Chapter 7. Rumors and closed case.

"Lynn! Lynn!! Lynn!"

Clay shouted at the top of his voice as he entered the sitting room of his mansion.

It was mid-day, and it was unlike him to have returned home by that time, therefore implying that the issue at hand was very urgent and needed to be settled at once.

Lynn was upstairs in her room, hearing his call, she felt reluctant to answer, after all Clay knew exactly where to find her, and didn't have to scream her name that way.

In the next couple of minutes, he was at the door post of her room, forcefully opening the door, he walked up to the sofa where she was sitting and gave her a dirty slap on the cheek.

That was the first time he was laying hands on her and her cheek turned red as a result of the slap while she held her face, with tears filling her eyes.

"Didn't you hear me calling?" Clay asked with rage.

But Lynn still in pain didn't answer his questions, she barely spoke to him ever since she was made to move in with him. They were yet to say their marriage vows so she stayed in separate room, isolating herself from him, while she continued to wonder why her family would treat her that way.

"Is it not enough that you've chosen to starve me of your body?"

Clay spoke as though that was the reason for his anger but for the last couple of days which Lynn has been staying in his mansion, he has been looking for a reason to bounce on her and that day he got the perfect reason he was looking for.

Now Lynn had an answer for him. "My body belongs to another. I am a married woman, how many times do I have to say it before it sinks into your brain?"

"You already signed the divorce papers and our wedding is coming up in a few days."

"I will never marry you, nor am I a divorcee." Lynn spoke boldly to his face as she didn't understand what he meant by her signing a divorce paper.

Her boldness was something else that afternoon, as she was on fire and he could clearly see that there was no lie in her words. So he wondered how her signature was on the paper which her family presented to him.

His anger was gradually turning into confusion, even as he regrets his actions of slapping Lynn because that action would definitely make her not develop feelings for him.

He slowly walked towards the door, but he couldn't leave having heard what Lynn said about being divorced, he was in deep thoughts as to how he was deceived by her family.

"You said you didn't sign any paper?" He stopped at the door, looking back at her to confirm before doing something rash.

"I am still a married woman and I request that you let me go." Lynn answered.

She was feeling like a prisoner since the domestic workers and guards would allow her roam freely within the confinement of the compound and would take any order she gives to them but won't allow leave the mansion.

Clay didn't say another word to her as he left the room without making known the reason behind his anger earlier.

After he left the room, tears began to flow down Lynn's cheeks as she sat on the bed. At this moment she missed her father so because if he were still alive the rest of her family wouldn't have been able to ship her off like cargo.

She was denied access to phones, laptops or any device which could be used for communication. As her grandfather had put it, she was on a two weeks compulsion to learn to love Clay before their wedding, and a week was already coming to an end.

Still as a prisoner in the Andrews mansion, she thought her husband was still in prison and their son in heaven knew where her family had sent him to after shipping her off from the family mansion because it was very obvious they wouldn't let the young child stick around the family.

"You promised you'll be back before I knew it. Three weeks is almost coming to an end, Andy." She muttered to herself still wallowing in tears as she talked about Andy and the last words he said to her.

*****

"Of course Blake, I still remember," Andy said as he sat on the couch, still in the edifice of Charlie, which served as the present headquarters for the Golden Vultures.

He was on a video call with Robles Blake who was reminding him of his promise to come home that weekend.

"Is there any news about my sister's whereabouts and her kidnappers."

"No Sir, but people are beginning to say that they are all dead since her husband's body was found two days ago. Rumor has it that since there is no one to foster the case, the law authorities will be forced to close the case."

"What do you mean close the case? A member of the Wilkinson is missing and the authorities are talking about closing the case?"

Andy could not believe what he was hearing, it seemed to him like a joke.

"My hands are tied, you asked me to stay low. And considering how you disappeared years ago, they tend to say it is a family pattern, and wouldn't want to waste further resources on the matter."

"What resources are they talking about? Coldstars enterprise is ready to provide all the necessary resources needed for my sister to be found and her abductors punished."

"The board will say otherwise, that is why your presence is highly needed at the moment. You can't delay your return any further."

"Of course, I won't. Thanks for the information."

Andy ends the call as Charlie came in a few minutes ago and appeared to have information for him due to the way he stood still, patiently waiting for him to finish with his call.

The information which he got from Blake was already troubling to him, that he hoped for something good to lighten the mood.

The manner in which he looked up at Charlie, gave him the go ahead to speak.

"Sir, we've got some information which you might like from looking into the Andrewss and the Sheltons as requested."

"Let it out,"

Andy said as he tapped on the sofa, signaling Charlie to have a seat as he didn't have to stand when talking to him. So Charlie sat close to Andy on the same couch as he continued.

"Well, these two families have a series of events lined up, and first on the list is an engagement party for their children, one Andrews Clay and Shelton Lynn. After the engagement and wedding, there will be a form of merging of their both companies which would pave the way for their expansion into other states in the country."

"Well done, Charlie,"

Andy was happy with the information which he was able to dig out about the Andrewss and Sheltons, as he wore a weird smile, because of the evil thoughts which stock his mind that moment.

Knowing from that smile that Andy was up to something, Charlie couldn't help but ask.

"Sir, you still haven't told me why you ask me to look into these families. Is there something I need to know about them that you are not telling me?"

"Yes, Charlie, a lot, but you'll find out soon enough. Right now, there is one more thing I'd like you to do for me."

"Anything boss." Charlie was ready to serve, even as he hoped for an answer as to why Andy was so much interested in those families.

"I'd like you to travel to Austin, find a way to get us an invitation to this engagement party coming up. I'm sure you can handle it."

Andy was very confident that the task wasn't too much for him to handle.

But Charlie had one question, "Of course not, but who would be incharge of our operations here in California? Don't tell me you're going to cancel your flight to New York again?"

Andy understood why Charlie was bothered about his going to New York, so he decided to come clean to him.

"Between a son and a sister, whom would you save first?"

Charlie was unable to answer that question, because as simple as it was, it revealed to almost everything concerning why Andy was so interested in the activities of the most prominent family in Texas. Even though he was also in shock of how such reputable families would have his son in their custody, thereby making him know that there is a strong history between Andy and either of those families, not to mention the shock and anger he felt after learning that the son of his boss was being held hostage.

Seeing the way Charlie took the information which he just got, Andy had to calm him down, less he act rashly and without caution.

"Don't think about it too much, just act precisely and with utmost calmness. As for whether I will cancel my flight to New York, I won't. I am also sure the boys will do fine with both of us being away for a couple of days. Besides, they'll be pretty much occupied with helping Miss Karen."