break the composure she had just about been managing to cling onto throughout the events so far. Tears stung in her eyes with every word that left his lips, spilling onto her cheeks and pooling near the lower rim of her glasses where they rested.
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A quiet whimper would come from her, followed by a squeak at his threat to do worse then he had done to the waiter to her if she didn’t answer him. Her body instinctively pressed back harder into the chair, though her knees were already buckling and threatening to drop her to the ground if she let go of her grip. Trembling, she was doing her best to shrink in front of him, though it seemed to do little to de-escalate things. “Wha… What… I… I don.. I don’t…” Her voice was shaking as she tried to scramble for something, anything to save herself. It had all turned so quick she hadn’t had a chance to really consider what had happened, what had been said. Olivia felt as in the dark as he was as to why the caller would mention her, why they would know she was there with him. Perhaps Beatrix had mentioned to them that Olivia would be looking for her - did Bea even know she would go to such efforts rather than immediately snitching on her to her parents? The other… darker… reason would be that whomever had taken Bea was still watching the place, or watching her. Likely the former no doubt given the delivery - whoever it was, was seeking to mess with him, and perhaps she was unfortunate to be the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time… Olivia’s gaze darted out pleadingly as she saw the shape of Carlson come up besides Daniel, hoping beyond anything he would pull him off of her. Not that she felt that if Carlson was to take it into his own hands she would fare much better… but right now, the way he had her pinned between him and the chair didn’t give her much room to breath. A loud sob came from Olivia with another whimper as Carlsons hand landed on Daniels arm, trying to bring him back to his senses. Olivia managed to get the chair behind her to shift slightly, just enough so she could take a small step back from him again, hoping that he wouldn’t close in anymore as her deep blue eyes locked onto the icy stare of Daniel in front of her. Gasping for breath, s
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he would try and speak again. “I.. I don’t know why they would have my name… please…” Her voice and gaze pleaded with him to believe her, she really didn’t know what else she could say or do to make him believe her. “I would never… hurt Beatrix… she’s like a sister to me… I came here to find her, to help her… Why… why would I come here alone… if I had done anything…” Her eyes moved back to the limp form of the waiter, whom she wasn’t entirely sure was still conscious… or worse. Gulping she looked back at Daniel, waiting for his response as she shook in place - was he going to step back? Close in? Was she about to be hit? Gulping, one hand reached further back behind her to the table, feeling the dress on her fingertips before sliding her hand underneath. Daniel had ordered a steak as his usual… and as expected, she felt the cool grip of the handle of the steak knife in her hand, grasping onto it ready, just in case…
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@Taiga On The Shelf 🐅
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Daniel Winter Black BOT 1/16/2024 8:52 AM
Daniel experienced an array of threats to both his persona and his business over the span of 10 years: competitors taking over his contacts, art pieces being stolen, gun raids on his warehouses, death threats, and even a bullet to his shoulder. Yet, he still stood tall, believing that whatever came his way would be dealt with quickly and efficiently. Today revealed that the well of the criminal world didn’t end at the bottom Daniel had reached and ventured even deeper. It turned out Daniel Black wasn’t invincible. His Achilles heel turned out to be a woman—Beatrix Henderson. He failed to protect someone he should’ve safeguarded the most. In the whirlwind of confusion and raging emotions, guilt hit his skin like sharp glass making its way to his soul. He should’ve cared more. He should’ve looked out for her. Maybe… He shouldn’t have indulged in this relationship as long as he did. Clearly, it led to complications, and nothing good came out of it. His work never affected anyone close to him, except his bodyguards who willingly agreed to protect Daniel’s lifestyle. He was keeping himself far from indulging with anyone he met, it was a pure coincidence he met Beatrix and kept meeting her more and more. At least, that's what Daniel told himself. It was a coincidence. But it was surely no coincidence Beatrix was kidnapped, and Daniel was left with mayhem. He was losing any patience and cool he possessed, shouting at the woman he barely knew in front of him. He couldn’t figure out the mysterious message of the caller, the involvement of Olivia. He was breathing heavily, hovering over Olivia, his hands itching to choke her. Her stuttering drove him mad, he needed answers but only got bits of mismatching words. He was blinded by a veil of rage, almost jumping at her as she dared to take a small step away from him. But Carlson’s hand on his shoulder kept him grounded, and Daniel was aware of Olivia’s movements. His eyes quickly darted to her arm behind her back, and the sit
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uation clicked in Daniel’s head. He looked back at Olivia’s face, finally noticing the state she was in. The blinding veil was pulled off from his eyes, making him see what he had caused. He couldn’t remember a single time he threatened a woman the way he did now. She may still be very well involved with the kidnapping, but there was no doubt her reaction was genuine. He noticed her tears pooling up in her eyes, the red in the whites bringing out the blue of her irises. Her eyes widened from the fear Daniel inflicted. Daniel stared at her with his cold glance, devoid of emotions, as his rage transformed into cold shivers going down his spine. He never saw anything as beautiful before. The thought caused a sharp pain in his heart, making him flinch. He needed to calm down. He needed a clear mind to figure out the next steps. His eyes still locked on Olivia, his body not moving an inch away from her, he started talking. “Bring her to the apartment and call Martha. She’ll know what to do… with all of this,” he pointed towards Olivia’s state with his hand, vaguely implying what he meant. He had no idea what he could say or do to ease her distress. Daniel failed yet another woman today, and it caused a bitter taste on his tongue. He looked over to Carlson, who relaxed his shoulders and removed his hand from Daniel’s shoulder. “Put the building on lockdown. Nobody gets in or out. I want a list of everyone who was in the building the last 48 hours,” Daniel knew the absurdity of his request, it was almost impossible to track everyone as the club alone hosted over 500 guests in one night, and around 80 people resided in the floors above. “Get me any information on where Beatrix went last night.”
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Carlson nodded at Daniel’s request, throwing a glance towards his watch hidden under the black sleeve of his suit. “Mirage is set to open in 6 hours, what do you want to do about that?” Carlson had a deep baritone voice, fitting his bulky appearance clad in a black suit. His comment about the nightclub’s opening hours was polite, yet Daniel pressed his lips together, trying to think of the course of actions. “We have 6 hours to figure this out, then. Keeping Mirage closed would attract too much attention,” Daniel sighed, shortly running his hand across his beard before looking at Olivia again, who still stood like a deer in the headlights. Beauty of destruction. He had to distance himself from her, let Martha figure out what to do with her. But he couldn’t let her go home or anywhere else, her connection to the kidnapping was still unknown, and Daniel could use her help. He closed off the small distance between them, holding up his finger and hoping he could catch her attention through the distress making her listen. “You will call Mr. Henderson and tell him you and Beatrix went on a little girl’s trip or whatever it is you two do,” he threw a skeptical glance at her, it was a mystery how she and Beatrix could ever be connected. “We need time, and don’t you dare to call the police or you’ll get to meet another form of law enforcement.” Daniel grew quiet, still holding his finger by her face and looking deeply into her eyes. He had to make sure she heard him. But he was also drawn by the blue in her eyes, remembering every speckle of Prussian blue, aquamarine, and cerulean blending into her eye color. Like ripping off a bandaid, he finally pushed himself back, moving away from her in a swift motion and leaving her with Carlson. Moving away from her surprisingly allowed him to take a deep breath before approaching his other two bodyguards with the limp waiter, who didn’t seem to be present anymore. Daniel leaned down, lightly slapping the waiter's cheek, prompting
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him to come to his senses. The waiter didn’t flinch and seemed joyful seeing Daniel again, as Daniel was greeted by a bloody smile. Daniel smirked back, filled with arrogance as he straightened his back and looked over to his bodyguards. “Bring him down, find out how and when he got on the staff list. Let's see what he has to say,” in a swift motion, Daniel grabbed onto the waiter’s chin, jerking his head backward to look him in the eye. One of the eyes was heavily swollen, the other was pooling with blood. Daniel looked at him for a while, silently establishing his dominance before he unceremoniously pushed his head back down and turned to walk away. Daniel straightened his back and fixed his suit before finally slowly distancing himself from the bodyguards, who already started moving towards one of the staff doors, kicking the waiter’s legs to make him move. Daniel walked out of the entrance of the VIP section, holding his head high and back straight. He was still king of his corrupted empire and wouldn’t dare to show his own distress. The world around him existed as long as he was walking. The stride of a wounded lion never surrendering to circumstances. No matter how high he held his head, he was accompanied by images of his mother making bold strokes of paint onto a canvas, Beatrix finding his vinyl collection, dancing in only his buttoned-up shirt, and Olivia leaning back in his office chair with a shameless little smirk. The images carried guilt along with them, poisoning Daniel’s sanity. He kept telling himself that a solution would present itself once he reached his office and calmed down. He didn’t know if he could survive the death of another woman in his life but he was sure he wouldn’t find out today.
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@👯 Bunny Dancing through Life 👯
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Olivia Parker BOT 1/16/2024 1:18 PM
The dart of Daniels eyes from her own to her hand now tucked behind her back hadn’t been overlooked by Olivia, and it merely made her tremble more so as she wondered if he realised, if he knew just what she now had in her hand. What would happen to her if he did? Would she be forced to use it or would it be enough to know she was armed to make him back away again. She didn’t know what the outcome could be… but she could only hope for the latter. After all, Olivia had never stabbed anyone before and wasn’t entirely sure if she would be able to, even with her own life under threat in the immediate moment. The new look in his eyes though as he lifted them back to hers was different - the intense rage, hatred and contempt for her that had been there before seemed to fade away and his expression softened a little. Liv gulped nervously as they maintained that eye contact though, her own gaze blurred from the tears but not daring to look away. Her palm felt hot and sweaty against the handle of the knife within her grip and she adjusted her fingers, barely able to maintain her gasp on it as her hand desperately wanted to let go, to throw it and flee from the scene, back to her car parked outside the apartment entrance on the side road. Her eyes darted between Daniel and Carlson as she thought of that however, evaluating the chances of either of them chasing and catching her. Olivia herself liked to think she was relatively fit - but speed wasn’t exactly high on her skill list. Having seen how quickly Daniel had reacted to the phone and dress, leaping over at the waiter, there was no question really about whether he would be able to catch her if she did dare to run for the door before she made it outside - and then it would just be a question of what he would inflict upon her… His voice brought her gaze back to Daniel's eyes, though it seemed he wasn’t speaking directly to her, instead, about her. His gesture to her with his hand had her mind and heart racing - who or wh
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at was Martha? Was this another person who worked for him? Was this someone worse than Carlson… maybe someone who would torture her for information? Or just… an expert at disposing of bodies… so many ideas were rushing through her mind now - many mainly influenced by a number of movies and tv shows that were probably far from accurate, but her only real experience with any criminals up to this point in her life that she was aware of. Finally Daniels gaze turned away from her, and it was like a lead weight had been lifted from her chest as she finally took a deep breath. He hadn’t stepped back or released her as such, but just the fact he wasn’t looking at her gave her some sort of freedom, and assurance that she wasn’t going to be fighting her way out just yet. It hadn’t been enough to make her drop the knife though as he directed Carlson on the next steps of what was to happen. It all went over Olivias head though as she felt dizzy from the intense stress of the moment, closing her eyes a moment and squeezes them closed, tears spilling down onto her cheeks. She kept reminding herself she was alive… she had done nothing wrong… nothing bad was going to happen to her… but it wasn’t reassurance enough to help subside the panic. As their voices subsided, Olivia was aware of the sudden closing of the small gap she had managed to put between herself and Daniel when she had backed up against the chair. Her lids sprung open and through her blurred vision she was aware Daniel was back in front of her, holding a finger up to catch her attention as he stared back into her face. Her eyes glanced at his hand, then to his face once more, biting her lip nervously as she listened to his instructions.
