The Royal Contract

He was on his way to the office when he decided to turn around and head to her apartment. It was still early, and he still had time to check on her. This time, he did not call Ben for details.

He would like to be just a regular boyfriend who would like to apologize or even gravel on her feet for forgiveness for his overbearing behavior. 

He promised that he would ask for a compromise. He would listen to Dani's suggestions and consider a possible middle point to agree upon until they resolved their problem.

"Hey, Jacky." He greeted after a long time of knocking and buzzing on her door. He already figured that Dani might not be home, but he persisted, hoping that Jacky might know where she was.

He could assume that she was out on a jog or might have gone to the office early. But it was better to ask before he started searching the street of the park or her office. 

The only downside, he had to face the wrath of Jacky. But he did not mind that. He could tolerate Jacky's rants as long as she could supply him with the information he needed to find Dani.

"What is your problem, Alex?" Jacky greeted him with a scowl on her face. Even if he was the president of the country, he had no right to disturb her sleep. "One buzz should be enough to tell you that you are not welcome."

She was more grumpy than usual since of her early rendezvous with her friend. Dani needed some company, and she was glad she was there for her. 

But she had to make up for her lost time, so she planned to sleep at the last minute before going to work. Now, this man had ruined it for her. She had to put him in his place.

"I'm sorry, Jacky. But I am looking for Dani. Is she here?" He asked her as he stood outside the hallway, looking inside. He was hoping that he would see a glimpse of her. Maybe she was hiding from him, still not ready to confront him.

"Isn't it obvious? She is not here." She looked at him incredulously. "Why are you looking for her this early?" She asked, still clueless of his early visit. 

Although it was not unusual for this scenario, still the two of them were practically living together. Dani should be home with him. Why was he looking for her?

"Because…" It took him a few seconds before he could continue with his answer. Unsure if he should tell her the truth or make up some story.

Then, it clicked in her sleepy mind the earlier talk she had with her friend. "Oh, I know why." She sheepishly replied to him. "Are you here to apologize and beg on your knees?"

She finally remembered that Dani went home last night because they had some argument. She was still recalling everything because she was a bit slow in the morning.

"I will tell you if you will invite me inside." He told her, seeing that the movers from the other apartment were about to pass by.

He did not want to be on the way when they carried those large boxes in the hallway. At the same time, he did not want their conversation overheard by their neighbors. He would prefer to talk about their lives in private.

"Why not?" She opened the door wider and walked back to the living room. "As if I can still go back to sleep anyway." She rumbled on.

It was almost time to wake up anyway and prepare for work. Besides, Jacky was curious about what Alex had to say. It was rare that she was able to talk to him alone.

"As I said, I am sorry. But I must talk to Dani." Alex explained to her, hoping that she would understand his predicament. He sensed from her earlier statement that Dani had already shared their problems with her.

He did not mind since he also did the same earlier with Marcus. In the past, he did not see why girls had to share everything with their best friends. 

But after his conversation with Marcus, he was enlightened. Although, they only talked about emotional stuff and nothing beyond personal, like his sexual relationship with Dani. 

He still could not kiss and tell. Those were secrets that should remain between him and his partner. He had too much respect for Dani and all the women he had relations with to share such information.

"Well, she is not here. I think I heard that she was going for a run." She remembered hearing her shout earlier by her door before she fell back to sleep. 

She looked at the clock and began to wonder. It was already late. Usually, her friend should be back at the apartment at this time to prepare for work. She could not help but worry, thinking what could be keeping her.

He had seen her face change when she gazed at the clock. Her expression was passive at first until it turned into concern. He began to wonder if there was something wrong that she was not telling him.

"What time is she due to return?" He asked, thinking that she should be back here to ready for work. He was doubtful that she would go straight to work after a morning run.

But the look on her face made him realize that his assumption was correct. It was unusual for Dani to be late to return unless something happened to her. He hoped he was mistaken.

"She should be here by now." She responded to his question, still trying to be calm. She wanted to believe that there was a reasonable explanation for why she was late.

She looked at the closed door, willing it to open and reveal her friend, safe and sound. But the seconds ticked by, the door remained close and silent. 

"Then, what is taking her so long?" He thought aloud. "Wait. I will call, Ben." He instructed Jacky, who only nodded in agreement.

Ben should have reported it by now if there was an incident. He trusted his men to do their job proficiently, but what if Ben was also hurt or injured as his mind nagged at him.

Well, he should not panic until he acquired a clearer view of the situation. There was no sense in making a big deal out of nothing. He should not be making up scenarios in his head. It would only mess up with his head.

The phone kept ringing, but he was not answering his phone. He checked the number he dialed, and the screen confirmed he had the right one. He tried again, but the same thing, his call went straight to voice mail.

"What happened?" Jacky asked, finally concern showing on her face. She could see that he failed to contact the bodyguard assigned to Dani.

He signaled her to wait as he tried another number. He decided to try to call Dani instead. But as expected, they heard the ringer of her phone inside her room. 

He thought maybe this time, she decided to take her phone with her as he usually suggested. But as stubborn as she was, she insisted that she did not need a distraction in her short run.

"Why are you calling her phone?" Jacky asked him, a bit frustrated with the situation. "You know that she doesn't like to bring it with her." She had to remind him.

"I asked her to bring it with her, but apparently, she still ignored my wishes." He took his phone out again and dialed his other team. "I want you to check on Ben's location. I can't seem to contact him."

That should do the trick, he hoped. But the question remained. Where are Dani and Ben? What happened to them? He suddenly regretted agreeing to Dani to cut down her security to one.

He should have been firmer in his stand that she needed someone to protect her all the time. His earlier resolve to compromise and let her have her way had suddenly turned to dust.

"Do everything you can to find her?" Jacky said, slightly shaken from the knowledge that her friend was now confirmed missing.

She should not have left her in the kitchen to go to sleep. She should have stayed and kept her accompanied. If she did, she would still probably slumped on the kitchen counter, listening to her stupid advice and not missing out there.

She suddenly blamed herself if her friend had another accident. Worse, if someone took her against her wishes.. Even worse, lying on a ditch somewhere, without a life.