Page 19 of Bastian

Click.

Murmurs and flashes all around me.

Ms. Adams grits her teeth but doesn’t give up now. She will die on this heel. “What about the man who killed a cop? What about him? Is he excused by your law too? The Pyromaniac?”

“I would recommend you dig deeper, Miss. Adams. You would be surprised what you will find about those four criminals, as you call them. There’s always more to the story.”

After I’m done answering her questions, Baron lets her know I have time for one more question before I head out.

“You like games, don’t you, Mr. President?” The room falls quiet after that question while Baron steps forward to shut the journalist down, but I stop him.

While my heart races like it hasn’t for three years.

It’s like it is slowly coming back to life. Not completely, but it’s a start.

“I do.” I don’t know what prompted her to ask the question that was not briefed by Baron, but I allow it, feeling something rattle inside of me.

Rather someone.

The girl smiles sarcastically. “Men like you always win, yes?”

Smiling wide, I answer the honest to God truth, “I’m your president, darling. That answers your question.” The darling part hurts me, but I throw it in there because my gut feeling never fails me, and something tells me this girl here asking me the same question Arianna did years ago is not a coincidence.

I don’t believe in those.

Smiling one last time, I thank everyone for their time and leave the press room with Benjamin and Baron hot on my back. “Baron.”

“Yes, sir?”

“I need all the information you can find about Miss. Adams from Washington Weekly’s on my desk before the day is over.”

“On it, Mr. President.”

My mind starts reeling, and all kinds of thoughts pop through my head as I make my way to the Oval Office, with just Benjamin following suit. The guards open the doors of the office, and I step in, only then I’m able to release the breath I’ve been holding since I stepped out of the press room. Making my way to the window, I look outside and take a second to contemplate my next move.

Could it be…?

Am I just thinking there is more to this than what it is?

Maybe…

After three years…

I searched for her for years, I am still searching. I never gave up even when she tried her best to disappear, leaving no trace for my men to follow.

She made it seem as if she was never on this earth.

Making it almost impossible to be found even with my money and resources.

My Arianna is clever, and I underestimated her intelligence and her need to be away from me.

No credit history.

She didn’t use her credit cards.

Her name didn’t pop up anywhere.

And as cunning and incredibly brilliant as she is, she couldn’t have done this on her own.

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