Song: The Devil Within by Digital Dagger

.....

Two Month's Later

"Lydia, please arrange this order for me. The details are on the note."

My receptionist grabbed the note from my desk. "Yes, Mr. Cavill. I'll arrange your order right away."

"Thank you. You may go now."

As Lydia left the room, I stood up and paced over to the ceiling-high windows of my office. In the distance, I could see the planes landing and taking off from O'hare.

The board was set.

The pieces were in place.

Now all I needed to do was wait for the next move.

No matter how long it took or the sacrifices I had to make to get there, I will get what I want.

Slowly and unknowingly, everyone of them will suffer at the wrath of my hands.

When the time approached for my order to be delivered, I went down to the grand lobby and waited on the lounge chair, hidden from the view behind some furnished plants.

After a few minutes, Ally walked through the doors with the flowers I had ordered in her hands. She stopped at Guest Services and spoke with the receptionist before taking a seat at a nearby table, just several feet from me.

Shortly, Katherine stepped out from the elevator and approached her. "Hello, I'm Katherine."

"Hi, I'm Ally. I have your order here from Nancy's Floral Shop."

"I can see that. Thank you, Ally. My manager is going to love it very much."

I peeked at my Audemar Piguet watch and noticed I had to be on my way to an important meeting at two. Standing up from the chair, I glanced over to Ally and Katherine who were still in conversation before heading out through the revolving glass doors. I waited in the grand driveway as Larry drove the black Mercedes Benz around the corner.

"Larry, Everest, please," I request him when I stepped in the car.

Larry nodded from the driver's seat.

The text tone rang from my iPhone, and it was from Katherine. She texted me a picture of the flower arrangement, which was designed with the flowers I had requested: baby breaths, white roses, and of course, purple tulips—my sister's favorite.

I typed into my iPhone. Cancel the flower order for tomorrow, compensate them for their loss and arrange for this vendor instead.

Absolutely. Katherine messaged back immediately.

Fifteen minutes later, Larry parked in front the building. I rode the elevator to the 40th floor to the French restaurant, wondering what must be going through Ally's mind at the moment. She had to had seen me through the glass windows.

Mr. Bailey was already waiting by at a table near the windows. Meeting with the State Attorney General wasn't easy, but by my reputation and status, there was no doubt he wouldn't meet with me.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Bailey," I greeted as I held out my hand.

He accepted it. "Afternoon, Mr. Cavill."

"I apologize for making you wait, but thank you again for your time." I unbuttoned my blazer and sat down across from him.

The waiter poured some dark wine into our glasses before leaving us alone.

Mr. Bailey smiled. "It's not a problem. It's my pleasure. I've heard many great things about your corporation and what you do for the state of Illinois. And to finally be able to sit down with you, the honor is actually mine."

"Thank you, Mr. Bailey. I really appreciate it. Actually, I wanted to meet with you concerning something of the past—a case. I need a little favor."

Mr. Bailey held up his glass to his lips and swallowed the contents inside. "That's not a problem at all. Just name it."

The meeting went exceptionally well, even better than I had imagined. Even though the game had just started, I already had my last move decided for the ending.

Later in the evening, I returned to the hotel when everybody had already left the office for the day. I didn't return to the house, or should I say home? It was home, but it hadn't felt like one for a while. Too many memories hid in those rooms, ones which I wanted to forget painfully.

It was me alone up here in the office, but I didn't mind it. Most of the time, I preferred being alone by myself because it was the only way I could breath—survive in this world. That was the one and only way I had been living since her tragic death.

I sat down at my desk in my dimly-lit office. The majority of the light in the room radiated from the surrounding buildings. I turned on my Mac computer and answered a few emails sitting in my inbox.

The thought of her drifted into my mind again. And thinking of her, my eyes landed on the flowers sitting on the coffee table where Katherine had placed it earlier. I stood up and walked slowly to it, surveying the edges of the flowers in the dark. The designs of the arrangement was intricate and precise, knowing the maker of the finished product.

She had a skill for these things—flowers. That was probably the only thing she was good at.

It was a shame though as her hard work was going to waste.

I grabbed the arrangement and headed out of the floor down to the lobby. In the alleyway behind the hotel, I took one last look at the arrangement before tossing it into one of the large garbage bins.

Beauty no longer existed in this world. Even it did, the moment was fleeting. Eventually, anything beautiful fades away from the light into darkness.

People say there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

But that was lie.

There was no silver living.

There was no salvation from this pain.

There was no light at the end of the tunnel, only the dark.

And that was where everything should remain from the beginning ... in the shadows where the monsters stir in the dark.