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His direction for her to contact Beatrix’s father had her panic rising once again - what if he had received a similar message? If he knew already she was missing? What if the caller… had mentioned her to Bea’s father too… would he be out looking for? Was calling him even safe? So many questions rushed through her head… but she voiced none, instead, silently nodding her head to indicate that she understood and would comply. Attempting a second deep breath, Olivia found her chest shuddering in panic once again, her eyes dancing left to right as they switched which of Daniels eyes she was focussing on as he watched her, evaluated her. What could possibly be going through his mind in that moment was a mystery, but even Olivia noted the slight change in atmosphere between them.. No longer it felt like he wanted to hurt her at least… but there was still a palpable tension in the air. Her free hand pressed against the chair behind her as she tried to lean even further back on it, almost as if she hoped pressing hard enough would allow her to step through it and gain that distance again. It would be Daniel though who would suddenly push away, turning in that one swift motion again to walk back towards the guards holding the waiter. The relief of him moving away was almost instantaneous, her grip finally letting go of the knife as it dropped, bouncing from the seat of the chair to clatter onto the floor. Olivia herself wasn’t far behind as she finally gave into the buckling of her knees, falling to the ground to land to the side on her hip. She whimpered quietly, the sobs coming heavier now as she registered what had just happened… what had come closed to nearly happening. Her hands lifted to cover her face as she hunched over, muffling her cries from the room. She wasn’t aware of Carlson awkwardly stepping closer alongside her, before he had leaned down to hook a hand under her upper arm. With one easy pull he had lifted her back up to her feet, and by the time her hands
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had dropped from her face, his hand was outstretched towards her, handkerchief in his grasp. The large man said nothing as she took it, carefully wiping at her eyes, though clearing the tears was pointless as more just fell to take their place on her cheek, travelling down the wet streams left by the tears before to her jaw and chin where they would fall freely. Behind Carlson, Olivia just about caught sight of Daniel disappearing back out of the club the way they had come in. Carlson’s voice however, pulled her attention back to him. ”This way Miss Parker please.” Slowly she would move to start walking with Carlson, before realising as they neared the door that she didn’t have her phone on her. Freezing, she was nearly knocked off balance by Carlsons pull on her arm as he kept going. Looking to her, his gaze was stern, but with a faint sight of curiosity to work out why she had stopped. “My… My Phone… Daniel wanted me to make that call… uhm… I dropped it over the edge…” She would turn a little in place to point back towards the table they had been sat at, but she would freeze as her eyes would see the blood-stained dress once more. A quiet cry rose from her throat again as she wondered what could have happened to Beatrix… and whenever it did, had she been as scared as Olivia was just then? Had she cried and pleaded with her attackers not to do it… had she hoped someone would help her? The intensity of the emotions made Liv quickly spin back round, unable to look at it any longer, wave after wave of regret washing over her that she hadn’t done something… done more… to protect her. Understanding, Carlson merely nodded and lead Olivia to the steps that left the VIP are and headed down towards the dance floor.
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It was clear she wasn’t going to be left alone as he kept a firm grip on the underside of her upper arm, pulling her with him. Once they hit the dance floor, Olivia spotted her phone vibrating its way across the wood, screen down. Pulling from his grip she would take a few hurried steps to lean down, scooping it up. The screen had a large shatter across it from the impact of the fall, but at least was mostly still in one piece. Mr Hendersons name lit up the screen still until the call died away again, and her notifications indicated 8 missed calls so far. That couldn’t be a good sign. Staring at the screen, Olivia would move back towards Carlson, whom, after being convinced she wasn’t about to run for it, would move to head back up and towards the entrance they had originally come in via, checking occasionally that she was following. Walking with her gaze in her phone screen had become second nature to Olivia as she took one step at a time after the large frame of the guard in front of her, following him back towards the lobby as she considered just why she would have so many missed calls… what… innocent reason could there be? It made her panic even more that perhaps Mr Henderson had been made aware of the kidnapping already, and she wondered what she could say to him to keep him at bay… would Daniel blame her if he came looking? They had already reached the elevator by the time Olivia looked up, glancing around as the doors closed on the foyer. Carlson said nothing to her as they took the ride upwards, instead he had reached for his own phone, pressing a button for a quick dial and holding it to his ear. When the call answered, he said a simple “Come to the apartment” direction, before hanging up himself. Whoever he had spoken to must have been this Martha that was mentioned before. It left her nervous once more to find out what her fate was going to be. It was a second concern though… first… she needed to address the call. It wasn’t long until the Elevator
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had arrived at the floor they were to disembark on, and Olivia was back to following the form of Carlson in front of her as he headed to open the door to the apartment. The interior was surprisingly modest and not at all what Olivia had expected - though the apartment was certainly nice and very well maintained, it gave more… show home vibes than homely. It would be hard to get much of a read on who the owner or occupant of the apartment even was, or if it was lived in at all. As her gaze wandered over to the living space, the phone would ring again in her hand. Taking a deep breath, she realised she couldn’t ignore it any longer. Her bright blue eyes look up to Carlson a moment, who had quietly positioned himself near the kitchen it seemed like he was a piece of furniture, blocking between her and the door to the apartment as he waited silently. He was clearly going to be of little support, though it seemed that he was paying attention as he merely watched her. Hitting answer, she switched the phone instantly to speaker - if this was going to go badly, she hoped that at least Carlson would be able to provide a witness statement to Daniel that she had done all she could to prevent it turning and it was beyond her control. Though would he even dare to speak up in her defense? It probably wouldn’t be able to save her either way if Mr Henderson, or his staff, came knocking on the door in the next hour. Gulping, Olivia did her best to mask the fact she was crying, putting on a chirpy, forced bounce to her voice. “Hey there Mr Henderson…” The fakeness was almost too much to maintain, as her voice cracked at the end of his name.
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She cleared her throat quietly as she listened, trying to think through what her excuses were going to be. ”What is going on? Why hasn’t Beatrix sorted her phone yet and why did you take so long to answer?!” “Oh… we think her phone is broke… She uh.. She dropped it into a puddle and now we can’t get it to charge up. We’re actually just out to get her a new one…” ”Where are you? I’m sending a driver to pick her up” “No! I mean… sorry… you can’t… we’re at the airport. I uh… I had a few days off work and without classes so… Bea wanted to go get some sun… so we’re going to head down to Miami and go out on a boat for a few days…” There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment… and Olivia squeezed her eyes closed, willing for her excuse to be accepted. The boat trip would give ample reason for them both to be out of contact for a few days at least… an excuse of having no phone signal at sea. ”Fine. Tell Beatrix she needs to be back by Monday for her Mothers party.” “Of course Mr Henderson… we wouldn’t miss it for the world.” The call ended without a goodbye, merely a hmph audible before the call clicked to show it was disconnected. Olivia let out a sigh of relief that it seemed to have gone down ok as she moved to the nearby couch, spinning on her heel and falling onto it. While sprawled across the cushions on her back, the tears would come again, her eyes closing a moment as she just gave into them - there was little she could do anyway. Even the soft knock at the door wasn’t enough to make her pull herself together now, nor the click of the door opening or the voices echoing through the apartment from Carlson and the lady whom had arrived.
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@Taiga On The Shelf 🐅
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Daniel Winter Black BOT 1/19/2024 10:50 AM
Arriving in the confined space of his office, Daniel felt he could breathe a little easier, though the weight of his failure still resided on his shoulders. The suit jacket around his body suffocated him, prompting him to pull it off as soon as he entered his office, throwing it onto the sofa before heading to his table. The adrenaline inside his body was rapidly vanishing, causing his head to spin. He leaned forward beside his table, grabbing onto its edge and lowering his head, hoping to find solid ground again. Over the last few months, Daniel had been heading downhill and seemed to have arrived at its edge, slipping down into the abyss. He didn’t have an easy solution to the situation, and there was nothing he could do at the moment. With a heavy sigh, he raised his head, looking outside the windows of his office. There was no escape for Daniel, as he was once again reminded of the circumstances, seeing Olivia and Carlson downstairs on the dance floor. Olivia was picking up her phone, and Daniel’s eyes instantly darted up to the VIP balcony, the phone must have fallen down at some point Daniel didn’t notice. He saw the phone’s screen light up and could have sworn he saw Olivia flinch the moment she looked at it, but they were too far away for Daniel to see all the details. He hoped Olivia would follow his order and call Mr. Henderson to win them some time. The distorted voice of the caller echoed in Daniel’s head. Tick-tock, tick-tock. His thoughts wandered back to the comment about Olivia, he wondered what incident the caller meant. Maybe it was a tactic to distract Daniel from the fact that Olivia was involved in the kidnapping and appeared here to ensure the message is delivered? But it didn’t make much sense, and Olivia’s reaction seemed genuine. Daniel groaned, pushing himself off the table. He wished he had any answers to this chaos. He let himself fall into his office chair, leaning way back, and closing his eyes. Thousands of thoughts were running th
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rough his mind, and not a single one felt like a solution. He tried to think of every possible incident involving Olivia mentioned by the caller, she was somehow tied into all of this. It was quite some time until he opened his eyes again, but when he did, he had at least something that he could do. He pushed his chair toward the table, reaching for his laptop and booting it up to open a browser. Daniel personally tried to stay away from revealing his persona online, his online presence was only seen in a few news articles of events he attended. Other than that, he was a ghost on the internet, barely any information of him present, except that he was a wealthy man and the owner of Mirage. There wasn’t even any information about how old he was, leaving anyone wondering what year he was born based on the few pictures in the news articles. But Daniel was well aware that a lot of people indulged in the act of narcissism, presenting their lives on the internet for everyone to see. There was a chance Olivia Parker was one of them, and Daniel wanted to find out.
