Still looking at the piece of paper attached to the mirror, Damien walked into her line of sight and took out the almost crumpled piece of paper.
"What do you mean what is this?" Damien took a look at the drawing before showing it to them again.
"Isn't it clear that it was drawn by Anna?"
Carla reached out and snatched it from him, staring at it closely like doing so would make Anna pop out from it.
"Was this here before?" Rhys, who was standing behind her, asked.
Something about his voice made her turn to look at him. His jaw was tight, his eyes hardened like he was about to go into combat.
She looked back at the paper, looked at Damien whose eyes were on Rhys before thinking back to the moment she stood in front of the mirror.
''Was this here?' Her memory was glitching, when she tried to recall the memory of being in front of the mirror, she partially remembered seeing the drawing and in another part of memory, there was nothing.
''Trust your instinct.' Rhys' voice invaded her mind.
"It wasn't." She blurted.
It was a scrawny drawing of a door, it was as if it was hurriedly painted in red and before their eyes, words appeared.
FIND THE RED DOOR
Carla was shell shocked, she stood transfixed to the floor.
Rhys didn't appear as shocked but he was battling something inside.
"What in heaven's name is going on with you guys?" It was clear that Damien didn't want to say anything to either of them but could not stand the suspense.
He took the paper from Carla and turned it to face him before frowning.
"Was this here before now?" He asked the two individuals who were already lost in their own thoughts and paid him no mind.
"Can somebody talk to me and stop keeping me in silence!" His tense hold on the paper made the already crumpled paper tear.
"Can you shut up and stop being a cry baby!" All Carla wanted was silence.
"You don't talk to me in that manner!" Damien had his index finger out.
"Maybe if you were more responsible and not an asshole, I would consider bowing to your majesty."
"Careful now, Carla."
"Or what!?" Carla could not even think straight anymore, she didn't know what to think.
"Or you're going to drag me to your office and fuck the hell out of me?" She took a step forward.
"I know where to find her." Rhys' flat voice broke the tension.
"Where?"
"Where?"
Both asked at the same time, turning their entire focus on Rhys who didn't bother sparing them a look.
"I can't tell you where, just yet." He slowly met Carla's shiny eyes.
"Are you being serious now!?" Damien was about to blow off like a time bomb.
"Shut up or leave Damien! Anna is my daughter too!" Carla felt the veins in her neck would have to burst open for Damien to get the point.
Damien glared at her and she glared back till she felt a tap at her shoulder.
"You would have to trust me Carla."
"It's hard." Carla's voice was at the edge of breaking.
"I know, but you have to."
"I will."
"Are you guys kidding me right now?" Damien ran his hand through his hair before pacing.
"Why can't you see that he is a fuckin' suspect!?" He took his time stressing on each word as if it would change Carla's mind.
"And why can't you see that you are the damn suspect?" Carla's head poked out too as she tried to make a point.
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
"Hey! Leave." Damien stood his ground.
"You have no right to order him out."
"You have no right to frolic with another man right in front of me…"
"And not especially when our only daughter is missing."
"You talk like we are thing and like we would have more … jeez! You creep me out!"
"Right back." He shot back at Carla before turning to Rhys.
"Just get out."
"I will." Rhys conceded.
Carla was about to protest.
"And no kissing on the forehead."
"Fuckin' Damien!"
"You're welcome."
Carla watched Rhys step out of the room and into the sitting room and right out of the apartment without hesitation.
"Time to get you cleaned up." Damien started.
"I would stab you in the chest if you get anywhere close to me."
"I'd gladly die then."
"You should have remained wherever you were at. Your coming was the beginning of all these." Tears were almost about to blind her vision.
"I'll give you some space." The almighty Damein sounded defeated.
"No!" She panicked at the mention of space.
"No?" He frowned at her, trying to understand what was up with her.
"Stay."
"But you don't want me here."
"I don't but stay."
How was she supposed to explain to him that she was experiencing something out of the ordinary? Something she suspected might kill her if she let it.
"You are one hell of a lady." He walked towards her.
"I didn't mean to come close to me, maintain your distance." Her heart was thudding, she wasn't ready to go mad yet when her daughter was out.
Damien's eyes on her were too intense and questioning that she avoided it, she didn't want the awkwardness either.
Suddenly she needed to pee but something about it felt extremely wrong.
She knew at that instant that she wasn't supposed to go into the toilet alone.
"I need to use the toilet." She blinked at him stubbornly while hoping that he wouldn't deny her request.
"Okay." Was the only thing he said still watching her as if trying to dissect her thoughts.
"Come with me." She averted her gaze before adding … "please." At the end of the request.
"Our daughter is out there. I can't fuck you if that's what you want."
She made a disgusting face at him before striding towards him, jerked his hand and made to move him to the bathroom.
"Stop doing this to me." He held her instead and spun her towards him, his hands possessively on her waist.
"Allow me to love you properly." His low voice made her heart skip.
The urgency to use the toilet ceased and she stared into his icy blue eyes, not wanting to say or do anything that would make him leave her to the hands of the ghosts in her room.
"Prove your worth then." She found herself saying and the next thing she saw was his face up close and then his passionate kiss on her lips.
It felt like he was pouring out all his unsaid words into the kiss. For some reason, she felt salty tears run down her eyes.
She knew she should stop the kiss but she couldn't, only returning his fervour while telling herself she was doing it to keep him in place.