Ever since my sister's death, work had been my best friend in the last few years. It kept me occupied and blocked my mind from certain thoughts of the past. The days passed by much easier if I was doing something I could control, and work was just the only thing I had control over in my life.

I made sacrifices along the way, withdrawing from society altogether. I stopped attending social events and lost contact with all my close friends.

There was only person who I can rely on, turned to for help when I needed.

In the evening, I went back to the house. Nana told me she had prepared my favorite dinner tonight, and since I hadn't been in town much lately, I couldn't missed out on her cooking this time. I had been away from her for far too long. She was the only person who I knew truly love and care for me deeply.

Nana gave me a hug once I walked through the doors. "Oh, Henry, there you are! I missed you. I can't even recall the last time you were home."

"I apologize, Nana. I'll try to come home more often for you."

She smiled, showcasing the wrinkles even more evident on her face. It really struck me to realize how old Nana had gotten in the last few weeks that I had seen her. She had raised me from when I was a child. She took care of me when my parents were away on business and taught me to become a cook. Even though she wasn't my biological grandmother, I always looked to her as my real grandmother.

She led me into the kitchen where dinner had already been placed on the table. "I made your favorite—medium rare steak, and also your favorite dessert—coffee rolls."

"Thank you, Nana." I looked at what she had prepared for me. "You didn't need to do this."

"But I wanted to. Come on, have a seat." She urged me to sit down. As dinner began, she asked me a question that she never did before. "Henry, is there anyone in your heart?"

At the age of twenty-nine years old, I wasn't surprised by her question. I knew she was going to ask sooner or later about my love life, which was non-existent for the moment.

I had more important things to focus my time on than finding romance—love wasn't in the books for me.

"Yes, Nana. There's you," I answered her.

She laughed. "Not me, silly boy. I meant—do you have a girlfriend?"

I shook my head, cutting into my steak.

"You know I'm not going to be here with you forever."

"Don't say that, Nana."

"I know, but it's the truth. I'm getting old, and so are you. You're going to have to find that special someone you want to cherish for the rest of your life. Have you found her?"

"No, there isn't anyone."

"What about Victoria?"

I smiled, and took a sip of water. "Victoria's only a close family friend, Nana. With business and traveling, I haven't had much time to meet anyone outside of work." I put a piece of steak into my mouth. Nana cooked it just perfectly, searing it on a grill before baking it in the oven.

"Don't let work distract you from living your life, Henry. I know you work very hard, but give yourself some freedom."

"I'll keep that in mind. Don't worry about me, Nana."

"I can't. I always worry about you, Henry, but I'm not going to pester you about it. It is your life after all. All I wish is that you find her soon. Remember—she may just be standing in front of you, and you may not even know it."

After dinner, I went up to my bedroom to get some rest. Nana took care of my room even when I wasn't here. Every speck of dust was cleared, all the sheets of my king-sized bed—which I barely slept in—washed and rewashed.

I loosened my collar and walked into the bathroom. I took off my watch and placed it on the counter with my iPhone. After splattering water on my face, I stared at myself in the mirror, recalling Nana's words.

She may just be standing in front of you, and you may not even know it.

I shook my head, trying to rid of the words from my mind.

Just like beauty, love will eventually fade away into nothing.

When I got out of the shower, I grabbed my iPhone from the bathroom counter. Walking into the walk-in closet, I sent a quick message to Katherine. Have they accepted our proposal?

She responded instantly. Yes, the new floral vendor accepted the proposal and will be arriving tomorrow at three with the order.

Very good. I'll like to meet the team for this vendor when they're here tomorrow. Please inform me.

I will arrange it. She messaged back.

.....

I went early into the office the next morning at seven. I had meetings throughout the whole morning nonstop with the board of directors, the Finance team, and important clients.

By the time all the meetings were over, it was quarter to four already. Katherine knocked on my door as I looked over the new contract proposals.

"Mr. Cavill, Guest Services just rang me that the flowers are all set up. Would you like to go down and meet the team from the vendor?"

I rose from my chair and button my jacket. "Yes, shall we?"

We took the elevator down to the first floor and headed over to Conference Room C where Ally and her team were packing up to leave. Her eyes flicked over to me quickly when she noticed that I had walked into the room. I knew she was surprised to see me.

"Hi everyone, I would like you to meet the owner of Pearce Hotel and Resort, Mr. Henry Cavill," Katherine announced proudly.

My eyes scanned over the vendor's team until it landed on Ally. With my gaze locked on her, I could see that her long hair was tied up into a messy bun, and her apron was scattered with dirt. She looked down and bow slightly to greet me.