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The first search of Olivia’s name on the internet was not as fruitful as Daniel had hoped. There were links to a veterinarian named Olivia Parker, a hair stylist Olivia Parker, some news articles about an Olivia Parker opening up a coffee shop, even an obituary of a 93-year-old deceased woman named Olivia Parker. May she rest in peace. Daniel was quickly losing any hope of finding anything on the Olivia Parker he was interested in, resorting to scrolling through the images recommended through the search. There was an array of females from young to old, blonde to brunette, but none of them was the one Daniel was looking for. He almost gave up, but suddenly, during endless scrolling and tapping, he noticed the one single photo of a woman with thick-framed black glasses. Daniel probably never clicked a link as fast as he did now, straightening himself in his chair. It led him to a LinkedIn profile finally revealing some background of Olivia. There wasn’t a lot he could reveal, but now he knew she was attending university for a nursing degree and working at one of the central hospitals as a nursing assistant. Daniel couldn’t deny that he admired Olivia’s diligence, it was clear to him she was someone who cared about establishing herself in society by pursuing a degree and career. The same couldn’t be said about Beatrix, who only had a high school degree. But Daniel wasn’t one to judge as he never attended university himself, having no possibility to do so after finishing high school. It was bittersweet to snoop on a person who clearly had more doors open for them than Daniel had. But it wasn’t the time for Daniel to think about missed opportunities, there was something much more important at stake right now. He kept scrolling the profile up and down, not finding anything else and getting lost in his thoughts. He was hoping to find more about her, but the internet search wasn’t as fruitful. Another idea crept into his mind, and he quickly opened the search engine aga
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in, this time typing in a different name - Beatrix Henderson. Daniel never cared much to look up Beatrix before, he wasn’t one to look up girls to find their Instagrams and peer at their pictures. But if Olivia’s claims about them being best friends were right, he figured he could find some other lead on Beatrix’s social media. Soon enough, Daniel was presented with the search result, the first link led to Beatrix’s Instagram with thousands of followers. It wasn’t hard to find anything on Beatrix Henderson, she was someone with an intrinsic need to show off her life to everyone around, and social media was the key for it. Opening her Instagram profile, Daniel hoped to find a picture of Beatrix and Olivia where she may have been tagged. But the moment the page opened, a frown appeared on Daniel’s face. He leaned forward, already clicking on the first picture, a single fuck escaping his lips.
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It was a selfie of Beatrix, clearly taken after their encounter last night. She was sitting against the backboard of the bed they shared, clad in a white bathrobe. Leaning forward, the bathrobe pushed down around her bare shoulder, a seductive gaze, Daniel assumed, plastered on her face. But it wasn’t what evoked an unsettling feeling in Daniel. The way Beatrix took the selfie revealed the one she was sharing the bed with. In the background, Daniel slept on his abdomen, his arms dug beneath the pillow. The blankets lay dangerously low on his lower back, revealing the tattoo covering his whole back. It wasn’t possible to reveal the person behind Beatrix as Daniel’s head was turned away, only his longer blonde locks seen. But Daniel would always recognize himself, especially seeing his tattoo of a classic baroque composition of a battle he designed. The way the selfie was taken with a flashlight also cast shadows on the scar from the stab in his lower back. Daniel felt violated on multiple levels, he thought Beatrix knew better than to post pictures of him online, let alone pictures that revealed too much. Under the post was a cryptic message - XOXO. Daniel wasn’t immune to public opinion, clicking on the comments to see what Beatrix’s followers wrote. There was a storm of speculations about the mysterious man behind Beatrix and an array of inappropriate comments directed at both Beatrix and Daniel. Daniel heavily sighed, rubbed his hand against his eyes, and finally clicked away from the picture. It was an immeasurable disaster, Daniel could only hope no one would put one and one together to reveal his identity. He shook his head and continued scrolling, he could get mad later, but now he needed more information on Olivia. It wasn’t long until he came across a group picture with Beatrix and Olivia. Daniel hit a jackpot because his assumptions were confirmed, as Olivia was tagged in the picture. Clicking on it, he finally got where he wanted to be from the begin
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ning - an Instagram profile of Olivia Parker revealing her persona. He started scrolling through the pictures, his perception that she may have been involved in the kidnapping progressively shattered. She seemed like a happy person with no care in the world. There were pictures of her on some hike, in the hospital in her nurse gown, pictures from a beach, a forest. There were also pictures of her with a group of friends, an older lady who was probably her grandma, an older man in a police uniform. Daniel lost himself in the pictures, feeling a sense of peace for the first time today. Something about Olivia’s cheerful manner to present herself on the internet made Daniel relax and even provoked a little smile. The world wasn’t as bad a place as he thought if there was a place for someone like Olivia to thrive and, from the looks of it, be happy.
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He couldn’t find any hint of maliciousness, making him truly wonder what the caller could’ve meant and if it was just a distraction to cause discontent between them. It didn’t make a lot of sense, and hurting people for gain was something Daniel didn’t understand either. He kept scrolling, stopping to look at some pictures closer until at one moment, something struck him, returning him to the present. The picture of Olivia with a police officer from before. He quickly scrolled back up, the realization of his unfortunate situation grew bigger. The caption said how much Olivia loved her father Sergeant Parker and how he was the most important man in her life. For the second time today, a single fuck escaped Daniel. The hole beneath him grew bigger, and he seemingly dug it even deeper himself. He leaned his head on his hand, resting his elbow on his table. Olivia had already seen too much anyone should’ve seen. Daniel rarely exploded like he did before, beating the waiter with all the power he possessed. He wasn’t proud of himself using force to hurt people’s lives. The only time he ever did so was to protect his own life. Someone could’ve thought he was a monster turning to brutal force every chance he had, being one of the biggest players in the current criminal world, but in reality, he hardly did so, his goal was to provide the most sought-after art pieces in the world. It was filled with the beauty of meticulous planning and theft without witnesses. Spilling blood wasn’t part of Daniel’s moral compass. Daniel didn’t think Olivia may have been involved in the kidnapping anymore, the picture he painted for himself while doing his research didn’t indicate any spark of possible malicious intent of Olivia. But there was no doubt he failed big time. The fact he threatened her before didn’t make it any better, she could run to her daddy afterwards, and an hour later, his whole business would’ve been searched, revealing not entirely legal things. He wasn’t the worst
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criminal out there, but he would still face a minimum of 10 years in prison and lose everything he ever worked for. Daniel was growing nervous again, Olivia could go out and tell her father about Beatrix’s kidnapping. This scenario would also lead the police to Daniel again. There was no way he could win. Daniel decided that women would be the end of him. Today’s events were unbeatable evidence. Although finding out where Beatrix was was his highest priority, he still had to figure out what to do with Olivia. He hoped Martha could somehow calm Olivia down and ease the situation. Daniel already knew there was something he could do, and that was to apologize to Olivia. He was a true believer in apologies doing wonders. But he didn’t know how to turn the situation to make Olivia believe that involving the police would be the worst idea. He couldn’t blatantly tell her he was a criminal and it would’ve been safer for both them and Beatrix to keep this situation under the radar of the police. The caller knew about Olivia, and it showed that she was also in some kind of danger if she was pulled into this. Daniel closed the laptop’s lid shut, he couldn’t look at the photo anymore. With a heavy sigh, he rubbed his face again. Looking down at his wrist, he noticed it was already past 4 pm, which meant that they lost two hours already. Daniel didn’t get any updates, the phone from the kidnappers didn’t ring again, he was left in the dark. With a swift motion, he got up from his chair, shortly after grabbing his jacket before heading out of the office. He couldn’t sit around in the office, and there was at least something he could do - apologize to Olivia. He also had to talk to her to figure out her plan of action, if she had the need to run to her father. Maybe she already contacted her father.
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Daniel couldn’t go to the apartment straight away, he still wore splatters of blood from the waiter on his clothes. He knew if Olivia were to see it again, it could send her over the edge. Daniel made a quick detour to his penthouse, taking a quick shower and getting a new change of clothes. He couldn’t stand the thought of getting into a suit again, having the need to feel more free and ease the weight of the situation on his shoulders. Daniel opted to wear a loose black sweater, some washed-out black jeans, and his favorite biker boots. It was a simple outfit and could’ve been considered classy except he wore a silver chain attached to his jeans, which hinted at his rather rebellious spirit. Daniel already felt better getting rid of the suit for the day, the outfit was the most comfortable to him. Daniel gave himself one last look in the mirror, his damp hair was slicked back, but at least he wasn’t covered in splatters of blood anymore, and his knuckles were only slightly swollen. He braced himself for the upcoming encounter with Olivia. Daniel hoped she hadn’t gone haywire in the last two hours and had a rather calming time with Martha. He figured if Carlson didn’t give him a call, Olivia hadn’t run off, and Daniel could still somehow convince her it wasn’t a good idea to involve the police. He headed down to the apartment with no idea what to expect when he showed up there. Standing before the door of the apartment, he took a deep breath, reminding himself to be polite and try to lure Olivia to his side. Somehow they would figure out what to do next, maybe get a further hint of where Beatrix might be. Daniel just had to distract Olivia long enough. With that he leaned forward and used his key to open the door. There was no way to know what he would find behind it.
