Anabel confronted Desmond
"Fine," she said. "I’ll take your word. I hope they succeed."
"They will. She's in good hands," Desmond replied, and Anabel walked toward one of the waiting chairs, gesturing for her security team to remain close. She sat down and crossed her legs, glancing at her watch impatiently.
Sylvester didn’t dare leave. He sat behind her, stealing nervous glances at her while silently praying that nothing would trigger her suspicion further.
After spending a little time with him, Anabel finally stood up, brushing off an imaginary lint from her outfit. "I have other matters to attend to. But I will be back . And I expect to see progress by the time I return."
"Of course. That's my expectation as well." Sylvester replied.
Anabel signaled to her security team, and they escorted her out of the hospital. Sylvester let out a relieved breath as she left out of sight. Though he knew this was far from over.
.
.
.
Anabel got home and entered her room, then shut the door with a soft thud. She dropped her bag on the table, loosened her hair, and paced around the room. Everything about Desmond’s warnings and accusations kept replaying in her head, fueling her anger and annoyance.
She sat down on the edge of her bed and grabbed her phone. Her fingers hovered over the screen for a second before she dialed Desmond’s number. She wasn’t even sure why she felt the need to do this, but she knew she couldn’t let his behavior slide any longer.
The phone rang a few times before Desmond picked up. "Anabel? You finally called?" He asked with a soft, calm voice.
He had been bored being all alone in the house. Desmond had never felt more alone even though he had family and friends. The walls of his house seemed to trap him in his solitude. The silence was deafening, an oppressive weight that pressed down on him, making it difficult to breathe.
The loneliness was even more pronounced during the nights. The bedroom was the worst of all. The large and empty bed was a stark reminder of what he had hoped for. A dream that had turned into a nightmare. He often found himself lying awake, staring at the ceiling.
His mother and sister may be the cause of all that, but he also blamed himself for listening to them.
Anabel didn't waste time with pleasantries and went straight to confront Desmond. "Desmond, I’m calling to warn you to stay away from anything that concerns me. Stay out of my life and my business. Do you hear me?"
"Anabel, what are you talking about? Why are you saying this?" He said, taken aback by her sharp tone.
"Stop asking me that rubbish question. You know exactly what I’m talking about. All the nonsense writeup you sent on my phone about my lovely and caring boyfriend and his cousin sister. It’s all lies."
"And who said I'm lying? I'm telling you the truth. I know what I heard. I wouldn’t just make something like that up."
"Well, I have looked into it. I have verified it, Desmond, and nothing you said is true. I'm just coming from the hospital, and as I'm talking to you, the surgery is going on. His cousin is in the theater. You are just jealous that I’m helping my boyfriend. That’s all this is about."
"Annabel, listen to me. I’m not jealous. I’m concerned for you. I heard them clearly, calling you names and how you are about to fund their next move, thinking you are saving the day. She is not even his cousin sister, but his fiancee. Believe me. I just want you to be safe."
"Safe?" Annabel scoffed. "Don’t pretend like you care about my safety. You are doing this because you can’t stand the fact that I have moved on and that I’m helping someone who actually cares about me."