Chapter47

At the close of work, Rita made her way downstairs, clutching her bags. Her car was parked in the private garage reserved for top officials in the organization. As she was about boarding the vehicle, she saw a face that halted her in her tracks. Rodrigo The figure of the person was backing her but she could swear it was him. Throwing caution to the wind, Rita followed the figure down the road, keeping a little distance from the person. Rita had no idea if what she saw was real or a figment of her imagination but she decided to move on. Soon, the figure stopped in a nearby cafeteria. Rita watched him order some lattes before he resumed walking. Her curiosity was eating her up. She decided to get brave as she simply ran ahead of the figure. Rita touched his hoodie, bringing the figure to a stop. He turned to look at her and Rita halted in her tracks. The man was nothing like Rodrigo. Though, he had the same height and build but his face was completely different from his. Where Rodrigo's face was sculptured and strong, this man's face had a softer look. "I'm ... Sorry, I thought you were someone else", Rita stuttered. "Ma'am, you need to have your eyes checked. Wait... Aren't you that Anderson chick", he said with a southern accent. "No... No, I'm nobody". "Oh come on, I'm sure of it. Let's take a picture", the man said. He moved closer to her just as she bolted away from him. There was no way in hell she would take pictures with a complete stranger. As she made her way back to her car, she felt like a complete fool. She needed some rest but she couldn't not when Rodrigo was out there probably hurt or worse dead. She drove off from the office building towards her home. She had to get home first to give her father the file before going over to her temporary home at the Brabra's. When she got home, everywhere was a bit quiet. Not that she expected a band to be playing but it was more silent than usual. She decided to head over to her father's study, she usually found him there most days going over the company's records. Rita got to the study soon, she found her father there just like she rightly predicted. He was going over some documents, his glasses perched on his nose. She stood for a minute to really look at her father. Rita could see that he was getting on in years, a thought that scared the hell out of her. His once shining hair was now a dull grey and there was no amount of creams or spray he could use that would bring the hair back to it's normal state. She knocked lightly before going on. She could tell that he was surprised by her visit. He stood up to hug his daughter, pecking her cheek in the process. Rita took a seat opposite him, bringing out the files from her bag. "I brought these", she said. She handed over the files to him as she watched him read through. Under three minutes, he was done reading the ten page report. "This is incredible, fantastic. This is the best I've seen in years", he beamed. Just like she had predicted, he was happy. The joy on his face was palpable but she didn't have it in her to be happy knowing fully well that Rodrigo was out there, still missing. "Rita, what's the matter?", Lawrence said, quietly. She sighed. Everything was wrong. From staying with Edmundo to plans on her getting married to him down to Rodrigo's disappearance. Everything was terrible wrong. "Dad, do you know my chaffeur is missing?". She didn't know if he knew and she decided to tell him now. She saw the look of surprise in his face. "I don't understand, when did he go missing?", Lawrence asked. Rita narrated everything that has happened, leaving out her investigations with his mother. She couldn't trust her father not to do anything that would disrupt her plans. She wanted to find him alone with the help of her trusted friends. "You should report this to the police. In fact, I'll help you with this", he said, picking up his phone. "No... No, don't bother about this. I've got this this, I'll handle it", Rita said. "Okay but I'll help you do some underground work", he said. Rita nodded, rising to her feet. She had done what she wanted to do and now, it was time to go back to the penitentiary she called a home. Her father saw her sad face and ordered her to sit back down. "Rita, what is really the problem? I know it's not only about Rodrigo's disappearance", he sighed. "Dad, how can you ask me such when you really know what the problem is. You sold me out to his family, made me live with the people I despise. How can a father do that to his own daughter", she seethed. The patriarch remained quiet for a long time no doubt affected by his daughter's words. Rita sighed, trying to calm her temper but try as she may, she just couldn't. The more she thought about the whole incident, the more she hated everyone involved in it. "I'm sorry", Lawrence said. For the first time ever, her father was apologizing to her. Even though she was surprised, she knew that there was still a trap somewhere. "Sorry? Dad, is that all you're going to say", Rita huffed. "That's all. You will leave Edmundo's house after the dinner party but your marriage to him still stands. That's the best I can do", he said. Rita rose up from her seat, staring at her father with cold fury. She should have expected this but him saying the words hurt her more than she could imagine. She left the study, slamming the door in the process. She made her way out of the house just as the first drop of tears hit her cheek.