Chris And Hazel - Volume 1 Chapter 60 59

‘Any luck?’ Hazel asked Edwin as he came out of Adam’s study.

‘No! I was there when Adam showed the evidence to Grayson. It was all there in that hard disk. Very detailed too’ Edwin answered in a worried tone. Where was it?

Why weren’t they able to find it?

He was searching inside for almost two and a half hours now. All he could find everywhere was some old files and some books related to computer science. He thoroughly searched all the nooks and corners of the room but…

‘Where could Adam possibly have hidden it?’ Hazel wondered as all their work went in vain. Edwin also mentioned that the evidence was something about Grayson’s illegal business and Adam found out about it when he accompanied Grayson back to his company. Edwin didn’t explain further and she didn’t stress too. More than the hard disk Hazel was worried about Chris; he was quiet their entire way there and didn’t bother talking to them too.

She looked around trying to find Chris but he was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t with them since they reached the house. He was sitting in Adam’s room and didn’t want to be disturbed. It was almost 9 p.m. Hazel asked Edwin to leave as it would get too late if he didn’t leave now and once he left went looking for Chris.

Hazel slowly opened the door and found him sitting on a chair staring out the window in Adam’s room.

‘Chris’ she called out slowly making her way towards him.

‘Not now Haze’ he said looking at her.

Hazel looked at his face. She was searching for his lost soul in his lifeless eyes. When she first met him after six years she always thought that his cold face symbolized attitude. Showing people that he really didn’t care what they thought but it was his way of showing that he’s upset. And it took her quite some time to figure it out. People always surprise us in different ways by reacting to things in their own way.

‘I didn’t say anything! I am not here to disturb you. I just wanted to tell you that I sent Edwin home as it was getting late and I am leaving too’ she informed turning to leave.

‘Haze…’ he called out, his voice barely audible.

She turned to look at him.

‘Thank you’ he mouthed slowly and turned back to the window. It was not his intention to push Hazel away but at that time he just wanted to be alone and he knew she would understand him.

Hazel smiled lightly and left the room. She knew that he needed some time to realize and accept certain things and she knew that she needn’t stay beside him because sometimes being there for someone means just letting them figure things out on their own. After all loving someone includes loving them even when they are at their worst. Just because Hazel didn’t stay back doesn’t mean she doesn’t care and just cause he wanted to be alone doesn’t mean he didn’t trust her, sometimes things are good as they are.

Chris heard the car leave; he got up from the chair and made his way to the living room. He looked around, it has been years since he left the place and started focusing on to other things but yet he could solve the mystery surrounding the place. He just assumed that things got well but he the truth was that he just didn’t know them, maybe that’s why it’s too hard for him accept things now. Since they started looking for clues they haven’t moved from square one and there was no use staying the same spot and hoping things to get well.

‘Come on god, just give me one clue’ he said looking up hoping that at least this time God would hear his prayer and answer it.

He sat on the sofa and closed his eyes hoping to remember something. He was sure that if this hard disk was that important Adam would’ve at least mentioned it somewhere or kept it safely somewhere but his mind was as blank as a sky with no clouds.

‘Thank you for the ride Mr. Grayson, I am sorry to bother you but there’s something wrong with my car’ Adam said as he sat in the passenger seat.

‘No issues Mr. Finch. After all we are business partners and this is just a small help’ Grayson replied smiling at Adam.

‘But you really didn’t have to drive me back personally. You could’ve just asked your driver to do it’ Adam said turning to look at Grayson.

‘I have some work too so it’s really not a big deal and moreover I don’t trust any driver with my car’ Grayson replied assuring Adam that it was fine.

‘So are you off to some work outside?’ Adam asked after sometime.

‘…Well, yeah!’ Grayson answered trying his best to keep his voice steady. He didn’t wanna look tensed.

‘Ohh okk..! If it’s very important you could’ve have just told me, I would’ve managed’ Adam said hearing his reply.

‘It’s no trouble; your office is just on the way’ Grayson said heaving a sigh of relief as Adam didn’t grow suspicious.

Adam nodded slowly and looked out of the window. He had just signed a partnership with Grayson’s company and went to meet him regarding their upcoming project but unfortunately there was something wrong with his car and all his other drivers were busy so Grayson offered him a ride back.

‘Hello? Yeah Eve, I started. I will be there soon and one more…hello?’ he stopped as he couldn’t hear Evelyn’s voice anymore.

‘Shoot! My battery’s down’ he said looking at his powered off phone.

‘I have a power bank. Just grab it from the glove box’ Grayson said offering his help.