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@👯 Bunny Dancing through Life 👯
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Olivia Parker BOT 1/23/2024 1:13 PM
Sniffing quietly to herself, Olivia raised the back of her hand to cover her mouth, squinting her eyes as stared up at the ceiling above her. Her emotions were hard to pin down - was it grief for her friend? Had she already concluded that Beatrix was no longer around? Or was it regret, failure, defeat that washed over her. It seemed to be somewhere between the two as her mind raced trying to lock onto any stream of thought going through her, the wishes to continue to fight and find Beatrix becoming more and more fleeting as time went on. Slowly, Olivia forced herself to sit upright on the couch she had collapsed on, taking off her glasses a moment while she lifted her palm to wipe at both her eyes. She was grateful she hadn’t put too much make up on that morning that it wouldn’t be smudged all over her face, but still, the fine layer of mascara had blended somewhat with her tears, creating soft grey lines down her cheeks towards her jawline and chin. Now upright, Olivia took a slow, deep breath, and became more aware of the voices in the doorway. One of them was the guard who had accompanied her to the room but not followed her fully inside, instead opting to stay closer to the entrance - no doubt wanting to avoid dealing with the haywire emotions of a young woman whilst still ensuring she wasn’t going to do something rash and escape. It wasn’t like there was any other exit after all… though the thought did make Olivia slowly glance towards the large windows of the apartment, peering out at the landscape of rooftops and high rise buildings stretching into the distance as she tried to figure out just how many floors up they were… The second voice was a softer tone, an older woman perhaps, who was doing less of the talking. The few phrases Olivia could catch suggested she was merely pushing for the guard to give her more information about the situation, with the occasional scolding tone throne in. This must be Martha, the one she had heard Daniel tell the guard to c
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all through. Gulping, Olivia knew she only had perhaps a minute before she was going to come face to face with this Martha, and she desperately tried to straighten herself up, there was no telling what this woman was going to do to try and make Olivia crack and admit some absurd involvement in everything going on, and going into it a sobbing mess wasn’t going to help. The voices quietened and Olivia’s head shot back to look towards the entrance, her hands clasping around the black rimmed glasses in her hand tightly. Her sight was bleary and blurred, but that primarily from the tears still pooling there than the fact she didn’t have her glasses on - and perhaps not seeing exactly what was coming would be better anyway. The woman approaching seemed smaller than expected, and older, with a blur of grey curls like a halo around her head. The voice that came was also softer, kinder, more approachable than anyone Olivia had met that day. ”Hello Olivia, my name is Martha. Seems you’ve had… quite the day…” The woman moved to sit on the couch alongside Olivia, but it was enough to make her flinch and jump back, pushing herself to very far edge as far as she could get. Olivia’s eyes narrowed as she looked at the woman, trying to figure out her angle, her purpose. It was clearly written on her face she didn’t trust her and was somewhat fearful. Martha’s face fell a little, saddened at the reaction, before glancing over her shoulder towards Carlson at the door with a sigh, it seemed perhaps the guard had downplayed what had happened so far for the girl to be in this much of a mess… ”I’m not going to hurt you Cariño. Carlson told me about Beatrix… and that you were her friend? I’m sure she is lucky to have a friend like you… why don’t you tell me what happened?” Olivia turned her face away at the mention of Beatrix’s name, an obvious whimper breaking through her silent tears as she pulled her sleeve down over her hand,
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bringing it up to cover the lower half of her face as she stared towards the far corner of the room. She allowed the silence that followed Martha’s words to fall heavy between them as she thought through what she was to do. The woman seemed harmless enough, even quite genuine with her concern for Olivia which was quite disarming. Gulping, Olivia took another deep breath before looking back to the woman finally, reaching up to brush her brown curls back behind her ear. Martha was just sat quietly looking at her with her hands clasped in her lap, allowing her space and time to find her thoughts. “Uhm… well… Beatrix was meant to come back to mine this morning… I didn’t really think about it much when she was late… until she wasn’t answering her texts, or her phone, and it was getting later and later… It’s really not like her at all to be out of contact for so long. She’s always on her phone and her social media accounts…” She would pull out her phone again, unlocking it and clicking to open to her instagram. She quickly navigated to Beatrix’s in her contacts and tilted the screen so Martha could see what she was doing. “See, she hasn’t even posted since…. Oh.” Olivia froze with her phone in her hand, staring at the screen. The latest photo wasn’t one she had seen before, and she could swear she didn’t see it that morning. Unless she had glazed past it. Tapping quickly on the screen Olivia pulled her phone back close, flicking open her glasses to put back over her nose so she could see clearer once again. She peered close at the picture of Beatrix, though it wasn’t Bea herself that had caught her attention. The photo was taken in such a way that just over her shoulder was clearly a 2nd person, passed out asleep on the ruffled pillow and bedsheets. To most, the picture was featuring an anonymous male, but for Olivia it was clear who the dirty blonde hair belonged to. Biting her lip, she scanned over the tattoo on his back. It was intricate and carefully detailed, c
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ertainly not something she would have expected from the man she had met that morning anyway. Then there was the scar, prominent in the lighting, the sight of which caused Olivia another sharp intake of breath as she could only imagine what could cause such a mark to be left - the way it had healed certainly suggested it wasn’t the result of surgery. Realising her distraction she quickly locked her phone screen again with an awkward “Hum” as she screwed her brows together, trying to remember what she was saying before. She didn’t know why, but the image of Beatrix, and Daniel sprawled in the bed, had somehow burned its way into her brain. “I uh… I came here just because she had told me she always met the guy she was seeing in Mirage… I didn’t know it was uh… Mr Black. I just hoped there would be some camera footage and I could go find where she had stayed the night and.. Hopefully her. That’s really the only reason I came, I swear. I was just worried… I didn’t know anything bad had actually happened… it was just a feeling…” Her voice sped up as she quickly started trying to assure Martha that she had no ill intentions with coming here that morning, the sudden image of Daniels face, full of rage and inches from her own when he had cornered her coming to the forefront of her mind. The accusations he had slung at her, the way he seemed to think she had come to taunt him over Beatrix’s disappearance… it all filled a heavy pit in her stomach, making her feel nauseous. Trying her best to reign it in she leaned over her knees, dropping her head between her hands as she breathed deeply. Before the nausea had managed to pass though, Olivia suddenly felt a soft touch on her back. Martha had shifted her way along the couch and was rubbing gentle circles to her spine while watching her concerned. Liv flinched, glancing over her shoulder at the woman with a mixed look of confusion and concern, before speaking, her voice shakier.
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“D-D… Mr Black… He thinks it was me. He thinks… that… I did this to her…” Olivia’s voice cracked with a whimper as the tears filled her eyes once again, only to be met with shushing sounds from Martha. Martha scooted closer, her arm going around the young womans shoulders and pulling her in close. Olivia instinctively turned towards the older woman, her head coming to rest on Martha’s shoulder as the tears came quicker. Gently rubbing her distant arm, Martha spoke softer to her. ”Whatever would make you think that?” “He… he told me so… he had me trapped and was… shouting in my face… that I must have done it? He… I thought he was going to… hurt me…” Olivia lifted her head, staring at the woman confused - how was this news to her? Why didn’t she know? Wasn’t the purpose of her visit to Liv to get her to admit to it after all? Martha herself was doing her best to maintain a straight face as she looked at Olivia - the young woman expression showed no hint of lying or deceit and Martha herself couldn’t fathom why someone would make something up like that. It went a long way to explaining why the woman had been so fearful when she had come into the room. It was now Martha’s turn to take a deep breath, nodding as she dropped her hand from Olivia’s shoulder. ”Daniel Black would not raise his hand to you, I promise you that much. Give me one moment.” Standing up she turned and headed back towards the front door, and towards Carlson. Olivia couldn’t quite hear what the voices were saying, but Martha’s voice was certainly much stricter as she confronted the guard. Likely was to corroborate the story Olivia had given and question why she wasn’t told that part of it in the first place. The fact Olivia had managed to open up about the experience had already gone someways to making her feel better, though she was stuck here, in this apartment, unable to do anything. She needed to get herself recentered on the search for Beatrix. There it was again, the rising nausea in
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her stomach. Groaning, Olivia curled her arms around her stomach as she closed her eyes and bent over once more, head between her knees as she tried to breathe deeply. It was a few, long minutes before Martha came back. Once again, her voice was kinder when directed towards Olivia. ”Are you okay? Have you eaten?” Now there was a question. Olivia remembered her order of fries down in the nightclub that had remained untouched following Daniels own… meal delivery. She shook her head quickly to the question, looking up teary eyed again. It was an effort not to think about the way the waiter had lifted and revealed the dress… the phone. Why did it feel like it was so long ago already… ”Okay, well why don’t you head into the bathroom and get yourself cleaned up and I will cook up some pancakes for you.” Martha offered a warming smile to Olivia before turning to head into the kitchen, giving her the space to gather her thoughts once more. Breathing heavily, Olivia felt the wave of nausea subsiding once again. Slowly she would rise to her feet, turning and heading in the direction she assumed the bathroom was. There were several doors leading off from the main living area, so, taking a wild guess, Olivia opened the one nearest her and headed inside. It wasn’t a bathroom that she was faced with as she had expected, but instead, what seemed to be the master bedroom. The sight of the bed made Olivia jump in surprise, before moving to head back out. Something had caught her attention though, stopping her in her tracks and making her turn slowly once more. One foot followed after the other as she stepped around the bed to the other side, peering at it. Was it… could it be? Olivia paused on the far side, next to the bed as she looked down at it, from the perfect angle the photo Beatrix had uploaded was shot… There was no denying this was the same bed from the photo.
