Diego had been working all along the weekend finishing up his pending work. The silence in the office helped him concentrate better especially without the unwanted disturbance. He had planned on focusing back in finding Ara once the week kick-starts.

As Monday begin, the first thing Diego wanted to do was meet Louis. The fact the Louis had sent Luciana three consecutive days to get his approval and signature for the pricing and development documents, frustrated him. 

Luciana now stood in front of Diego's desk, fidgeting with her fingers and with her eyes fixed to the floor. Diego had called her in right after getting the explanations he needed from Louis. 

"So, Luciana" Diego broke the pregnant silence that went on since Luciana entered his office.

Her head snapped up to the sudden call of her name, "Yes, sir"

"Tell me, why did you take all the trouble to bring me one file a day when Louis had given you all of them together?" Diego had his eyes fixed on her making her even more nervous. 

"I—I thought you — uhm — it might be too heavy a work to do all in a day" she stammered under his intimidating gaze. 

"Thank you for your concern, Luciana. But —" Diego stopped. She looked like she was in a verge of crying if he continues to say another word. He shook his head and shifted his gaze back to his computer screen. 

"Next time, either you bring all the files that need my approval and signature together or leave it on my desk for me to check when I'm back. Understand?" she merely nodded and left the office room. 

Diego leaned back on the chair, "I'm going to kill you, Ella" he whispered yelled clenching his fist in the air. Had she not given Luciana's resume to the HR, Luciana wouldn't be here but it happened and that angered him more. 

Why? He had no idea to why he is angry on Ella. 

What is eventually disturbing him, Luciana's presence or Ella's action?

Diego groaned as his voice echoed around his office. 

-------

After lunch hour Diego decided to call his secretively hired IT expert to further try on other possible ways to find a missing person. Diego made sure the information of finding a dead person who is actually alive, be kept away from his employee' knowledge. So, no one gets any news about his search that might make it even difficult than it is now. 

With technology that have vastly grown, Diego had the little hope he might find Ara soon through the help of his IT expert, Terzo. 

"Sir, rest assure. Technology has advance so much, it can help us find the person you are looking for, in no time" Terzo grin snapping his fingers twice. 

"Excellent! That exactly what I want. A quick result." Diego patted Terzo's shoulder and walked to his seat behind the desk. 

"I will need a photograph of the person, sir. We can track them using the traffic cameras or other security systems picking up on people's face" 

Diego messaged his temples, now where will he find a picture of Ara. The last he saw her was when she was only four years old. His eyes shifted to the computer screen, a picture of three or possibly four year-old Ara was saved as the screen background. 

"I don't have a recent picture of her. Do you think her four year-old face can be picked from the traffic cameras?" Diego asked though he was sure it is near impossible. 

Terzo had his mouth wide open for a moment, "Sir, don't mind me asking. What is her current age?" 

"23. 24" 

"No. No. Definitely a twenty year old picture will not help us pick her face from the traffic cameras especially when the person too young, sir. Her facial features would have changed by now. Let me think of some other way"

Diego nodded and waited for Terzo to come up with another options that might be available. 

"Sir, social media accounts? We can trace her last used position to find her recent location"

"She doesn't have any"

"Oh... Mobile number?"

"Nope"

"Well, I think we have run out of option to find the missing person through the help of technology, sir." Terzo said after a long pause. 

Diego was aware that there is going to be only a slim chance to find Ara through the help of technology. Now, he has to find for some other way to find a person who is declare dead twenty years ago.

Every option that he chose seems to be a dead end, he was losing faith in himself. Will he ultimately find her?

Diego laid his head on the desk, "There must be a way to find her. Where are you, Bee" he mumbled remembering the last nickname he gave her. 

-------

Ella squeezed her eyes tight as she tried to ease the pain in her body. She could barely move. Slowly she woke up blinking multiple times clearing her vision. She could feel the throbbing pain in her back and neck. 

"urgh!!" she groaned in pain. Her vision still blurry and feeling slightly dizzy, she had a hard time recognising her surrounding yet again. She blinked again a couple of times and looked around, it was dark with only little light illuminating the room that is completely empty except for some stack of brown boxes. Putting extra effort, Ella held the wall for support as she got on her feet. The pain were only increasing, as if she had been bruised in every corner. 

"Anyone there?" she faintly asked hoping someone would answer her back. She felt weak and her throat felt extremely dry. Ella scanned the room once again, remembering that she is trapped in the confined space for more than a day. She had seen two sunrise from the little window since she regain conscious the first time.

It surprised Ella to why hasn't anyone come up to her to tell what is the actual reason for kidnapping her. It only made her tired and exhausted. 

Just as how she had passed the days by staring at the door awaiting for the person who brought her here would turn up, Ella stared at that door. 

"Why hasn't anyone turn up yet?"

"What do they want from me?"

Her already weak body grew weaker as she waited for another day to pass. The dark, the quietness and the loneliness were eating her up from within. She hated it.