‘Thank you once again Mr. Grayson’ Adam said with relief as he opened the glove compartment in Grayson’s car. If he didn’t call Evelyn back in five minutes, she will definitely kill him.

As he carefully searched for the power bank, he accidently stumbled upon a sharp crystal like object and took it out to see what it was.

‘Is this a diamond?’ Adam asked as he picked it up.

‘….’ Grayson grew gray with fear as he noticed the diamond in Adam’s hand.

‘That…that… that’s for…that’s for my wife’ he said stuttering.

‘Your wife..?’ Adam asked raising a brow in doubt.

‘Yeah..! I actually hand…handpicked a few rare…dia…diamonds to fix to the necklace I am …bu…buying her, I guess I missed one from that. I am actually going there right now’ Grayson said laughing nervously as he turned his eyes back to the road, trying not to sweat the hell out.

‘Oh…that’s…that’s sweet Mr. Grayson’ Adam said replacing it back though he wasn’t entirely convinced with Grayson’s excuse.

‘We are here’ Grayson said as he stopped in front Adam’s company.

‘Thank you Mr. Grayson. Have a good day’ Adam said getting down from the car.

‘Bye Mr. Finch’

‘Edwin, what are you doing here?’ Adam asked entering his company’s reception hall.

‘Mr. Grayson asked me to deliver this file personally once our company finished reviewing it’ he said handing over the file to Adam.

‘Okay! But he just dropped me off and didn’t mention anything about you showing up’ Adam said opening to check the details in the file.

‘He might have forgotten as he was leaving for an important meeting’ Edwin replied politely.

‘He’s buying a gift for his wife, right?’ Adam asked at once as Edwin finished.

‘That’s not possible Mr. Finch’ Edwin said wearing a confused look.

‘Why not..?’

‘He has been divorced for five years now and he rarely talks to his wife, I mean ex-wife’ Edwin replied clearing off Adam’s doubts.

‘Oh, I see! Then maybe I just heard wrong. Goodbye Edwin!’ he said walking away from Edwin as suddenly the truth dawned on him.

Grayson sighed as he slowly recollected some things from years back.

‘I got to accept! Adam was quite smart’ he said as he resumed his work.

Chris slowly opened his eyes; he had actually fallen asleep without even realizing it.

It was twenty minutes to midnight. He had to go back home. He just couldn’t accept that he still didn’t find a clue to go against Grayson.

He picked up his phone and opened his gallery to look at some old pics of him and Adam.

As he was swiping left he found a photo which was taken a few weeks after the twins were born.

Adam and Evelyn were holding the twins and Chris was standing between them holding the box of apology. He smiled as the picture jogged some good memories. Wait the box of apology!

‘The box of apology!’ he yelled happily. That was a weird tradition the couple followed. If for some reason if anyone failed to show up for each other anytime they had to write down the real reason no matter how stupid or serious it was and put it in the box and they had to buy a bigger box once the twins were born. Chris told them it was stupid over a thousand times but still they followed it.

Maybe there’s something inside it.

Chris ran to Adam’s room and looked for the box in the shelves but couldn’t find it anywhere. He just found another one of Adam’s sealed files but no luck with the boxes. He opened the file to take a look but to his surprise it was just their family pictures. He closed the file and started searching for the box again, only after a while he remembered that he took it back to his current place to show it to the kids once they were old enough to know everything.

He ran back to his other car parked in the driveway holding the picture file in his hand.

He rushed inside his room and switched on the lights and began the search. He threw the file on the bed.

He carefully took all the boxes down and searched for it and finally;

‘Eureka!’ he screamed happily as he found the box.

As he opened the box he suddenly felt a door of hope opening on his path.

He patiently went through all the small notes inside.

‘Idiot bro, what kind of reasons are these? Half of it says meetings and the other half says that they both went for dating leaving the kids to me and mom’ he said closing the box. He went back and sat on his bed.

He took the file from the bed and placed it on the table beside and lay back on his bed. Though he was tired, he couldn’t sleep. He got up and sat straight grabbing the file from the table.

‘Why did my stupid bro keep these photos in a file when there were so many albums lying around?’ he asked himself as he went through all the photos inside.

‘What’s this and why is it here?’ he wondered picking up a CD from the file, placed carefully behind the last picture.

‘What is this CD? Does it have photos too?’ he continued wondering as he opened his laptop.

‘Oh my..! Grayson is so screwed’ he said slowly lifting the corners of his mouth into a smile as he scrolled down the details inside the folder he found as he opened the CD drive.