"Hello, everyone. How are you all today?" I greeted them. Everyone responded, except Ally.

I walked up to introduce myself personally to each one of them while shaking their hands. When I moved in front of Ally, she peered up at me with a tiny grin on her face. I noticed how nervous she became, I could see it i her eyes—the way she stood, the red growing on her cheeks.

"Hi, Ally. It's a surprise to see you here." I held out my hand to her.

"Hi, Henry," she said in a low tone.

Her hand was very cold. When I was younger, Nana once told me that people with very cold hands have warm hearts. But I didn't believe the stories.

"Wow, um ...," Ally started, "I can't believe you're the owner of this hotel. What a coincidence, right?" She smiled more confidently now, showing her dimple.

I returned the gesture. "I thought I gave you my business card when we met back in Washington."

"Oh yes, I believe you did," she replied rather too fast—probably to cover up a lie. "I must have misplaced it somewhere."

"That's no problem. I can always get you another one. I'm really sorry about that day I didn't show up. I had something urgent, but I promise, I'll make it up to you."

"Oh, no, that's really okay. It's nothing."

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm doing good. How about you?"

"Very well." I looked at my watch. "I have a meeting in a few minutes so I have to leave, but may I see your phone for a minute?"

"What?"

"Your phone. You do have one, right?"

"Yes."

Ally reluctantly took out her phone from her back pocket—it was a flip phone. She was the only person I knew who still had one. It was quite humorous, but I kept my composure. I didn't want her to discern my true intentions.

I grabbed the phone out of her hand and typed my phone number into it. A moment later, my iPhone rang in my blazer.

"Now you have my number," I said as I handed her phone back to her. "I have to go now. It was nice talking to you again, Ally."

Ally took her phone, holding it both with her hands. "You too, Henry."

"I'll see you soon." I smiled one last time before leaving the room. Walking away from the room, a smirk grew on my face.

.....

"So the rumors are true. Henry is back in town." Victoria walked into my office the next day after lunch. My receptionist had phoned me saying she was on her way up. "When were you going to call me?"

I stood up from behind my desk and walked over to hug her. "Good to see you, Victoria. I apologize, I was busy once I arrived back and didn't have a chance to let you know."

She seated herself on the leather couch and crossed her legs, her Louis Vuitton bag at her side. "I wanted to see if you wanted to have dinner tonight with me and my family."

I sat down opposite from her. "You could have called or messaged me."

"I needed to invite you in person. You always never come when I call or text you." She crossed her arms and leaned back onto the couch. "So, will you come tonight?"

"I can't. I'll have to take a raincheck. I have a date tonight."

"A date?" By her tone and expression, she was surprised. "With who? Do I know her?"

Victoria was always interested in my personal life, but I couldn't blame her for it. I knew full well that she wanted a future with me, but I couldn't give her what she wanted.

"You wouldn't know her. She's outside of our circle," I answered her, seeing the color being drained from her face.

"I would love to meet this woman who captured your heart. When do I get to meet her, Henry?"

"I wouldn't know. Maybe soon."

When it came down to the truth, I only saw Victoria as younger sister and close family friend—nothing more. And she deserved to be with someone who truly appreciates her.

That person wasn't me.

When I finished signing the contracts with new the clients, I drove over to Ally's workplace. I parked my black BMW in front of the floral shop and walked inside. The owner of the store Nancy who I spoke on the phone earlier today greeted me.

"Hello, you must be Henry."

"Yes, I am. And you must be Nancy."

She smiled brightly. "Ally has talked to me about you a few times."

"She has?" I asked, pretending to look intrigued.

"Yes, I was wondering when you would show up. It's good to finally put a face to a name, and a very handsome one, too."

I softly chuckled. "You're too kind, Nancy."

Nancy smiled. Even though she was younger than Nana, Nancy reminded me a lot of her. "Ally, someone is here for you."

Ally halted sweeping the floor and looked up from across the shop to see me. As her face lighted up in surprise just I expected, she headed over to the counter. "Hi, Henry. What are you doing here?"

With skinny jeans, a green plaid button-up shirt, and black Converses, she was the definition of a simpleton.

"I called Nancy, and she said your shift ends at four today. I wanted to see if you wanted to do something," I replied to her confidently. "To make it up for last time."

"Umm, well, I still have about 10 minutes left. Could you—"

"It's not a problem, Ally," Nancy interrupted her. "You don't want to keep Henry waiting. It's not that busy at the moment. Why don't you just leave early?"

"Are you sure, Nancy?"

