Page 118 of Oblivion

Desperate for something to take my mind off the isolation, I sprung a little surprise visit on my father. I wanted to organize my return to work as soon as possible.

After parking Mini Penny in the parking lot, I entered the office, welcoming the surge of familiar smells and sounds that helped ground me. I’d worked there ever since leaving college, after being handed the secretary job on a silver platter.

Arriving at Paul’s office, I tried not to frown at the temp sitting at my desk. Instead, I plastered on a smile and pulled my shoulders back.

“Hi. Is Paul free?”

She studied me openly from behind her stylish, black-framed glasses. “He’s in a meeting right now. Can I take a message?”

“I’ll wait.”

The temp shook her head. “I’m sorry, he has a full schedule today. I can make an appointment for you on Tuesday?”

I smiled tightly. “I’ll be back at work before then. I just want to let him know to expect me sooner rather than later.”

Her beautifully-penciled brows lifted. I had to hand it to her; the bun on the top of her head was neat and her makeup was still impeccably flawless for a Thursday afternoon.

“You’re Penelope?”

“Back from exile,” I joked. “Like I said, I’ll wait—”

Paul’s office door clicked open, halting our conversation.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Ronan,” my father stated, firmly shaking hands with the client.

“I’m here whenever you need.”

With a nod, the man with salt-and-pepper hair turned. In slow motion and with surprising clarity, the man’s familiar eyes cut from my father, to the clock on the wall, and then to me. They locked and widened in surprise, and time stuttered to a halt.

The horror of my kidnapping flooded back. My feet moved without thought, propelling me as far away as I could possibly get within the confines of the room.

Confused and disoriented, I struggled to breathe. I shook my head constantly as my brain fought to process the obvious.

My kidnapper and my father. In a meeting. For “business.”

“Get away from me!” I screamed, the outburst strangled and tormented.

“Penelope! What are you doing here?”

My eyes cut to Paul’s rapidly reddening face. I pointed to Psycho Killer. “What ishedoing here?”

My father raised his hands. “Bunny, I can explain. He’s an old friend of mine.”

“Hekidnapped me!”I exclaimed, standing behind the temp’s chair and gripping the back like a shield.

Agitation cut across Paul’s face, only to be momentarily schooled while he addressed the confused woman caught in the middle of our family drama.

“Avery, leave. Your contract is hereby concluded.”

Without a word, Avery hastily gathered her belongings, shoved them into her handbag, and hurried from the room without a backward glance.

“Penelope, my office.Now,”Paul barked.

A hysterical laugh fell from my open mouth. “I don’t fucking think so. Not with him still here. I’m calling the police.”

Grappling for the phone and getting so far as dialing nine,I let out a desolate cry when the cord was ripped from the wall.

“That’s not necessary, Miss Prescott,” Psycho Killer snapped, tossing the severed phone cord aside.

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