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The bedsheets were clean and bed was neatly made - but the bedside table, the headboard, the surrounding room… it all matched the photo. Olivia felt her heart pounding in her chest as the realisation sunk in… this was it. This was the last place Beatrix was seen alive and well. Olivia immediately started looking around the room, searching for anything that her friend may have left, may have stashed. She pulled open the drawers on the bedside table before dropping to the floor, checking under the bed. There was nothing though, the place was spotless like a freshly turned over hotel room. There was another door leading out of the bedroom and, pushing through it, Olivia found herself in a small ensuite shower room. Closing the door behind her, she moved to the mirrored medicine cabinet over the sink, looking at her reflection within it. Taking off her glasses, Olivia set them next to the sink before turning on one of the taps, beginning to wash her face and the tear stains away. Only once she was done would she look to the reflection again. The mirror stood prominent from the wall and curiously, Olivia pushed on one side of it. It pinged the latch open for the medicine cabinet, and opening it Olivia found herself faced with various bathroom necessities, as would be found in any standard bathroom cabinet. There was one item though, that didn’t look like the rest. It was a small, square glass bottle without a label - but the bottle was one Olivia would recognise anywhere. Shaky hands lifted up to reach into the cabinet, carefully taking hold of the bottle between her index and middle finger and thumb as she pulled it from the cabinet. There was a clear liquid inside the small bottle and lifting the metal cap would reveal it was indeed a perfume bottle. Hesitating, Olivia spritzed a small amount into the air in front of her before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. It was unmistakably Beatrix. The unmarked bottle was due to the scent being a custom mix Beatrix h
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ad had designed for herself a year earlier - obviously sparing no expense. There had only been very few bottles produced, one of which was obviously kept at Beatrix’s home, and another in her handbag for when she was out. Olivia wasn’t aware of the 3rd bottle, that now sat between her fingers. Realising suddenly she was getting her prints all over the glass, she quickly pushed the bottle back into the cabinet and swung the door closed, forgetting the lid sat on the side of the sink. The panic was rising in her again - what if the police got involved and they came here… found Olivia’s fingerprints everywhere that Beatrix was last seen. Would they believe she was looking for her? Her father would but… he would also be upset and confused that she hadn’t just gone to him immediately when she suspected something was wrong. It was hard to explain to her father just why she would try and protect Beatrix so far as to not report her missing… she didn’t want Mr Henderston to know. She didn’t want the police to know. It was a scary thought that she might be accused, once again, of having involvement with Beatrix’s disappearance. Shaking her head, Olivia willed herself not to dwell on that too much for the time being. Right now she just had to deal with being stuck here, in the apartment, until she was allowed to leave. She could consider what those next steps would be only then, when she was free. Turning and heading back out, Olivia managed to find her way back to the kitchen where Martha was stood with her back to her, working at the hob and flipping the pancakes. The older woman turned her head briefly to smile to Olivia before speaking up. ”You look much better, these are nearly ready for you so just take a seat.” Olivia returned to the kitchen island, slipping into one of the stools position there quietly as she watched.
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The scent of the pancakes had her salivating, and her stomach rumbling hungrily once again. With all the stress, she was surprised to find that her appetite had begun to resurface, perhaps it was Martha’s calm nature helping her to relax a little more. That was until both of them heard the click of the front door to the apartment. Martha immediately stopped, moving the pan off the heat and gesturing for Olivia to stay put as she moved to round the corner to the entrance, calling out as she went. ”Daniel?”
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@Taiga On The Shelf 🐅
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Daniel Winter Black BOT 1/25/2024 9:28 AM
As Daniel opened the door to the apartment, he was greeted by the familiar scent of Martha’s pancakes – her signature feel-good special. When Martha first started working for Daniel, she maintained her distance, coming once a week to clean his apartment. Daniel also had no inclination to get to know his cleaning lady, she was simply someone he hired to help him with the state of his apartment. However, one day, after a deal went south, Daniel stormed into his apartment – he messed up the timing on one of the deliveries of a painting, causing the buyer to disappear and leaving Daniel with an unwanted painting. He needed the money from this piece, as it was the last artwork he possessed, and he required funds to continue sourcing other pieces. Daniel blamed himself for his mistake, and coming home frustrated to find Martha cleaning his apartment only exacerbated the situation. It served as a reminder that he also needed money to pay her. He remembered shouting at her, pulling his own hair, and then sprinting off to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Daniel wasn’t sure what he aimed to achieve with his reaction, but he had hoped Martha would run off, leaving him to grapple with his own demons. However, half an hour later, she barged into his bedroom, pulling him off his bed and dragging him to the kitchen table. It marked the first time Martha cooked for him, and it was chocolate chip pancakes. Daniel didn’t want to eat and pretend everything was okay, but Martha, as stubborn as she was, never backed down, and Daniel eventually gave in. Now, entering the apartment, with the scent of pancakes filling his senses and Martha calling his name in her worried tone, hurrying towards him, he felt as if he had been transported ten years back. He entered the apartment, shutting the door behind him and leaning onto it with his back. Martha stopped in her tracks a few feet away from him, wiping her hands on a towel she held. Her eyebrows were furrowed towards the middle
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of her forehead, and it was evident she didn’t know what to say. Daniel looked her in the eyes, his gaze conveying more than words ever could. It was apparent that Daniel was in an impossible situation, and the way he looked indicated it wouldn’t be resolved anytime soon. Daniel closed his eyes, leaning his head back on the door. Before entering the apartment, he had been filled with confidence and determination to apologize to Olivia and figure out their next steps. However, he didn’t expect the scent of pancakes and Martha’s worried tone to send a wave of guilt and shame over him. He would have preferred Martha to shout at him, hit him with her towel in her hand, and tell him he was an idiot. Yet, as he opened his eyes, she still stood where she was, folding her hands together as her eyes darted around, searching for something within Daniel’s face. A silent exchange occurred between them, where both understood what the other meant. Daniel was the first to break the silence. “Remember how you told me that pancakes symbolize the sun? How eating them was a victory of day over night and of light over darkness?” A small smirk appeared on his lips as he spoke. He wanted to linger in the past for just a moment before feeling the weight of Beatrix’s kidnapping again. Martha sighed and finally took the last steps toward him, placing a hand on his shoulder as she looked up. “You will find her, Daniel Black,” her voice was firm, and she nodded at her own statement, a fighter's expression on her face. “But right now, you have to apologize to Olivia. She seems like a very good girl, and there is no doubt she is as hurt about her missing best friend.”
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Daniel grabbed her hand resting on his shoulder, pressing it onto him a little stronger and giving it a gentle squeeze. Daniel and Martha weren’t particularly close on the outside, keeping their relationship mostly professional, but there were moments like these where one would offer support to the other. Martha filled a role Daniel sought during stressful times, and he was thankful for her presence. He knew about her dislike of Beatrix, yet she didn’t say a word about it and focused more on the people present, like Daniel and Olivia. Daniel knew they couldn’t stand by the door forever and ignore Olivia. One way or another, he had to face whatever was thrown his way, and with the confidence gifted by Martha, he finally pushed himself off the door. Martha quickly picked up the hint and headed back to the kitchen, carrying the sunshine along with her. Even if the whole world would collapse in that moment, Martha would keep carrying her joy. “Do you also want some pancakes, sir?” Martha asked as she led the way to the kitchen, her voice wasn’t as hushed as before, and Daniel guessed it was her way of letting Olivia know that she was coming back along with Daniel. “I brewed some coffee alongside it, and there is still some orange juice left.” “Just coffee is fine,” Daniel answered as they finally walked into the kitchen area. He threw a quick glance towards Olivia sitting by the far edge of the kitchen island. She seemed much smaller and fragile than before, her red eyes and puffy cheeks were a reminder of what Daniel had caused. He felt another pang of guilt and shame hit him in the heart, which he desperately hoped to get rid of by rubbing his chest as he looked away. Something about making meaningful eye contact with Olivia caused him to close off. Daniel reached the other end of the kitchen island and took a seat on a bar stool. Martha resumed her work in the kitchen, serving a plate of pancakes for Olivia along with different condiments like maple syrup and hon
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ey. She then poured some coffee into two mugs. Daniel got his coffee served black without anything added, meanwhile, Olivia was served black coffee along with a little carafe of milk and a jar of sugar. The spacious room was filled with silence, only interrupted by the clatter of pans and dishes. Daniel observed Martha’s movements, distracting himself from Olivia’s presence on the other end of the kitchen island. There were three bar stools between them, but for Daniel, it felt as if Olivia was directly under his skin. Daniel should have gotten himself something to eat too, but he sat with only the black coffee in front of him. In a way, he couldn’t imagine himself eating after miserably failing to protect his partner due to his indifference. He didn’t feel as if he deserved to eat, not before they had any information on where Beatrix might be. Daniel was drifting away in his thoughts, staring through Martha’s movements as he sipped his coffee. In his pockets, he felt both his own phone and the other phone that was left along with Beatrix’s dress. While his own phone didn’t bother him, he was painfully aware of the presence of the other one. With a heavy sigh and freshly caffeinated, he pulled both of the phones out, putting them on the counter before looking over at Martha. “Go home, Martha. Thank you for taking care of Ms. Parker, but I won’t be needing you today anymore,” his glance towards her was firm, Daniel wasn’t up for any discussion. “I’ll make sure Carlson calls you if something new comes up.” Martha nervously looked around the kitchen counters still full of dirty dishes before throwing a quick glance towards Olivia. It was clear Martha would rather stay here and snoop on the conversation Daniel and Olivia may have. Something in her look also hinted that she wasn’t sure of leaving Olivia alone.
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“But there are still dirty dishes all around, I should clean up first,” it was Martha’s last attempt to somehow get to stay and have a possibility to intervene if their discussion would cause Olivia distress all over again. “Don’t worry about it. Have a nice evening, Martha,” Daniel stayed polite, but a stricter tone was present in his voice, which made Martha sigh and step back. She quickly shuffled some of the dirty dishes toward the sink before heading outside the kitchen. But before she finally left, she turned around to look over to Olivia, a warm smile present on her face. “It was nice meeting you, Olivia. Don’t give up your hope. I’m sure the boys are doing everything in their power to find your friend,” her voice was gentle, and she carefully chose her words. After saying her goodbyes, she looked over to Daniel, giving him a single nod before leaving the apartment. Daniel heard the front door close, an eerie silence filling the apartment. He could’ve sworn he heard the ticking of the watch on his wrist. Taking a big breath, he took another sip from his coffee before putting the mug down and turning his body towards Olivia. He felt jittery from the overflow of confusing emotions and caffeine running in his veins. But he didn’t hide from it and faced it straight on by looking directly at Olivia. It took him a moment to collect himself before finally speaking. “I want to apologize for my outburst before,” Daniel’s voice cracked at one point, which made him wonder why he couldn’t stay neutral anymore. Beatrix’s kidnapping must’ve affected him so much that he was turning into an emotional chaos. Daniel never had a problem articulating himself, and words came to him easily. But now, looking at Olivia’s bloodshot blue eyes from all the crying, he felt a vulnerability he has long forgotten. “The caller mentioned your name. They were talking about some incident in the past involving you, claiming you aren’t the way you present yourself.” Daniel had to turn away
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to his coffee again, tightly holding onto the mug to hide his shaking fingers. The scene unfolded before his eyes again, and he felt the same anger grow inside of him. In an attempt to calm himself, he picked the mug to his lips again, noticing it was empty and putting it back down with another heavy sigh. He was growing restless, adjusting his body on the bar stool and quickly turning his head towards Olivia. “Listen, Olivia,” Daniel couldn’t keep up with the manners, resorting to using her name for the first time. “I don’t know what they were talking about, and I don’t want to make any assumptions… The way you appeared in my office raising your concerns and the fact that the caller knew your name… It all sounded suspicious and couldn’t have been a coincidence.” “I don’t trust you,” Daniel admitted, his gaze intense. “But right now, it seems we’re in this mess together. Beatrix is missing, and we need to figure out the next steps… You also have to understand that there is no way out for you. I’m not sure why, but it is clear that you are also in danger.” He paused, studying Olivia’s reaction. Daniel wasn’t sure how she would react, but he hoped for some understanding. He wasn’t sure he would be able to get into a heated argument with her, exhaustion and hunger were taking over him. As cold and indifferent as Daniel presented himself, he was still human, and there was only a certain amount of stress he could handle.
