RANCOR

MEMORIES

The flight landed in Milan. Noah and Claire arrived at the penthouse procured by Claire. All the arrangements regarding the stay of both had been done by Luca. He ensured a cadre of henchmen catered to Claire's needs , while Roger oversaw preparations for the penthouse's domestic staff.

The penthouse exuded modern elegance with sleek marble floors and floor-to-ceiling windows framing breathtaking cityscapes. Lush furnishings in rich hues adorned the spacious living area, while artful accents and curated décor added a touch of sophistication. "Nice place!", said Noah as he stepped into the lobby along with Claire. "Quite fitting for a married couple", he added with a flirtatious tone. Claire, though inwardly amused, maintained her composure. "I have a strategy concerning the SGO,"  she stated "and we need to discuss it. There is a reason I prepared this penthouse. Once we engage with them, they will monitor our every move!", said Claire. "And what might that entail, ma'am?", inquired Noah nonchalantly. Claire paused before replying, "That we must portray ourselves as a married couple." "Wait!! Really?", exclaimed Noah, his excitement palpable. "Let me know the details then, I am willing to do anything for this!", he continued eagerly, settling on to a nearby couch. Claire couldn't suppress a smile at Noah's enthusiasm.

As Claire stifled her smile, she remarked, "Its late! Let's save the discussion for tomorrow. We have a long day ahead. You should rest Noa...I mean Mr. Davis!" Noah drew closer to Claire, insisting "You can call me Noah, Gorgeous! The last thing I want is formalities between us! You know we're more than just business partners now,", he said, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Good night gorgeous! See you tomorrow", he added making his way to his designated room.  Claire found herself momentarily lost in thought, reflecting on their conversation.

The next morning, Noah returned to the penthouse after his morning jog. After taking a shower, he waited for Claire as he attended the business matters. After waiting for too long, he decided to look for her as to why she hadn't called him. Growing impatient, he eventually sought her out, only to discover she was absent from the dining hall where breakfast awaited him. He asked the servants, "Where is Ms. Cleveland?". One of the servants replied, "We don't know sir! We were asked to prepare the breakfast only for you." Noah then called the henchmen and enquired about Claire. "We don't know Sir", answered one of them. "What do you mean by you don't know? Were you all sleeping when she left?", said Noah, in his frustrated voice. "Sir, she had left very early in the morning in her car, and asked everyone to stay here and not follow her. She hasn't returned since then", replied the henchman. "How long has she been gone?", asked Noah. "Since six in the morning," replied the henchman. "And its going to be noon, soon!" Noah calls Claire constantly. But her phone is out of reach.

Noah then recalls Roger telling him, about the danger Claire has to go through in Milan. He becomes worried and thinks that Claire might be in some trouble. He contacts Luca. As Luca receives his call, Noah starts speaking worried, "Luca! Claire has been out for hours, and she is constantly out of reach. I want you to locate her as soon as possible!" Luca then replied, "Sir, Boss didn't take her with me so I had to this. I secretly put a tracker in her cellphone. I will let you know her exact location in about five minutes, and he hung up the call. Noah sighed in relief and waited for Luca's call. After almost five minutes, Luca called Noah. He received his call. Luca said, "I have sent you her live location!" Noah replied, "Ok!" and hung up the call.

Forty-five minutes later, Noah arrived at Claire's secluded location, a house on the outskirts of Milan. Approaching the house, he spotted her in the backyard, her presence initially obscured. Ringing the bell repeatedly, he was met with Claire's unexpected greeting, a gun aimed in his direction. Noah was taken aback by this welcome. She said in her grave tone, "How did you know I was here? No one knows about this place!", her gun was still aimed towards him. Noah replied, a little anger in his voice, "Seriously!? I was worried about you and you...." Claire interrupts and repeats her words, "How did you know I was here? Answer me!" Noah sighs and says, "Luca had secretly put a tracker in your phone as he was too worried for your safety! If you don't believe me, hear this!", he shows Claire the last call recording in his phone, the conversation he had with Luca. Claire then lowers her gun and  says, "I am sorry, its just that no one knows about this place, and when I saw you here, suddenly it all felt suspicious, so I reacted this way." Though Noah was hurt by her lack of trust in him, Noah refrained from voicing his grievances, understanding Claire's guarded nature.