"Of course honey! You don't want to keep a gentleman waiting now, do you?" With a smile on her face, Nancy placed her hands on Ally's shoulders and lightly pushed her to the back. "Now go get your things and I'll see you next week."

"O-okay, Thank you," Ally said hesitantly to Nancy before turning around to me. "Henry, let me go get my things and I'll be right back."

I nodded.

"Nancy, I am curious. Would you be able to tell me what Ally said about me to you?"

Nancy smiled and walked behind the counter. "She talked about the day you two met in Washington and how you met again later in the evening at the casino."

"Is that so?"

"Uh-huh. I'm sure she's quite as nervous and happy seeing you here today. She has been probably waiting for this moment for a while. I know she likes you. And Ally just doesn't like anybody for any reason. You're special."

I smiled, watching her talk about her innocent Ally. "I'm glad to hear that, Nancy."

"I'm ready." We both turned to Ally, standing with her bag across her front.

"Thank you Nancy again for letting Ally off early," I told her. "I'll take care of her and see her home."

Nancy nodded.

"Ready?" I asked Ally, and she nodded with a shy grin.

"You kids have a great time!" Nancy called out just as we approached the doors.

Ally followed me out to the front where the BMW waited. I walked over to the passenger door and opened it like a gentleman for her, closing it once she stepped inside.

When I got into the driver seat, I noticed she hadn't buckled her seatbelt. Taking this opportunity to get close to her, I reached over to grabbed her seatbelt.

Our eyes locked on, and she appeared startled.

"What are you doing?" Ally asked.

"Putting on your seatbelt," I responded with a grin. I pulled her seatbelt across her front and clicked it into place. It was easy to know what thoughts were on her mind from the way her lips were. "Is there a particular place you like to eat?"

"Anywhere is okay with me." She kept her eyes on mine, not breaking our contact.

I decided to take her to Alinea, one of the only restaurants in Chicago I visit when I was in town. It was on the outskirts of downtown, not too far from Nancy's shop.

As we walked inside the restaurant, Ally followed closely behind me. I turned around to her and judging from the way she appeared, she must have felt a little out of place—I wasn't surprise.

The waiter seated us immediately, knowing who I was without even asking. As he led us upstairs to a private room, I slowed down for Ally to go ahead of me. I rested my right hand close to her back, guiding her along as if she was mine.

In fact, she will be. She just doesn't know it yet.

Once we were seated, the waiter left us alone to the menus. I watched as Ally scanned over hers, her eyes skimming up and down the pages. With the floral job she held, I knew she could barely afford to eat here.

"This is one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago," I said, and she looked up from the menu. "They're known worldwide for their cuisines."

"Really? That's amazing." She retreated back to the menu, biting her bottom lip like she was still thinking.

It was quite amusing to watch her. "Order whatever you like, Ally. It's on me today."

She raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. It's my way of apologizing to you that day I didn't show up."

"That was nothing. You had something more important."

"Don't worry about it. You can treat next time." I managed a smile so she would be persuaded by my genuineness.

"Okay. But next time, it's on me for sure," Ally mentioned. I nodded, acknowledging her suggestion. "Anyways, Henry, what would you recommend since you've been here before?"

"The lobster course is really amazing. I think you should try that one."

She nodded. "That sounds good to me."

The waiter came back, and I placed both our orders with him. When we were left alone again, Ally took a sip of her water. I could see how nervous she was, sitting across the table from me.

"So where did you grow up?" she asked. It was unlike her to begin a conversation with me.

"I grew up here in Chicago, actually."

"Ah, so this is home for you too."

"Yeah." A dry chuckle escaped my lips. "But sadly, it doesn't feel like home."

Chicago was never my home. I was born and raised here in the Windy City, but it never felt like a home that could offer me peace and comfort.

"Why's that?" she prodded with interest.

"After graduating from college, my grandfather wanted me to take over the family business so I've been all over the world. I really haven't had a chance to settle down in just one place."

"Oh, I see. How about your family?"

Talking about my family bothered me, and I never really liked opening up to anybody. "My parents were killed in a car crash before my sister died and my grandparents passed away with old age."

"I'm so sorry." This was the second time she apologize to me.

"You don't have to apologize every time, Ally." I grabbed my glass and took a sip of water from it. "How about you? Tell me a little bit about yourself."

She smiled as I asked her the question. Although I had already known all there is to this woman, I wanted to hear it from her lips. "I'm also from Chicago. I like to read in my spare time. I like to take pictures and I'm in love with everything about flowers. That's why I was at the Tulip Festival in Washington. And I ..."

I listened as she trailed on about herself. She was quite the talker once she opened up to me a little—like a flower blooming from the warmth of the sun.