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“We need to be honest with each other,” Daniel continued, his tone softening. “If there’s anything you haven’t told me, anything that might help us right now, please, don’t keep it from me. We’re in this together, whether you like it or not… Just don’t give me any reasons to not trust you.” Daniel looked over to the phones laying on the counter in front of him. He desperately needed at least one of the phones to light up. He needed to know more, have at least a direction he could move to. The unknown drove him to the brink of madness, and he wished to be set free from the guilt and shame. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking back to Olivia and drowning in her blue eyes again. The realization that they were in this together, entangled in a web of confusion and unknown danger, daunted upon Daniel. He never had to deal with something like that, let alone with someone alongside him. He deeply wished Olivia wasn’t involved in the equation, but the way things unfolded, there was no other way. Daniel was close to breaking in the last few months, holding on with the help of an unknown force which led him to this very moment. He held his gaze on Olivia’s blue eyes, grasping onto them like they were an anchor keeping him in place. Right now, she was the reason he had to stay strong and focused, he had to stand firm for Olivia. There was a possibility that Beatrix caused the kidnapping because of her own mistakes, dragging Daniel and Olivia alongside. She wasn’t someone who stayed subtle and often caused trouble around herself. The sun was slowly setting behind the large windows that covered the living room wall, reflecting off the nearby highrise buildings. The room immersed in the warm orange rays of the retreating sun, easing the hostile environment of the minimalistic black and white furnishings in the living space surrounding them. Olivia’s blue eyes were enhanced by the warm orange hue, a single sun ray reflected from one of the buildings resting upon her che
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st. Daniel couldn’t shake off the confusion of their encounter and how they both found themselves in this situation. But a determined whisper inside of him kept him afloat, and he could finally form at least one clear thought. “I will do everything in my power to find Beatrix, even if it means sacrificing myself,” a mix of determination and sorrow was written on Daniel’s face. He had found a purpose to hold on, and he wasn’t lying when he said he would give up his own life to fix something caused by his own choices. “Beatrix’s kidnapping is my fault… I have failed as a partner… I don’t want anyone even slightly connected to me to experience any consequences of my own actions.” “Please, Olivia… Let me control the situation. You are also in danger and… I have to… I need to protect you. But I can’t do so if you don’t trust me… I’m truly sorry for taking out my frustration on you before, I promise it’ll never happen again.” His look was filled with more determination, and he straightened his back before speaking up with his firm voice again. “Trust me, Olivia.”
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@👯 Bunny Dancing through Life 👯
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Olivia Parker BOT 3/24/2024 1:32 PM
Watching the way Martha disappeared around the corner, it felt like the whole world slowed to a crawl. Olivia’s gaze froze on the corner of the wall, trying to listen, though her heartbeat thumped hard in her ears, swallowing up the world around her. Her hands moved awkwardly, coming to rest on her lap, clasping together as her nails picked at her skin. There was an awareness of the silence from the two out of sight, and it made Olivia wonder just what was happening - was he sending Martha away? Were they somehow exchanging news without speaking? The curiosity had Olivia in its grip and before she had even registered her actions, she found herself slowly slipping from the barstool and stepping silently towards the edge. Her heart was racing, thumping loudly in her ears and making her dizzy with each step she took. It was blurring the sound of voices as they finally started speaking but Daniels tone was enough to break through and brought Olivia’s creep to a sudden halt. Biting her lip, Olivia found herself immediately recoiling from the edge, taking a step backwards before spinning on her heel. What are you doing?! rushed through Olivia’s mind, scolding herself with the rush of panic of what could happen if she was caught to be eavesdropping on the conversation happening around the corner. Her body had come to a freeze, hands clasping close to her as she closed her eyes and tried to calm and panicked breath coming through. Martha’s raised voice offering Daniel pancakes was enough to bring Olivia’s focus back to the present moment and, realising the footsteps were now coming closer, alerted her to dash back towards her seat. She had just about managed to hoist herself up into the seat and be back facing towards the rest of the kitchen as Martha rounded the corner again, greeting her with a reassuring smile before Daniel came through behind her. For a second their eyes met, and a small spark of fear fleeted over Olivia’s features before she looked away, missing t
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he moment Daniel had also diverted his gaze. Olivia raised a hand to her face, nervously biting on the nail of her index finger as she instead stared towards the windows and out at the city skyline beyond. Her focus was mainly on holding back the tears that had come so easily when she was alone with Martha - she didn’t want to give Daniel any satisfaction in seeing her cry. The clank of the plate being placed onto the counter in front of her was enough to pull her attention back into the kitchen from the fluffy clouds she had been watching gently floating their way across the sky outside. She had found herself questioning how she had ended up in this position - she wasn’t one to go getting herself into dangerous situations on the regular, always so careful and calculated in every move… what had Beatrix got her into this time? Reaching for the cutlery, Olivia gave another small smile to Martha once she had turned back to them both, coffee in hand, whispering a quiet “Thank you” to her before turning her eyes down to the pancakes. They certainly looked inviting, but the nerves of having Daniel sat alongside on the counter was enough to knot her stomach and make her feel sick - she wasn’t entirely sure she would be able to keep down anything she ate. Not wanting to be rude though, Olivia reached over for the maple syrup, very carefully drizzling it onto the pancake in a decorative swirl. She took the fork, carefully cutting a small section out and bringing it to her lips before placing down the cutlery next to the plate. The pancake in her mouth was like glue, coating her teeth as she chewed. It wasn’t anything wrong with the pancake itself, it was more her dry, nervous mouth making it difficult to eat. She did her best not to allow the discomfort to show on her features as she ate, reaching across for the black coffee to bring it to her lips and help wash the food down.
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She was hyper-aware of the silence in the room, and every noise made by her eating had her nerves on edge. In the corner of her eye she could see Daniel sat rigid at the other end of the counter, staring ahead at Martha as she busied herself cleaning up. She wished he would say something, or Martha would say something, so that it would break the tension a little. Why had he come to the apartment? Why was she still there? Slowly, Olivia took a second bite on the pancakes, a slight tear escaping onto her cheek and causing her to twist herself so her back was more towards him. She tilted her head down so her hair would fall forwards a little over her face, hiding her more. It was at this point Daniels voice finally broke that silence, but the words weren’t ones Olivia had been hoping to hear. Her head shot up as she looked over at Martha when Daniel dismissed her, her eyes wide, attempting to telepathically plead with the older woman not to leave them alone together. It seemed it was understood as Martha glanced in her direction before trying to make reason to stay. The hand grasping her fork started to tremble a little, her knuckles whitening as her grip tightened and the metal of the handle biting into her skin. The reasoning was not fruitful however, as Daniel insisted Martha was to depart them immediately. Of course, he didn’t say as much in words, but the tone was commanding enough. Olivia felt bad for Martha as she caught her gaze one last time, hearing her comment before she shuffled to head off. Olivia’s response was a small nod before her own gaze turned back down to the pancakes, and she now put the fork down again and slightly pushed the plate away from in front of her. Her appetite had departed when Daniel arrived, but the nausea now took over as Martha left the kitchen, and finally, the apartment. The click of the door closing brought that eerie, uncomfortable silence back to the apartment between them, broken only by the soft tap of the coffee cup aga
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inst the marble counter top as Daniel had put his cup down. Reaching quickly for her own, Olivia tried to mask her trembling as she brought the dark liquid to her lips, taking a shaky sip. Though she refused to look in his direction, she could already tell he had turned to her. As Daniel spoke his apologies, Olivia did her best to take a slow but deep breath, swallowing the overwhelming panic while the cup still rested against her lip. Once she lowered it back to the counter she would finally turn her head towards him, her bloodshot gaze landing on his face as she listened. His apology and explanation brought forth little other response from her though as she just watched him. The mention of the caller, an incident, had internally sent her mind racing though as she wondered what that could possibly be about - as far as she was aware, there was never an occasion in her life she had ever been anything but herself… but more importantly, it sounded like the caller was someone who could possibly be known to her. Gulping, Olivia let out a soft sigh as Daniel turned from her again, a slight moment of reprieve as her shoulders slumped to her sides. Her eyes watched him pick up the mug of coffee and the way he attempted to drink from it. She couldn’t help but feel that the tension rose again as she watched him… there was a shift in his demeanour before he turned back to her again. Her hand, resting atop the kitchen island, shifted ever so slightly towards the plate, her lower arm tensed again as she watched in case he came at her again as he had done so down in the club - there was no one else present this time to convince him to step back after all. Olivia listened to him in silence though. She of course wanted to interject, defend her innocence again, point out the idiocy that would have to be involved for her to have come seeking him, alerting him to Beatrix being missing before he found out himself if she had been involved.
