Charmed by the Billionaire CEO

"N-No ma’am" the informer choked as he answered her. His eyes looked at the piercing gaze that was glaring at him. Chills run down his spine as he watched Noah warn him with his eyes motioning him to speak well.

"Okay, but don’t give up, do keep following them. I am sure we will get some proof" they heard Avera speak.

"As you say, ma’am" he answered and she hung up the call.

"Good," Noah said pulling back the phone from his face and placed it back on the table.

"From now on you will be working for me" Noah declared looking at the man and watched him bob his head in agreement. It was the deal they made in exchange for his life.

If he wants to return safely then he had to follow his words.

Noah then called Sky and ask him to let the informer go but not before informing him to keep an eye on that man. He had to be very cautious because Avera had been trying every means to expose them and he couldn’t let that happen.

******

[Brown Mansion]

After returning from the hospital, Tori decided to spend some time inside her room. She saw Richard returning home with Ashley and Tristan leaving back to the Knight Mansion.

It was quite odd for them to leave so early after knowing Richard wasn’t feeling well, but she choose not to rack her brain for now. She had other things going on in her mind which was bothering her since the moment she stumbled with that woman, whom she failed to see.

"Why did her voice sound like sister" Tori mumbled. She could never be wrong when it came to Sandra. She was the closest to her sister and there is nothing about her she couldn’t remember.

"But how is this possible" Tori slammed her hands on either side of the bed and stood up. Resting her hands on her hips she kept biting her lower lips. She just missed seeing her face. "I should’ve followed her" she gnashed her teeth, dropping her hands in defeat.

Tori was feeling helpless all of sudden. There was something about that stranger woman that caught her attention but she wasn’t sure if her assumptions were right.

Composing herself, she turned around and walked towards the window, leaning her side on its frame while she looked at some unknown distance.

Her arms instinctively crossed over her chest as she recalled the day Gabriel came to take her from the slums.

After Sandra was prisoned, she and her mother had to vacate their house and find a new shelter for them. Slum was the only place where they could live for the rest of their lives.

Because of Sandra, Tori was suspended from her school and she had to pick up small jobs so she could manage the house. The hardship she went through still gave her goosebumps. She lost her mother who took her life after she couldn’t handle the mental illness that brought the worst out of her.

Ending her life was the only thing she felt best to end the misery. But her one decision turned Tori into an orphan. She had no one to rely on. Her father left them, her mother died and her sister, she was rotting in prison.

Her life had no meaning, she was just surviving without any hope until one day, Gabriel came out of nowhere taking her back with him.

It was then, she found Sandra was dead as she couldn’t handle Tristan’s betrayal. She took her life because she truly loved him, but he failed her.

At first, Tori wasn’t able to understand anything but after Gabriel told her the entire story, she started to hate Tristan, and soon that hate turned into revenge which she wanted to take in return for her sister’s life.

A cool breeze of wind snapped her out of her thoughts and a lone tear rolled down her eyes. There wasn’t a single day, she didn’t miss her sister. She couldn’t even see her for the last time and that guilt kept her urging more to her revenge against the Knights and the people around him, especially his wife, Ashley Brown.

She held no envy against Richard, but if he ends up creating hurdles in her way, then unfortunately she has to silence him.

With that thought, she straightened up and turned around when the phone inside her pocket buzzed. Pulling out she quickly answered it, "Yes Max," she asked.

"Did you find anything suspicious" she heard him say.

Max had been her mentor after Gabriel brought her to his base. He was a young man with great skills who trained Tori under him giving her the best lesson for fighting skills.

She respected the man for shielding her every time she makes a mistake helping her from behind the scenes and clearing the trace.

"No there was nothing to worry about. It was just a check-up" she answered whatever she witnessed after she followed the trio.

Silence engulfed them when suddenly Max asked. "Anything else you want to say"

Max knew Tori never liked to talk about personal stuff but after spending so much time with her, he understood most of her actions, and turning quiet all of sudden was one of them.

Tori heaved out a sigh after she heard him. Max was someone she could talk to about it as he was always there to listen to her problems.

"Max, would you believe me if I tell you I happen to stumble upon someone who is most dear to me" her words confused him but soon realization struck and he asked back," What do you mean Tori?"

Max and Gabriel knew it was only Sandra whom Tori loved the most and the question she asked was strange. Sandra was no more, then does it mean she had someone else close to her apart from her sister?

This thought made Max feel uneasy but he didn’t let it be evident in his voice.

Tori took a deep as she pinched her temple. She knew it was impossible but she always felt that her sister wasn’t dead, but hiding somewhere. She knew it was stupid of her to think so, but her heart wasn’t ready to accept that Sandra was no longer alive.

She remembered Gabriel telling her that Sandra’s corpse wasn’t handled by them as they weren’t her biological family and her funeral was done by the cops.

"I know it’s impossible but-" she paused as she bit her lips with hesitation. She didn’t want Max to think that she has lost her mind, but she told him about what she felt and saw.

Taking a deep breath she further continued," I think I met sister Sandra" she finished hoping Max would answer back, but when he didn’t she closed her eyes in defeat.

She knew it was impossible because if her sister was alive they would’ve found her and as a matter of fact, many people can share the somewhat same voice. Maybe she misunderstood her assumption.

"I-I know it can be-"

"Where did you see her?" Tori was cut off by Max’s sudden question and she blinked her eyes a few times. ’Did he believe her’ she thought to herself.

Composing her bafflement, Tori answered," In the same hospital where Ashley took Richard"

Tori felt her heart beat rapidly inside her chest. The thought itself was racing her heart for god knows why. Maybe somewhere deep inside her heart, she hoped Sandra was still out there and all of the news about her death was a lie.

Max didn’t answer her and just ended the call, leaving her hanging. Tori pulled away the phone from her ear and looked at it with amusement.

"What is he planning to do" she mumbled shoving the phone back into her pocket and patiently waited for him to call back.

Exactly after twenty minutes, Max called her back. "Why did you end the call?" she asked as soon as she answered.

"Tori" he paused for a few seconds making her anxious about his next words.

"I think you are right."

"What do you mean?" Tori asked with a restless voice as she tried to firmly grip her hold on the phone in her hand.

"You need to come to the base" Max was a little skeptical because he couldn’t believe whatever he saw was true, but he had to inform Tori.

Tori sensed the urgency in his words and she quickly agreed. Ending the call, she walked out of the room and headed to the dungeon, their secret base where she could find Max.

She made sure no one could notice her exit, especially Richard, and reached the forbidden place where she met Max.

No one would ever come to notice that inside this dangerous dungeon was a secret base built. Everything around here was protected from the outside world and only the people working for them had the access to enter there.

But little did she know, Tristan’s men were already monitoring them hiding in disguise.

The moment she stepped in, one of the men who was observing her quickly informed Tristan about the discovery.

"Well keep monitoring her and keep me updated" he order his men and ended the call before he turn to face Ashley.

"We were right, that forbidden place is their secret hideout"