The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife

12 Blinding light.

The next day Larissa woke up early. She could barely sleep, because she couldn’t stop thinking about what Bruce said to her mom. For a minute there it had sounded like he meant what he said. But she knew better. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad actor after all.

Nope. Larissa shook her head. Focus on the job. She told herself. She got out of bed, and walked to the bathroom. She took a quick shower and then she looked through the clothes that he bought her. They were all trendy and fancy. And she couldn’t wear then for her job. They were not practical. But she found something she could wear until she could go back to her apartment for her clothes, and other things, since she was going to move in with him for the job. She chose a pair of jeans, with a yellow top that made her skin glow. She stared at herself in the mirror. A flash of something past behind her eyes. She blinked her eyes as the light was suddenly blinding. She touched her temples at the headache that pounded through her.

“What the hell?” Larissa said grimacing. She turned away from the mirror and walked to the bed. She cradled her head in her hands waiting for the headache to pass. She took in even breaths. after a few minutes the headache subsided. She looked around her wondering what that was. The blinding light just appeared out of nowhere.

She looked around the room but it was all clear. She rubbed her temples. Her head felt like it had been hit by something hard. Larissa shook her head, because she would remember if that happened. Maybe she was just stressed out. Being in Bruce Tak’s house wasn’t easy. She sighed as she got to her feet, and tied up her hair. Maybe she should get it braided. She normally braided it when she was on a case, she thought and then froze as a sudden memory hit her like a sledge hammer.

“4305 Main street, remember that Larissa…remember that,” she said to herself over and over again. Larissa blinked as the memory suddenly faded as quickly as it came. She blinked her eyes rapidly trying to remember more, but she was met with blankness. She winced as her headache returned. f**k. She clutched her head wincing. She should go ask the housekeeper for some painkillers. She walked out the door, and made her way to the kitchen. The housekeeper was in there getting breakfast ready.

“The food will be ready in a few minutes,” she said.

“Do you have anything for pain? I have this massive headache,” she said.

“Yeah. I have some inside the bathroom cabinet in the guest bathroom,” she said making to go and get them for her.

“No. I’ll get them,” Larissa said walking to the door. She walked to the guest bathroom and got in. She walked to the cabinet and looked inside. He opened the bottle and shook two pills out. She popped them into her mouth and took a swallow of water from the tap. She stood there for a few minutes, waiting for the medicine to take effect. Her mind drifted to the memory that flashed through her mind a few minutes ago. The agency in her voice… caused chills to ran down her spine. Why would she tell herself to remember some address?

4305 Main street.

She searched her mind but the address didn’t ring a bell. But it was clearly important if she told herself to remember it.  

Huh… she should write it down so that she didn’t forget, she said to herself. She walked to the door, and then suddenly stopped as she reached for the door handle. The door had been locked last night when she came looking for Teresa. Now, it was unlocked.  

Larissa stared at it. Was the door locked before Teresa came to the bathroom? If she couldn’t get inside why didn’t she come back to find her in the kitchen? Larissa asked herself.

It was a little strange. She shook her head feeling a little paranoid. Since she walked into Bruce’s house she felt jumpy and alert. Maybe it had something to do with the stalker that was lurking around. Sometimes it felt like he was closer than she thought. And the bodyguards knew something she didn’t.

Was it strange that she suspected Bruce’s bodyguards?  

There was a sudden knock on the door. She jumped startled. Bruce pushed the door open and stared at her. She looked away from him unable to hold his stare.

“Are you alright?” he asked. “Mrs Nan said that you have a headache.”

“It’s nothing,” Larissa said pushing through the door to walk past him. Bruce didn’t move to let her pass. He blocked her way. Larissa stopped walking and stared at him. He came close to her, and placed his hands on both the sides of her face. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

Larissa pulled back as heat pooled in her stomach. “What are you doing?” she asked.

Bruce seemed to realise what he’d just did. He stepped back from her, staring at his hands. “s**t… sorry. I was…concerned about you. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Larissa stared at him not sure what to say. He was making her uncomfortable. She walked out of the bathroom and returned to the kitchen.

Breakfast was already laid out on the kitchen island. She made herself a plate of bacon and egg, and sat down. Bruce walked in a few minutes later. He came to a stop at the island.

“I am really sorry. I promise it happen again,” he said. Larissa nodded not looking at him. “Can we discuss our schedule in my office after you are done eating?” he asked.

Larissa nodded again. She felt his eyes on her, before he eventually walked out.

She breathed out a sigh of relief and stared down at her plate. She needed to stop reacting to him the way she just did.

Bruce Tak was her case, nothing more. If only she could tell that to her body. She shook her head and focused on her food. She finished eating and made her way to Bruce’s office. She came to a stop outside his office as she heard him talking to someone on the phone. He door was slightly open.

“Tell Alexei I won’t do it unless he meets with my terms. I have been waiting for months now and he hasn’t given me any answer,” Bruce was saying.

Alexei? Larissa leaned closer looking into the office. From her vintage point Larissa could see that Bruce had as hidden safe door open and he was looking into it. The safe was behind his desk. She didn’t remember seeing anything that would hide a safe. The wall was bare. Or was it…

Bruce listened for a few more minutes and then he hung up the phone. He looked like he was walking towards the door.

Shit…

Larissa tiptoed from there, to the kitchen.

So it was true that Bruce was somehow involved with Alexei, she thought wondering who Bruce was talking to.  

God, she needed to find out more.