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Why put herself in that sort of danger? After all… he had shown with the waiter the kind of attitude he took to people who got on the wrong side of him, and Olivia was hardly of a build able to defend herself if he really did come to such a conclusion towards her. However, she felt arguing the point wasn’t going to do her much good now, so instead, she sat silently watching him. It wasn’t until his comment that she wasn’t going to get out of this, and was in danger, that her expression really would change. Narrowing her brows, Olivia bit on her tongue, sucking in her cheeks. Ever so slightly she slipped from the barstool, placing one foot firm on the ground before she stood up. It wasn’t like she had anywhere to go - but being firm footed on the floor and able to move freely if necessary felt a little more comforting. Daniel hadn’t moved from his stool at least - and that gave her an advantage if she was to run. Peering him over a moment she parted her lips to reply to him, but words failed her. The silence sat between them a moment before Olivia gulped with a heavy sigh. Sliding her hand into her pocket she would pull out her phone, flicking her wrist so it would slide across the countertop to the other two phones in front of Daniel, coming to a halt with a tap against the empty coffee cup. “I don’t know what you want me to say Mr Black. I have nothing to hide, and you know as much as I do about what is going on here. Maybe you know more, obviously whatever has happened to Beatrix was something to do with her relationship with you. I don’t know who this person is… or why they know my name… or how they knew I would find you.” Her voice had remained somewhat calm as she spoke, forcing a false sense of confidence from herself. Turning on her heel she would move to walk towards the window again, tucking her arms up crossed under her breast as she comes to a halt, looking at the fading light in the distance - was it really that late in the day already? She had arriv
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ed around lunch time but so much had happened since then she hadn’t really noticed the hours slipping by so quickly. That meant Beatrix had been missing much longer than Olivia would want to think about at that point. Taking a single step to the side, Olivia turned a little towards Daniel again, the orange hues of the sunlight dancing off her features as she looked to him, peering at him through partially squinted eyes from the light bouncing from her glasses. She heard his pleas and took a deep breath once more, her chest rising and falling before she spoke once again. “Why would I trust a man who doesn’t trust me? I didn’t come to you for protection… I came because I need to find my friend. I’m not going to just sit here and do nothing.” She’d purse her lips a moment, chewing the inside of her cheek before continuing. “Whether I like it or not you’re the best lead I have. This is the best lead I have. I need your help with this… and I think you need mine.” Finally, Olivia’s arms would drop to her side. Her gaze dropped to the phones on the table once more before she’d move back towards him, wanting her own phone back but not reaching for it until he did whatever he had wished to do. There was little he would find on there - the missed calls and texts to Bea perhaps, a conversation history with Beatrix where Olivia was advising her to put more effort into her studies rather than partying, also indicating long periods where the girls hadn’t spoken much at all to each other. There would be several text threads with her family, of little more than regular family chatter - invites to dinner, checking on school and work, reminders for birthdays and the like. Her camera roll would have more, photos and videos of her hanging out with Beatrix at various events and even just one - on - one, having fun laughing and shopping together.
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“Unless you have any more accusations to throw at me, I’m going to go home. I’ll change and be back for the club opening… maybe one of your regulars saw Beatrix leaving in the early hours and know what direction she went in…”
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Daniel Winter Black BOT 3/26/2024 4:11 AM
It took Daniel a great deal of willpower to form his apology in a polite manner, but the more he talked, the more Olivia seemed to close off. He could’ve talked to a wall with the same success. He wasn’t used to people hearing him but not listening to what he had to say. Over the years, he had built this amount of respect around him, and he couldn’t remember the last time he had to make an effort to be heard. In his head, his words sounded rational, and he was convinced that a woman like Olivia could grasp their meaning. But it seemed that she was captured in her world of feelings and didn’t care to take a moment to even try to accept his apology. Daniel’s confidence was faltering the moment Olivia took off the barstool, but he managed to keep his voice firm, although it felt like something was chipped off his cold stone soul. It didn’t help his heartburn either, and he found himself rubbing his chest again as he finished his apology. What came next pushed Daniel off his planned course and made him raise his eyebrows. He could only think how one person could be this irrational and confusing to him as Olivia slid her phone towards him. It was clear to him that she truly didn’t understand what he was trying to say, and his eyes darted between the phone by his coffee cup and her walking towards the window. A heavy sigh escaped him, and he closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again and looking over to Olivia standing by the windows. The sunset wasn’t as tranquil anymore and reminded him more of a fire surrounding Olivia's features. Daniel politely listened to her, his head slowly leaning to the side as he tried to grasp her tumultuous feelings. Was she somehow mad at him for not sprinting off to look for Beatrix? Was she disappointed? He decided to go with the former, as he couldn’t imagine his politeness and ensuring she was taken care of for the brief period of time he was gone could cause her to feel disappointed. It was clear both of them had the same
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goal of finding Beatrix, but it seemed they had a different approach. Olivia continued talking about how she needed to find her friend, and suddenly Daniel felt attacked, instantly straightening his back as he wanted to counter her statement. But before he could even say anything, she continued rambling on, which caused a frown to appear on his face. It seemed Daniel had a side orchestrated by feelings after all, and it was much stronger than his rational side for the moment. “Did you even listen to what I just said?” Daniel was already on the edge of the barstool, his biker boots firmly on the floor. He felt as if he was being accused of something, and he could never handle what sounded like empty critique without reason. “Or are you so self-centered that only your opinion counts?” Daniel got up from the barstool and straightened his back to appear bigger than he was. He couldn’t handle sitting on the barstool anymore under the condescending glance of Olivia. He crossed his arms over his chest to both feel more shielded and to find a better position where he wouldn’t feel the heartburn as much. His promise to not take out his frustration on her was a short one after all. “You keep picturing me as some kind of monster,” he took a big breath as he noticed he was raising his voice again, but there was nothing stopping him from continuing to talk. “Do you think you are the victim in this story? Do you think I’m going to grab your phone and look through all the files like a control freak?” The rational part of him was already turning his body toward the front door of the apartment with the intent to leave and let someone else deal with Olivia. But the burning feelings inside of him pushed him back, and he took another step towards Olivia, already pointing with his index finger towards her.
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“You have no idea what you got involved in today, and neither do I know what kind of people we are dealing with here. You didn’t sit here and do nothing, you ensured that you did not turn into a problem yourself. Recklessly rattling a bee's nest would help neither you nor Beatrix.” He needed her to hear him, to understand the level of danger, and without thinking, he closed off the distance between them, placing his hands on her shoulders and leaning down to her eye level, chaining her with his cold blue gaze. His look didn’t show any malicious intent, only a burning determination to be heard. Deep inside, he was already regretting his move the moment he was greeted with wide deer eyes, but he wasn’t someone who would back down from what he had started. “Don’t turn into a problem, Olivia,” being this close to her caused a short circuit in Daniel’s brain. Before leaning towards her, he had a whole set of sentences he wanted to say, but inside this confined space between them, only one thing was echoing inside of Daniel’s head. He wanted to hold himself back from saying it, it was something no one ever got to hear, and it was locked deep inside of him for over a decade. “I’m not going to get the blood of another woman on my hands,” his voice slightly cracked, a shimmer of sorrow rolling over his face before being replaced by his determination again. He never specified whose blood he mentioned, but he himself knew that perfectly clear and didn’t need a specification. “The ones who ask too many questions in the wrong places end up in a grave.” “This is not a Cluedo board game where you can ask questions on your turn, and you are not a SWAT unit to go knocking on doors. You may be the first one who figured out that Beatrix is missing, but that doesn’t automatically mean you are supposed to be the one who is going to find her,” his voice was calmer now and had a reassuring tone in it. His hands softly pressed on her shoulders, hopefully calming her and getting rid of t
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he deer-in-the-headlights look on her face. “You are right that I need your help, as I think you know Beatrix better than anyone. But you are not going to even take a step without consulting with me first. Whether you like it or not, it is my responsibility to protect you until we find Beatrix and the people behind it.” He took a moment to firmly look into her eyes without saying a thing, her glance etching into the depths of his memory. He had the feeling those eyes would haunt him till the end of his days. Even after they would find Beatrix, and he still had the determination and confidence that they would find her in a matter of 48 hours, he was sure he would think of those widened eyes full of fear and confusion. But he could think about it later, and the rational part of him returned with a swing. As fast as it came, he distanced himself from Olivia, instantly feeling the cold air. It confused him for a moment, and he made a point in his head to check the thermostat, as it didn’t make sense that the apartment could be this cold when it was warm outside.
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He walked over to the counter with big strides, grabbing both of the phones and leaving Olivia’s on the counter. Daniel was ready to storm off in whatever direction he was heading but was halted by the dirty dishes on the counters. He instantly imagined returning to this mess, and it irritated him, but he also didn’t want to call Martha again and bother her more than he already did today. He walked over to the empty dishwasher, pulling it open before turning back to Olivia. “I will drive you home so you can get whatever you need. You are going to stay in my apartment until we find Beatrix. The master bedroom is yours free of charge,” he grunted something else as he looked back at the dishes and proceeded to shove any dirty tableware he saw into the dishwasher. Half of the dishes would probably never get clean as he didn’t care to correctly sort the dirty dishes. It was a loud battle, but soon enough, the kitchen was clean, and the dishwasher was running. He washed his hands with a heavy sigh, patted them dry against some kitchen rag, and turned around to see where Olivia was. “We can go now.”
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Olivia Parker BOT 4/7/2024 11:20 AM
The rage Olivia felt towards Daniel had not died away despite her little outburst, the stress immeasurable. It was hard to pinpoint exactly the source - was it that she felt he still had responsibility for allowing Bea to go missing? Part of her still suspected he had more involvement even then - either due to the fact whoever had taken her did it to get at him or an active involvement. It could even be that she was angry that she had been locked up in this apartment for so long rather than being able to do anything productive. What had Daniel been doing all that time? Trying to find her or covering his tracks? The overwhelming stress was making her feel dizzy and light headed again, combined with the nausea and lack of food she had managed to eat no doubt. She was already regretting stating she needed his help - she didn’t want his help. She wanted to go back to doing it alone, there were bound to be other people that knew something, saw something. It wasn’t like a person could just disappear into thin air. Her thought process had distracted her enough she didn’t initially recognise that Daniel had shifted his weight to the very edge of his seat, that was until he finally stood up. The shift in his height made Olivia’s gaze shoot back towards him like daggers, and instinctively she too stood up straighter. Not that it would help much - but it at least gave her some faint sense of confidence as she stood up to him. The audacity of his accusation of her being self-centred was enough to send her reeling, after all, putting herself in danger and going out of her way to look for Beatrix seemed anything but. Olivia’s lips parted, about to shout back and defend herself when he continued… The moment he turned his back to walk out of the apartment, Olivia moved to go after him, about to call out that he couldn’t just walk out again when he instead did another 180 on his heel. The look on his face now made Olivia’s steps falter, and almost an immediate wave of regret
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washed over her for willingly closing the distance as he came back towards her pointing. Almost immediately, Olivia took a step backwards, arching her back to increase the distance. She managed to utter a somewhat quiet “Stop it!” to him as she felt suddenly cornered again, the fear she had in the dining area earlier that day rising once more. His words did ring somewhat true, but Olivia couldn’t keep herself from latching on to the statement that she was going to become a problem. It was threatening in and of itself in considering what he might do if she was, but it was punctuated particularly as he reached his hands out and grabbed her. The grip on her shoulders was tensed and firm enough to almost hurt as she tried to pull back to no avail. Her head turned away a little as he lowered his face back to her level, his eyes locked onto hers. She was trying not to make eye contact with him, to look away, but something had her locked onto him. Beneath his hands, she would tremble slightly, her heartbeat thumping hard and fast beneath her chest. Her skin burned hot as her hands curled into fists at her sides, feeling more than anything she wanted to claw her way out of that situation as fast as she could. The next statement though made her freeze more than wish to flee, staring at him in almost shock. Another woman he had said… was he referencing Beatrix? An admission of sorts? Or was there yet another she didn’t know about. And it was yet more to make Olivia realise just what a mess she had got herself into, and what a vulnerable position she was in currently. Instead of trying to run though, her shoulders dropped a little and she stood rooted, hoping that he might back off a little without her struggling against him. She remained silent, watching him. As he squeezed her shoulders a little reassuringly, it was enough for her to break the eye contact, looking downwards to his chest like a child being scolded by a parent.
