Chapter 4 FOUR- SURPRISE, SURPRISE

**Nora**

The store was unusually busy today with our manager Anita, telling us to make sure we kept things in order as we would be having an important guest.

Or rather guests.

Surprise, surprise. Guess who our guests were.

Kai Creed and Vanessa Myrtle.

Or like they're addressed in the Media, Runaway Bride and her hung up lover. Just watching him by her side made me think of a lost puppy, until Mira asked me to go get the shoes she ordered for.

I mean, I had heard she had a reputation for causing a scene but i never really expected that she'd go as far as to do that to me.

"I said, I don't like these! What part of that don't you understand, stupid?"

She yelled, raising her hand up to strike me across the cheek.

Now whoa.

Wait a sec Girl, you really don't want to do that with me. I blinked at her, my hands trembling.

And luck was on her side because sweet Mira intervened. What would I do without her by my side?

"We don't tolerate customers hitting our staff here." Mira said firmly as she held her hands at the wrist while she glared at me. Vanessa the spoilt brat.

I should have killed her brother that night.

Just then, I saw him appear beside her and I stood behind Mira and bent my head while trying to stop the tremors in my hands.

The stupid tremors.

"Oh my goodness, Kai. Can you imagine? They're ganging up on me." Nessa said dramatically. I needed to get out of here right here and now before I'd do something stupid to the brat.

"It's fine, Nora." Mira said soothingly as she rubbed my arm and I felt his gaze burning holes at the center of my head.

That's when I decided to look at him.

Light brown eyes were staring back at me, filled with awe with a mop of chestnut brown hair, parted in the middle as he inhaled sharply.

I looked away quickly, feeling heat flood up my cheeks excusing myself from their midst.

Okay, I'll have to give it to him.

The guy is damn handsome. Even after 5 years.But that wasn't my concern now.

My major concern now was this white manila envelope sitting on my desk, with my name boldly written on it.

Not Nora Kincaid as I was called but my other name.

Smoke .

I looked around, staring at the faces of the other staff to see who would have put it there but everyone's eyes was focused on their monitor screens.

"Hey Babe. What are you up to?"

I wanted to slip the envelope under my keyboard but Mira saw it and snatched it from my hand.

"What's this? Smoke ? Who's that?" She said aloud. I snatched it back from her and threw it into the bin under my desk, frowning.

"I don't know. I also just came and met it on my desk and I can't seem to find who put it there." I said.

Mira's brow furrowed in worry, as she glanced around at the faces trying to see who'd be up to such mischief.

"Maybe we should see what it says. It's probably nothing but it's still best to find out what's inside it."

Hell no.

What if it's a parcel bomb? Or a gory looking image of my past life? I used my leg to push the bin further away and smiled at her.

"It's fine, buggy. Thanks for helping me out there."I said holding her hand.

"You're welcome. I was scared you were going to beat the hell out of her, you know. Thank God I showed up right on time."

Someone who knows me.

Finally.

Then a mischievous grin crept up on her lips and she squeezed my hands tightly.

"I think he likes you."

"He who?"

A notification bar appeared at the top of my screen and I glanced at it. It was an email. I clicked on it and the message opened as she continued chatting with me.

Again.

Another message addressed to Smoke .

I felt my throat constrict and the tremors in my hands return again. Someone is watching.

Someone knows where I work. And that someone is in the same room with me right now.

I have a mission for you. I left a package on your desk.

"Nora, are you listening to me?"

I closed the screen and turned to look at Mira, my eyes darting about.

"Yes, you were talking about dinner. What are we having for dinner?"

"I'm suggesting orange marmalade cake for dessert while you make meatloaf and then we'd top it down with some red wine, yes?"

She asked. Someone called out her name from behind me and she gave me a thumbs up, leaving my side.

Immediately she left, I pulled out the basket while watching the faces of people carefully to see if I was being watched. Picking up the envelope, I tore it open with a pen knife and pulled out a newspaper clipping with bold letters written on it that read:

Pyramid Pharmaceuticals launches New drug called the Initiator to help cancer patients.

Underneath the heading was a name circled with red marker.

Alexander Creed.

I returned to my mail box and was about to type in another message when a new one popped in.

I see you've opened my package.

I heard a whirring noise in my ears and I shook my head to stop it. I wasn't that lady anymore .

I don't understand what you mean by sending me newspaper clippings but whatever it is, you've gotten the wrong person.

And I hit send, turning off my monitor completely. They or them or whoever they happened to be was trying to use me again to kill Alexander Creed for their own means, something I wasn't going to be a part of.

Just then, another notification popped up but this time it was on my phone.

Again, an unknown number sent me a message.

Are you really sure you want to do this, Smoke ? Don't make me so this the hard way.

What did he mean by the hard way?

I sent a reply immediately.

You've got the wrong number.

And they responded immediately.

I hope so.