“Thinking of you is easy. I do it every day since I met you. Missing you is the heartache that never goes away.” 

Adrian’s POV

I was on my doorstep when my phone buzzed.

“Yes Dad,” I answered the call. My dad, Nathaniel Henderson, still actively managed our businesses, along with me and my brothers, Stefan, Tristan, and my twin Julian. Our eldest sister, Stefan’s twin, Claire, was already married with a child. She was a hairstylist and therapist and didn’t have any interest in our businesses. She had her own hair salons in California.

Dad wanted me to fly to California tonight to handle the press conference there. It would be held at our major hotel in LA, Springwell Grand Suites, which was included in the Forbes list of elite hotels this year.

“Yes Dad, I’ll be at the airport in an hour,” I said, and he disconnected the call.

My life couldn’t get worse. Just when I got hopeful about my love life, I had to leave everything and go away. Maybe I was destined to be all alone! I trudged off to my bedroom to pack for the three-day trip. I had a press conference to attend, as well as to conduct a training workshop for the marketing team of the hotel there.

I reached the airport in record time. The private jet was ready for me. Stefan would join me after the press conference tomorrow. It was already late, so I just had a glass of hot milk and retired to one of the luxurious bedrooms of the jet, and went to sleep, dreaming of Azura. I reached the hotel the next morning and directly went up to the executive suite to freshen up. The press conference would start in the latter half of the day. I collaborated with the PR and the marketing team of the hotel and jointly prepared for the press conference. Stefan would arrive in the evening for the workshop tomorrow and some financial aspects, which he needed to oversee. 

The press conference started an hour later than the scheduled time. We covered every aspect minutely that we wanted to advertise. After a successful afternoon, we applauded one another and rested for the day. I had no energy left to go visit Claire, as she had demanded that I do after the conference. I just slept till evening. When the initial tiredness wore off, I started missing Azura. What she must be doing? Did she miss me as I missed her? 

I closed my eyes and felt her in my arms, imagining her intoxicating scent. I remembered her azure blue eyes looking into my soul, questioning my feelings for her. How could I survive without her for two more days? I didn’t have a clue. Stefan arrived, and we discussed the press conference and went out to eat. Later we went to a pub and had a few drinks and returned to sleep at the hotel.

The next two days were very hectic for me. I didn’t get to interact much with Stefan, too. I was busy with the workshop and he was busy in the finance department. At night, we would just have dinner together and go off to sleep, totally exhausted. I could tell that he was missing Anna very much as he kept looking at her pictures on his mobile, trying to be as discreet as possible, but I knew. He even texted her, which made me feel even more lonely.

I didn’t have any pictures of Azura to watch, only a few fleeting memories with her. I wanted to ask for her number when I met her the next time. If I had her number, at least I could have talked to her, but then what could I have said? I just met her! She would definitely consider me creepy!

The workshop ended, but I had to help Stefan too, so I was stuck in LA longer than expected. The whole week, we worked overtime and completed all the financial auditing and tax affairs of the hotel. By Friday, Stefan and I were glad to go home. He went to his house, and I went home, freshened up, and left for Parkland Manor. I immediately called for Azura with my favorite coffee, but it was Liam who brought me my coffee, much to my disappointment. 

“Sir, Azura hasn’t come to work for two consecutive days,” he informed me. I was too disappointed to even utter a word. I just nodded and sipped the coffee that he brought, my mind going into overdrive. What could be the matter with her? I had just come here to see Azura. Was she unwell or did she leave work? Agitated and worried, I couldn’t take it anymore. I just got up and wanted to see for myself. 

So I drove to Brooklyn, to the house where I had dropped her. Parking at the side, I cautiously walked inside the building. There were two doors that were open, and two women gossiping and laughing amongst themselves. I approached them and they looked at me with weird expressions, taking in my navy suit and white shirt and tie. 

“Can you tell me where Azura Hayes lives?” I asked as they suddenly looked at each other and chuckled.

“You’ve come two days late, mister. They’ve all been kicked out,” one of them said with a laugh. I was confused as ever. Kicked out? Who were they talking about? Did Azura live with someone?

“I don’t get you,” I asked as she interrupted impatiently. 

“There were four girls living with Azura in that two-roomed apartment. One of them shifted to live with her boyfriend. The other one left the city. Another of them completed her studies and left for her hometown. So Azura and her friend couldn’t pay the rent for the last two months and our landlord kicked them out two days back,” she said as she nodded her head in disapproval.

I was dumbstruck at the information I received. 

“Thank you,” I said in a robotic voice and turned and walked out to my car. My mind was numb, and I stood still, not knowing where else to look for her. So did she leave the job? I felt too choked to even breathe. 

Did I lose her forever? What would I do now? My mind stopped working, and I went home to drown myself in whiskey and wallow in self-pity. My tired body and mind wouldn’t cooperate, so tomorrow I would think of a strategy to chase Azura with a fresh mind.