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Not that it was going to convince her off the current path she had locked on… As soon as Daniel would step back to put the space between them, Olivia would take a sharp intake of breath - as if she had been holding hers the whole time. Lifting her eyes again she immediately took a step backwards from him a little further, increasing that space between them before she would spin on her heel to turn her back to him. Her heart was still racing in her chest and she would squeeze her eyes closed, trying to calm herself more, her hands coming up to rub her palms across her cheeks, removing any remaining traces of the tears that had spilled several times through that day. It took all her willpower not to let out an audible whimper in that moment. Behind her, she heard Daniels footsteps quicked back to the counter and then towards the door. She was frozen, waiting to hear the door click behind him before she would turn again, but that never happened. Furrowing her brow, she turned to look over her shoulder and caught him as he changed direction, heading to put the dishes into the dishwasher in a hurried way. The sight of her phone caught her attention, still in the same position it had landed when she had pushed it away. Slowly, her steps took her back to the counter edge and she picked up the phone, glancing over the smashed screen from its drop earlier and sighing before she put it in her pocket. She wondered briefly if she was free to go, and took her first step to do so when Daniels voice caught her again. “My car is just outside…” She started to explain as he offered to drive, but she quickly realised the statement hadn’t been an offer as much as it was telling her what was going to happen. His comment about her staying in the apartment sent a shiver up her spine, looking around the place. This was the last place Beatrix was seen for sure to be alive… she wasn’t so sure she wanted to stay here. “I.. I don’t think I can stay here.” She admitted momentarily, before
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making sure she had everything she needed out of the apartment while he finished the last of the dishes. By the time he turned around, she would be standing next to the edge of the wall, ready to head towards the door. “Maybe on the drive you can tell me just what your plan is to find her then… as you clearly don’t like mine.” There was a slight snark behind her tone as she watched him, turning to head out the door and towards the elevator that would return them to the ground floor. Carlson was still just outside, and moved to stop her when he saw her emerging until he spotted Daniel behind, stepping aside to allow them to pass. Olivia didn’t even bother to make eye contact with him, staring ahead to push past him as much as she could. Her mind was racing with what her next steps were going to be - and what her last steps were to bring her here. Had she done the right thing? Should she have just phoned her dad that morning when she realised Beatrix was missing? And what would Daniel do when he realised she still intended to go about finding Beatrix her own way, despite his warnings about her becoming a problem?
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Daniel Winter Black BOT 4/9/2024 6:27 AM
The tone behind Olivia’s words didn’t escape Daniel, and he stood rooted to the spot, squinting his eyes as he watched Olivia head outside of the apartment. She clearly had a problem with him, but he couldn’t quite grasp what it was. He had been polite towards her, even apologized and explained his point of view loud and clear. But he could’ve talked to a wall with the same amount of success. Despite that, he was thankful Olivia didn’t throw another fit about him taking her home before returning back here. Her comment about not being sure if she could stay here wasn’t ignored. For a brief second, Daniel considered taking her up to his apartment, a thought that surprised him as he never wanted anyone near his sacred place. But as soon as this thought appeared, it was also erased with his concerns—he wasn’t sure how much he could actually trust Olivia, and for all he knew, Beatrix may be found any time soon, and it wasn’t a good idea to reveal his true apartment to anyone else. Before losing Olivia out of his sight, he finally moved forward, following her outside of the apartment. The way she walked outside with heavy strides made Daniel shake his head and let out a heavy breath—she certainly wasn’t going to make this easy for him. Outside, he wasn’t expecting to see Carlson, as he wasn’t there before, but it was clear to him he must’ve come earlier and didn’t want to interrupt them. There was a certain concern in Carlson’s eyes, and Daniel figured their argument was heard outside. “Is there any news? I’m going to take Ms. Parker home, so she has a chance to gather some things. She is going to stay here until we find Beatrix. Something tells me Ms. Parker is also in danger,” Daniel was talking to Carlson, while his eyes were directed at Olivia already halfway down the hall towards the elevator. Is this how she planned to find Beatrix? Ignore every lead on the way that didn’t fit her? Carlson was also observing Olivia walking off before finally clearing his throat a
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nd looking over to Daniel. “A camera a few buildings away caught a glimpse of her at around 5 am,” Carlson carefully chose his words, but Daniel already snapped his head towards him, wanting to hear more. “Where?” Even if Daniel didn’t carry the warmest feelings towards Beatrix, something jumped in his chest, and he got a rush of adrenaline, pulling him out of his previous hazy state, pushing his body into action. His eyes flicked between Carlson and Olivia, who stubbornly was still heading towards the elevator. “By the building with this new start-up. The lady at the reception was easily convinced to show us the footage. You can see where Ms. Henderson is headed, but for now, it is the only lead we have. She somehow managed to avoid every other camera except this one,” Carlson straightened his back again before continuing, “I’m sorry we don’t have anything else yet, Mr. Black. We will hopefully have more information by the time you come back.” Daniel nodded, a silent way of thanking Carlson. He knew he had no other better option than trusting his group of bodyguards to find any leads. He wasn’t someone who had any idea how to find a person in a big city they were in. If he had to do this alone, he wouldn’t even know where to start. There was one single person in the city he could go to, but he would be damned if he ever had to face this person again.
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So, he focused himself on what he could do now, and that was taking Olivia to her home and making sure she stays safe and doesn’t get herself involved in something she couldn’t even imagine. Daniel wished his words would carry more influence on her, make her understand that she just had to trust him and stay put. But that woman was a firecracker, and somehow Daniel didn’t have it in him to force her to follow his orders. He followed her to the elevator, catching up with long strides. “Thank you for waiting,” Daniel couldn’t help but drop this sarcastic remark. He already leaned forward, clicking on the elevator button, and luckily enough, the elevator doors immediately opened. “Come on, get inside. Clearly, you are in a hurry.” Daniel stepped inside of the elevator to the panel. The panel had two sections—the bigger one was with countless buttons for every floor and a single keyhole beneath which granted access for the residents of the building, beneath it was a smaller framed one with just two buttons, both secured with an individual keyhole. While the buttons above were numbered according to the floors, the two buttons below had the letters “G” and “DWB” on them. Daniel pulled on the chain attached to his jeans, revealing a key chain and putting one of the keys in the keyhole by the “G” button before pressing it. “I’m not letting you drive in the state you are in,” Daniel said after a while, the elevator was slowly descending to the deepest level. “Unlike you, I don’t have a death wish.” The elevator doors opened with a bing revealing a spacious underground garage. Daniel walked forward between the two rows of cars. On the left side was a row of identical black SUVs, some of the parking spots were free—these cars belonged to Daniel’s bodyguards. On the right side was Daniel’s personal collection. His steps echoed through the garage as he walked past a Jeep Wrangler, an Audi R8, a BMW M4, and several other expensive cars. Every single one of these cars would fi
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t the purpose, but he kept walking to the back of the garage until he finally stopped by the car that didn’t seem to fit in his collection. It was an old black Mustang Shelby from the year 1967, and it was the only car of the collection Daniel truly cherished. Daniel never drove anyone in this car except Martha, he usually used his other cars to show off his status. But today was already chaos, and he longed for the comfort of the brown leather seats and the calming rumble of the engine. Without any second thought, he got inside of the car, his eyes instantly darting to the small wooden cross hanging on a leather string from the rear-view mirror. It was his mother's cross and had the black letters “JWB'' engraved onto it. Daniel had the urge to remove the cross before Olivia would see it, but she was already getting inside of the car, and he had hoped this cross wouldn’t catch her attention or that the letters wouldn’t be visible from her angle.
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He pulled his phone out, opening the map app and giving it to Olivia for her to give him her address. Without saying anything else, he started the car, which came alive with a loud roar echoing through the garage. Daniel felt the vibration going through the car, and the choppy engine roar worked its magic of giving him some sense of peace. Over the radio came the first bits of the album Pearl of Janis Joplin. Daniel never took the CD out, letting it play on repeat. But it wasn’t a time to enjoy the songs, and he clicked the radio off, changing the gears of the car and putting his hand behind Olivia’s seat to drive backward out of the parking spot, before changing the gears again and finally heading outside the garage. Daniel drove outside in the general direction he thought Olivia could live. It was already dusk outside, and there was a lot of traffic going on. This would be a long drive, and they already had to stop by a red light. The silence in the car was almost painful, and Daniel knew he had to start talking. With a heavy sigh, he turned towards Olivia. “Well, you asked me what my plan was before. My plan is to trust my people to find any leads before thinking of a way to proceed. If you didn’t run off, you would’ve heard that they found footage of Beatrix by one of the buildings down the road,” his voice was much calmer than before, and he focused on the road for a while before continuing to talk. “We at least know now what general direction she was headed to, and hopefully by the time we are back, we are going to know more.” “I’m not doing nothing. Right now I’m making sure you don’t go knocking on the wrong doors,” he reached over to take his phone back and look at the address she tipped in. Because of the traffic, it would take them more than half an hour to get there, which provoked a deep sigh from Daniel. “You are not making it easy to fully focus on looking for Beatrix.” Daniel was thinking back on the day, and there was one question he kept asking
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himself. Before taking a second to politely formulate his question, he decided to ask Olivia directly without sugarcoating it. “How come someone like you ended up being one of the closest friends of Beatrix Henderson?”
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