Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jayda looked out the window lost in her thoughts. She unconsciously wiped the steam that fogged the window. She's thinking about Brian for the umpteenth time today. All she wants to know is if he's doing well or alive and the thought of not knowing anything kills her.  

She's also aware that if Brian wanted to be found he would have come back to the house. He knows where to find her unlike she who doesn't know where he is. 

Her mind also wandered to Lucy who is leaving for New York in a matter of days. Jayda had contemplated moving to New York but the obvious truth is that she can't afford to live in the luxurious city. It's bad enough she's spending so much on Lucy's tuition thanks to her life savings for saving the day, the best she can do is to lodge in a cheap hotel when visiting her daughter. 

On another note, Lucy leaving meant she'll have time for herself and who knows, maybe she can finally have time for someone new in her life. Someone who is not ten years younger than her. She made a mental note to work on that as she made for the stairs to prepare breakfast. 

A FEW DAYS LATER

Jayda dropped her duffel bag on the cold floor after a long day helping Lucy settle in her dorm. 

"Great! No TV" She whined after noticing the small size hotel room didn't have a TV. 

But she was lucky to find a hotel with a cheap room fee in Brooklyn. She couldn't afford to squander money at the moment because of Lucy and in fact, she'd plan on taking more event coordinating jobs back home to help with the expense. 

As much as she wanted to call it a day, the time only read a few minutes past nine and typical her would never forgive herself for not touring New York a little coupled with the fact that she's a first-timer. She'd heard that the hood gets dangerous once it's eleven and she vowed to Lucy that she'd return to her room before then. She grabbed her fur jacket and made her exit out of the room. 

Unlike where she lived in Saint Louis, New York is very different from Minnesota. The streets are extremely busy, there's something to be done and the life it breaths is next to none. She brought out her cell phone and took a few pictures for her Facebook before proceeding with her night walk. 

*********

Jayda returned to her room a little after ten, took a quick shower and cursed beneath her breath upon realizing the bathroom didn't have hot water. 

She returned to the bed after and slept off within minutes. 

THE NEXT MORNING.

Jayda hopped down from the bus to eat breakfast in a nearby restaurant before setting out to the airport to catch her flight back to Minnesota. 

She was about to enter when she felt an arm grab the hem of her midi gown. She looked down to see a child of approximately five or six years old looking up at her. 

"Hi, are you hungry too?" Jayda bent down to meet the little girl's height. 

The little girl shook her head. 

"I lost my mummy in the crowd," the child said while Jayda walked her from the entrance of the restaurant to an empty walkway. 

"I'm Jayda, What's your name?" Jayda asked.

"Isabelle" she answered 

"What's your Mummy's name?" 

"Mummy" she answered.

"What about the name of your dad?" 

"Daddy" she answered again 

Jayda couldn't help but smile at the innocent-looking child. She also noticed that Isabelle was in school uniform which could only mean she was on her way to school when it happened. 

"Ok Isabelle I'm going to find your school and from there I'm sure they can help contact your mum" 

Jayda peeped on the name of the school from the badge attached to Isabelle's pinafore dress and google searched the name. 

"Got it. Start smart Kindergarten and preparatory school is located in Manhattan and lucky for you from the map here we are not that far" 

Jayda hailed a cab and carried Isabelle into the vehicle. She showed the driver the address and then fasten the seatbelt around Isabelle before the ride began. 

They arrived at the school entrance and it was the security guard who saw her first, he ran to the cab.

"Isabelle, you have no idea the worry you put everyone in" He brought out the cell phone to call the school owner and informed her of Lucy's appearance. 

"I saw her on the street and brought her here when I looked up the school name on Google" 

"Thank you so much, ma'am. Her parents have been so worried. I'll take her inside." 

"Thank you Jayda" Lucy kissed Jayda on her cheeks before storming into the school compound happily. 

Jayda ran back into the cab when she realized she's forty minutes away from catching her flight. Just as her cab drove off, a black sedan car pulled over and out came one of the richest businessmen in the city, Brian Chase. 

He ran into the school premises in search of his daughter and the security man was too afraid to even tell him that Lucy had been found.

"Are you okay?" Brian asked as he elevated Lucy with his arm. 

Brian to the outside world is very formidable but warm when he's around his daughter or matters related to her. 

Five words, 'He doesn't joke with her' even though she's a product of a one night stand with a model he'd hooked up with years back. 

"Yes daddy I am. Someone brought me back to school" Lucy said. 

"Yes Sir. A good Samaritan brought her back to school" The Headmistress added. 

"Where is this good Samaritan?" Brian asked clearly not satisfied that a stranger just dropped his daughter without asking for anything in return. 

"She left immediately she dropped her" The headmistress smiled on that note. 

"What do you mean she left? You let her go? What if she did something to my daughter? Did you even check if she's intact? What if she kidnapped her, to begin with?" Brian attacked. 

"She didn't kidnap me, Daddy. Mummy wanted to buy something from a clothing store and we got separated in the crowd" Lucy was on the verge of crying. 

"Your daughter is one of our brightest students and I think her testimony is credible." 

Brian gave her a cold stare and then slowly dropped Lucy back on the floor. 

"Thank you," Brian said. 

He kissed Lucy's forehead before leaving the headmistress's office. 

As soon as he entered the black sedan, Brian dialled Khloé's number. 

"You'll be hearing from my lawyer. You are not fit to be a mother" he hung up rudely.