"I'm going to die starving" she whispered to herself. 

Ella looked up at the one and only small ventilation window, the sun ray isn't penetrating through the window anymore. She realised the sun is about to set calling for another dark and cold night. 

Her head snapped to the sound of footsteps from the other side of the door. A sigh escaped from her, at least now she will know why is she being kept here. A letter slide through the small gap between the door and floor.  

This is just the beginning.

See you AGAIN!~

Ella swallowed hard as she read the last sentence. "They will come after me again?" She leaned her head on the wall behind her, confusion clouded her mind. 

What are their intention? What do they want from her?

They did not harm her nor threaten or warned her over anything. This incident had only proved her that the guys who caught her overhearing their conversation, found who is she. 

Ella shut her eyes tight, if had she not gone to the hallway that night, she wouldn't be here today. What had mission finding Ara had brought her into?

Too weak to think any further, Ella slowly dragged herself to the door. For a second Ella thought this could be a joke, why would someone kidnap her only to let her go? She waited for sometime to be sure there wasn't anyone waiting to shoot her on her way out. 

Checking for last last time she lumber herself out of the dark room. She was greeted with brightly lit and spacious area , Ella had to squint her eyes for her vision to adjust to the surrounding.

Far ahead of her laid her bag and surprisingly the polythene bag that contains her purchase from the market the other day were next to it. She huffed at the sight of the conditions the items in the bag was, rotten and spoiled.

"What a perfect weekend gateaway it was?" she mocked as she picked up her bag.

"Who even cares for Ella?" She mumbled as she walked out of the building. She had switched on her phone which had been switch offed by the bag guys and noticed no calls or concerned messages from anyone. 

"Well I do care for you Ella. Let's get some food for us" she continued to talk to herself drawing attention from the passersby.

-----

"Why does today seems awfully dull?" Diego asked himself while he was on his way back home after a long day at work. The road wasn't as traffic as it used to be maybe because its after the peak hours. 

As he drove through a residential area, Diego slowed down his car. A familiar figure faltered into a building, an apartment to be precised. Noticing the apartment building, Diego realised that it must be Ella who walked into the apartment. 

"Yeah... Now I know why it was a boring day, this devil did not visit the office today" reasoned himself as he drove pass the green traffic signal. 

For some awkward reason, he felt maybe he should check on Ella. In that few seconds of Ella walking into the building, he perceived that she had practically dragged herself into the building. 

"What happened?" he took a u-turn at the turning ahead towards her apartment.

----

The door bell rings again for the fifth time. Ella ignored it as she gobbled up her dinner, she literally hadn't had a proper meal for the past two days and the door bell was absolutely annoying her to the core. 

She glanced at the door again as it rings again for the seventh time, "someone wants my attention pretty bad" she spoke with her mouthful. She contemplated whether to answer the door or not but damn its my dinner, sweet and sour chicken and rice. Then again whoever it is pressed the door bell again and in all her fury she lollop to the door and flung the door wide ready to shout. 

Ella held herself from shouting, the annoying person behind the door was none other than her devil friend Diego. "You" she answered flatly and walked back to the small dining table to continue her dinner. 

"Not welcoming at all. After all this is my first time to your apartment, you should at least welcome me with a warm smile" Diego closed the door behind him and joined her at the dining table. 

"Make yourself at home, Diego. I'm too tired to give you the warm smile you asked for nor have the energy to annoy you today" she said in monotone.

Diego quietly noticed the person in front of him, she was weak as what she just told, unlikely quiet and worn out. As far as he knew Ella, she never kept quiet not even when she has her mouthful. 

"Is everything alright Ella?" he asked causing her to snap her head up. 

He suddenly felt worried for her. The silence in Ella churned a little awkwardness in him, it felt weird that her silence seemed disturbing when he thought it was the other way around. The sound of Ella clearing her throat brought him out of his thoughts. 

"Is everything alright with you?" she reverted the question back to him.

"I asked you so answer me, not questioned me the same"  he retorted. 

"Good, thank you" Ella had decided to keep her blabber mouth shut. So, she doesn't blurt out what actually happened to her. For he had been enough paranoid that he got himself hurt the other day. 

"Let's just not repeat the same thing, shall we?" she said inwardly as she finished her dinner.

It really bothered Diego to see the quiet Ella. The day might not have a proper end if he does not start a fight with her. He looked around trying to comment on something to annoy her.

Then he eyed on her plate, she was almost done with her dinner. A slight smirk worked across his face.

"Diego!!! That's the last piece of chicken. Give me back!!" Ella screamed as she watched Diego munched the small piece of chicken.

"Sorry, it's gone" he shrugged and rubbed his tummy.

"I.AM.GOING.TO.KILL.YOU!!!" She slammed the table and thumped to the kitchen.

Diego was glad to see the usual, impulsive Ella and since he had the fight of the day, he was sure to get a peaceful sleep tonight.

***************

Don't forget to Vote!!!

LOVE,

~DEVA~