Present—

Sitting on the bed, Dawn's temple ached as hell. Daryn was slowly massaging her head and neck as he sat behind her.

​​

"Stop thinking about it Dawn," he replied. "You didn't do anything. Let the authorities first investigate the matter." Dawn's nervousness affected him and it made him very uncomfortable. "Think of the babies dear," he pleaded with her.

Dawn leaned back on her husband's chest. At the end of the day this was her best position—her husband's hard chest that was like a pillar of support, like home. She closed her eyes, her body shivering. Daryn pulled up the blanket and covered them.

"Who the hell was that girl who ran away from me? And why would she do that? There were paramedics waiting for her. I hope that her hatred for me was overcome by her need for medical attention." Dawn couldn't help but think about her.

"Forget her baby. You can't help those who don't want to be helped. Moreover, David was going to stay there until the fiasco wrapped up."

"The fiasco won't wrap up so easily Daryn," said Dawn, her lips trembling at the thought.

And Dawn was right. Next day by the time it was afternoon it was discovered that a female's charred remains were discovered from the kitchen. None of them could recognize who the girl was. When they thought of tallying the name of the employees as to who went missing, there were none. Then who the hell was this girl? What was she doing in the kitchen? The police investigated those who had come that day but nothing could be found. Finally her body was taken for forensic examination, but the analysts said that it would be difficult to determine who she was because the body burnt badly in the explosion. Perhaps she was directly affected by it. The whole thing gave rise to a new theory—was this girl responsible for the explosion?

Nothing made sense.

By evening Dawn was facing a lawsuit from an employee called Erika Trey, in which she was accused of murder, irresponsibility and negligence of the Wyatt Golf Course. The lawsuit claimed that she should be given a maximum sentence for imprisonment because of all the three things that were stated in the litigation.

Erika Trey was currently in the hospital in the burns ward. The doctors had advised her to go for plastic surgery because she had suffered from several second-degree burns. She was the same girl who had limped away from Dawn after Bree brought her out.

Sitting in her office, Dawn threw the papers on the floor as she cursed her fate. David, Daryn and Lily Wyatt were sitting on the opposite side.

"What is the exact physical damage to the course, David?" she asked clearly so agitated that her teeth were chattering.

David replied, "It's the kitchen which is affected. However all that is covered under insurance and so it can be easily brought back to the original form. Other than that the corners of the adjacent lawns were burnt and there's soot in the corridors. We will be employing a team of workers out there once the place is thoroughly investigated and the kitchen will be restored to original. The problem is that right now the police have barred the place with yellow tapes because of the body that was found inside. We don't know who she was or why did she even come to the kitchen?"

"Have you got the camera's checked?" asked Daryn.

"We have given every evidence to the police. Unfortunately the cameras haven't been working for two days. It seems that the Manager hadn't informed about it to the IT team here, else they would have fixed it." David started to collect the papers from the floor. Once he had collected them, he said, "We need a team of lawyers to get us out of this mess."

"Geoffrey will be coming here shortly," replied Daryn.

"Hertz will also be coming here," said Lily. Her frail shoulders were quivering and Dawn couldn't do much to relax her, but on the inside she was satisfied that Lily was extending her support to her. "Thanks," said Dawn. How will it be with Hertz working for them rather than working against her.

Over the period of next two weeks, the course was investigated properly by the police and other agencies. The cause of the explosion was a leak in the gas line, but they couldn't find out as to how the place ignited. Every light switch and every electric line was working properly. Both Hertz and Geoffrey had been on the case.

Dawn was sitting with her team of VPs in the office for the regular updates when she got a call from Bree.

"I would like to see you," she said on the phone.

Bree had stopped coming to the golf course from past two weeks, and she hadn't even given her resignation. In her email for absence she wrote that she had been very traumatized because of the incident and hence she was taking time to recuperate mentally.

"Okay," said Dawn in a cold voice.

"Then come over to the corner of the fifth avenue, which is barely ten minutes walk to your office."

Dawn became quiet. After a pause she added in an even colder voice, "No, I won't come anywhere. If you want to see me, then you have to come here."

Bree chuckled. "You are such an arrogant bitch! So much has piled on you and yet you show attitude?"

Dawn narrowed her eyes. Her chest was filled with anxiety but she kept the emotion under check. "If you don't have anything to add, then I am going to disconnect the call."

"I will be there in ten minutes, but make sure that you are alone. I will not speak in front of others," said Bree in an agitated voice. The woman was tough as nuts.

"That I can't guarantee. If you are coming I will have to bring in my lawyers," Dawn said plainly.

"No, you won't do that because what I am going to say is very important for your future." Bree sounded as if Dawn's life depended on it.

"I don't care and I won't promise. If you want to come over, you may. It's your choice!" Saying that Dawn disconnected the call. The wench had the gall to use her terms of conditions. That wouldn't happen—ever.

Dawn dismissed the team of VPs and by the time they wrapped up, Bree was standing on the outside. Cara came to inform Dawn about Bree.

"Send her in," she said.

Bree took the chair opposite to Dawn as she watched the last man leave her office. "I see that you are pretty busy!" remarked Bree. She waved her hands around and mocked, "All this is so nice, isn't it? This all belonged to Helena and you just came and grabbed it! She was the one who was furthering the business and you simply put everything in shambles. Jesus, you aren't even ashamed of yourself!"

Dawn folded her hands and rested on the back of her chair. She crossed her legs. Her headache was beginning to form but she maintained a cool façade on the outside. Her eyes were cold as ice. "So what is it that you have come to me Bree?" She looked at her watch and added, "I have precisely five minutes to talk."