The Dark Secret of the CEO by Sofia de Orellana

Chapter 12

I can’t help but cover my mouth to not shout out. I can’t believe it. It’s really him. My heart just goes insane, beating like a drum and threatening to jump out of my chest. I have to be wrong, why the hell would Rick be in New York?

“Hera?”

I don’t react. I’m just completely stunned, in shock. A wave of memories suddenly takes over my mind, driving me insane with melancholy and bitter, stinging feelings I had buried deep before they drowned me. Rick’s gotten older by a few years, but there’s no way I’d forget the face of the only man I ever loved. On the screen, he looks like any other cop standing perfectly calm in his NYPD uniform. Since when the fuck did he even become a New York City Cop?

“I was about to leave,” Abe answers the question I already forgot.

Rick nods, and lets him walk away, while Charles still seems suspicious. My God, those two on the same screen is like a nightmare come true. What the hell is Rick doing at my funeral? Abe walks away, but then, he suddenly darts to the side, to stay behind and witness the scene. The camera goes dark, and we can’t see the two men’s actions nor faces, but we can hear them just fine.

“…Long time not see.”

“Agent Rivera,” Charles comments. “That’s funny, I don’t remember you being part of the NYPD?”

“I moved departments recently.”

“New York is quite far from your hometown.”

“I had personal interests here.”

The shots are being fired and my heart’s being cribbled with bullets. Someone amongst the female vampires chuckles, visibly excited by the tension, but I’m not quite the same. It’s horrible for me to listen to this, and I’m just glad I can’t see it. I want to scream, but instead, I just muffle it behind my palm.

“…My condolences,” Charles mutters. “I know you had some feelings for her too.”

“I did.”

The answer’s angry tone clearly means he held more than “some feelings” for me, but Charles pretends not to hear it. He clears his throat.

“I understand you’d want a minute,” he calmly says. “After all, you didn’t get to… see her again.”

He tries to walk away, the brunette’s heels right behind him, but before we hear more than three steps, Rick’s voice echoes in the church.

“It’s strange, isn’t it?”

Charles stops.

“…Excuse me?”

“How she was alone, the night of her death?”

“I’m very sorry, Agent Rivera. I was attending a Charity Party on the other side of Manhattan. I should have had someone stay with her, but June barely accepted anyone but me by her side in the… last weeks.”

That’s not true. I just didn’t have anyone else to turn to.

“So you left her on her own, in a hotel room?”

“She chose to stay there herself, she felt safe in the hotel. You can ask her manager, she’d picked it hers-”

“There were lots of blades in that room.”

“…Excuse me?”

“There were razors, kitchen knives and many other dangerous things.”

June didn’t get out, she needed the

and you had no issue leaving her alone with all sorts

being completely dark. Wherever Abe hid, there isn’t a hint of

not really sure what you’re trying to do here, but I’d suggest you deal with your grief in a better way than accusing me of neglect. I was her fiancé, you were her ex-boyfriend. For you to come into the picture now to accuse me of not caring enough for her

I’m not the slightest bit happy about this. We hear steps of people walking out, Charles and that dark-haired woman. From what we hear, Rick stays behind, and the video

was interesting,” says Rebecca,

Cutie for the stuck-up dude?” Cecily frowns. “Is there

of them, and stand up, turning around

have to put me through this? What was the point?! Show me how little people actually cared about my death? Or to show

called you that, Darling,” says Cata,

people cared about me, it’s too fucking late now! I can’t just go back, June Starr is dead! She chose to

“Hera, stop it.”

madder that I can’t just keep screaming my agonizing feelings out. His ice-blue eyes are just so calm, like a prison forcing me to stay under his control instead

didn’t choose

just about as confused as I am. My emotions at their wits’ ends, I nervously laugh, hysteria knocking right behind

just say?” I hear myself

death was not a

Perhaps Richard’s mad, or he didn’t

suicide,” I mutter. “I did. I’m… grateful, if you’re trying to console me, but I remember very precisely what I did. I remember every bit of it, it wasn’t

you remember

room of vampires waiting for me to answer him as if his

disappear. It was like that every day, for weeks. Nothing could make me smile,

without me seeing anything that could end my torture. The depression kept me stuck in bed, or on the floor, with just no

depression if I know anything about it,” mutters Benedict, crossing his arms.

do, Bene,” sighs

you woke up here, in

question throws me right back into the

I suppose. It was all

doesn’t make any

if I’m some confusing problem. She tilts her head, and turns

“There’s no way, right?”

are you talking about?” I

within two days, certainly not because you’re transformed. Most of us took days, if

I turn to Richard, but he’s also staring at me, although

“Because

Clinical Depression isn’t just a state of mind, it’s an actual, diagnosticable illness, Hera.

and that’s how they…

have a

just meds. …I’m sorry but I still don’t get it.

to get someone who could have helped you, a therapist or a psychiatrist,

no, I didn’t. I literally saw no one but him and perhaps a couple of staff for weeks, so now, can you tell me what the hell that has to do with my

“Everything.”

stares at it, quickly reading the lines with her eyebrows slowly tilting from upwards to downwards. I barely saw anything, but it looked like a

what is this?” Bart asks, glancing over her shoulder and for

our Baby didn’t commit

and more confusing by the minute. While most of us are still

an interesting mix of Beta-blockers, Corticosteroids, isotretinoin,

I mutter, recognizing only that word. “Like drugs? What is that

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