Back at the mall, Jeremy’s patience had long since frayed. He didn’t like the idea of Mrs Volkov going alone but there was only a little they could do
Raphael had requested a female bodyguard but they didn’t have one in their ranks and now he was regretting it
He just couldn’t explain it. There was this feeling in his gut that sothing was wrong. Zayne’s expression had gone ice-cold ages ago
"Maybe we should call her?" Zayne finally suggested being unable to sit still anymore. Jeremy’s jaw clenched but he called anyway.
He dialled Braelyn’s number saved as Mrs Volkov. The call went through and almost imdiately a ringing sound echoed from the handbag he was holding. His grip tightened on his phone.
"You got to be fucking kidding ..." Jeremy cursed. Zayne froze for a mont slowly registering what was going on.
He quickly checked the ti and his stomach. It had been over an hour since Braelyn left, and the absence gnawed at him. Sothing crawled up their spine even a runway event would not take this long.
"What’s taking her so long?" Zayne muttered under his breath, growing increasingly irritated. He was getting sick of waiting here, the curious hungry glances were getting on his nerves. Slowly but surely he was going to snap soon.
He just didn’t understand rich people, why did she need so much lingerie? Zayne just couldn’t wrap his head around it.
"Sothing is off, " Jeremy said. "I will get soone to check on her. Hopefully the sa salesgirls.."He started scanning the store, ready to find the salesgirls and demand answers.
Before he could move, the fire alarm blared. Smoke filled the store. "There is a fire in the changing room!!" Soone scread and Jeremy’s and Zayne’s stomachs fell simultaneously at the sa ti as the sprinklers
They were still processing what was going on when another explosion rocked the above floor. Zayne’s eyes blazed him instantly, and Jeremy shared a look, reading ’ What the fuck was happening?’
In the blink of an eye chaos erupted instantly. Custors scread, dropping shopping bags and fleeing for the exits. Smoke began curling from a corner near the display racks. Jeremy’s frustration dissolved into imdiate concern as he raced to locate Braelyn amidst the panic, unaware that by now, she was safely miles away.
They didn’t give a fuck it was a female-only zone their job was to ensure her safety. Several won were racing from the changing room, so half-dressed. They squeezed their way through the won and rushed into the dressing room to search for Braelyn
Room after room there was no sight of her. They even split up to find her but no sign. The smoke and air are thin making it difficult to breathe.
Jeremy’s eyes blurred, and Zayne held his shoulder coughing as he spoke. "I don’t think she is here. Let’s leave before we pass out. " he urged Jeremy who looked struck. They both knew they would face consequences for their actions but where did she go?
Worse, how were they going to tell Raphael?
********
The hours passed and the fire was under control, it turned out there was an electrical fault that caused the explosion and fire.
The entire mall was swept and almost everyone was accounted for but there was no sign of Braelyn.
News quickly reached Raphael he drove to the location in record ti and walked into a scene that caught his break
The fire was contained but still blazing. Police and firefighters were on sight including a special favour he called to search for Braelyn. When he heard the news he almost lost his soul
The scene was complete chaos but none of that was his concern. He stumbled from the car and rushed towards the officer in charge.
"Has there been any news.." he anxiously asked. The officer recognised Raphael imdiately and just shook her head
"We haven’t found your wife and the fire is still on.." the officer carefully said, watching the colour leave Raphael’s face slowly.
"Where are they? Her bodyguard." He asked, his fist clenched. He could barely keep himself together. He was trembling without control.
The officer knew of Raphael’s importance and tried her best to keep him under control. "They are helping with the search."
The answer didn’t ease his worry..
"Make way!!!" Soone scread drawing Raphael’s attention to the entrance where a firefighter was rushing out with a body wrapped in a blanket towards an ambulance.
"She is barely alive..." the firefighter called for dical attention. Raphael’s heart clenched and he stumbled towards the ambulance. The woman’s face wasn’t recognisable from far because of the dirt covering her face
The closer he got the harder it was to breathe. A few steps away he saw her face as they lifted her to the stretcher. It wasn’t his Lynn...
The woman on the stretcher was not Braelyn.
For a brief second, relief hit him so hard it almost made him dizzy. It was followed imdiately by sothing colder. If that was not her, then where was she?
His mind began working before the panic could fully consu him. He forced himself to think clearly. There were only a few possibilities.
If she had been trapped in the flas, they would have found her by now. The guards had searched the dressing rooms. One of the fires had started in that section. Casualties were already being carried out. If she had collapsed inside, she would have been among them
Unless she had been burned beyond recognition. The thought clawed at his chest, but he pushed it away. No. That was fear speaking, not logic.
Jeremy had said her phone was still in the handbag. She had not taken it with her. That was weird Lynn was practically always glued to her phone..unless
His jaw tightened as the pieces began to align in a way he did not like.
Sothing snapped in Raphael, as his mind set on another possibility. If she wasn’t dead or trapped then maybe. His stomach churned at the next possibility. Did she find a way to escape the guards’ notice?
It was a disaster. His heart squeezed at the possibility but it ant she was safe. The officer was standing behind him monitoring Raphael. She noticed the change in his gaze before Raphael moved. He had seen a similar madness so many tis.
Raphael bolted but before he could reach the steps. The officer scread. "Stop him. It is dangerous. " She almost lost her mind, they couldn’t afford casualties.
Raphael was stopped on record ti and held down.
"Please don’t ask reckless Mr Volkov."
"Don’t make things difficult for us.."
Several voices sounded to Raphael but he could barely hear them. He was staring blankly at the entrance. By all reason, Braelyn was still trapped there since the guard didn’t see her leave
He wanted to search for her but his gut sensed sothing was wrong from the mont he heard Braelyn was out shopping for several items of lingerie
They were in a fight there was no way it was for him and sothing told him it wasn’t for Lucien either.
It was a crazy gut feeling but why did sothing tell him that she ran away?
She ran away from him. He crashed to his knees. It was better to believe she found a way to escape than the possibility she was dead in the flas.
"I am sorry I failed you sweetheart. I am really pathetic. Aren’t I?" He whispered, then a broken laugh escaped his lips.
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