"How about your family?" I asked. I took a sip of water to rid of the lump in my throat.

"I guess it's only fair to tell you since you've told me so much about yours ... My mom left when I was very young. Since she left, it's been me, my brother, my sister, and my dad. We had it okay. My dad worked a lot to support my siblings and I, but he passed away five years ago from cancer."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

She managed a grin, but I could see through her smile, there was something deeper she was attempting to hide—like she was still hurting.

The sight was satisfying for me. "Where are your brother and sister now?"

"My brother, Chris, ran into some trouble a couple years back and has been in prison ever since. I don't remember much of what happened. I only visit him once in a while."

I knew she was telling the truth. She was only thirteen when it happened—she wouldn't know the full details being just a teen when our paths crossed.

Ally continued, "As for Eve, she also lives here in Chicago with her husband, Rick, and their two kids."

"At least you have siblings who are still alive." It was hard listening to her talk about her brother and sister. At least they were still on this earth with her—she could see them whenever she wanted—but my one and only sister was taken away from me. "So what about Lily and Adam?"

"Lily and Adam are my best friends from high school. They're my support system along with Nancy ever since my father passed away."

"You have great friends, Ally."

"I do. I'm very lucky to have great people by my side. My father always told me to never take people for granted."

"Your father was wise in telling you that."

The time was 8:10 pm when we stepped out of the restaurant, but I didn't want the night to end yet.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" I asked her after we stepped back inside the BMW.

Remembering what happened earlier, Ally had already buckled herself in the passenger seat. "Sure, if it's not too late for you."

"It's never too late for me."

I drove us across downtown to the Lakefront Trail, which I knew was one of her favorite places to spend with her family and friends. I parked the car a block over, and we crossed the street to get onto the trail.

I never usually go on walks late in the evenings as I felt it was a waste of time, but knowing Ally was an outdoor, scenic person, it was a tactic I had to use.

We strolled alongside each other on the quiet trail, my hands locked behind me while hers in front. There were a few bikers and walkers who passed by us.

"How long will you be here in Chicago?" she asked me.

"I don't know exactly at the moment, but I'm thinking a couple months or so depending on work. Why do you ask?" Her question made me intrigued. The only person who only asked me that question was Nana.

"I was just wondering," she said breezily. "You said earlier you don't stay in one place very long. It must be fun traveling to new places all the time."

She looked to me for a response.

"It's not always fun," I answered.

Traveling was only a way for me to keep my mind occupy.

To me, it wasn't living.

The grass wasn't alway greener on the other side as what people thought it would be. Even though it may seemed like I have everything in my life—money, reputation, power—I didn't have it all.

"No?" Ally seemed a little finished.

"I mean ... it's a very different way to live, always moving from one place to another.," I explained. I wasn't even sure why I was explaining myself to her, but maybe if she knew, she would empathize with me. I stopped walking and she did the same. "If I had to choose, I would very much like to settle in one place. A place like the country ... away from the city, away from business and society in general ...That's just my perspective."

She kept gazing at me after I answered her. Did my answer really moved her?

She smiled brightly like a light had flipped on in her head.

"Come on." She pulled my right hand, making me confused. Her pace picked up.

"Where are we going?" My feet started to run after her.

"You'll see." She smiled at me like she had something already plan.

She held onto my hand firmly, and I knew she wouldn't let it go until we reached our destination. I tightened our hold, watching her long wavy hair flying in the wind—like a moment lost within a surreal dream.

When we made it to Buckingham Fountain, we both slowed down. She released my hand, and I curled and uncurled my fingers, trying to shake off what just happened.

Ally walked up to the little fence built to prevent people from going into the grass. "Before my mom left, we would, every summer, take a family trip here. I didn't remember much, but there were still pictures in our family albums."

Ally unzipped her bag, found two quarters inside, and handed one to me. She kept one to herself.

"You said you wanted to live in the country. Make a wish and throw it in."

"Ally, I—"

"Close your eyes and make a wish. It's really easy, like this."

She closed both her eyes and held the quarter closed to her heart as she made her wish. A few seconds later, she threw the coin with all her strength into the fountain. "Now it's your turn."

It made me curious—this woman. A part of her was a young lady, coming of age, learning to find her place in this world, but in another part, she also had an unpredictable side like a innocent child.

When I concentrated on my wish, there was only one thing I wanted and that was to see them all suffer.

I threw the coin into the fountain. "Ally, I can't believe you just made me do that," I played along with her.

"Why? It was fun, wasn't it?" She beamed, proud that she was able to get me to do that. "Wait." She took out her small Canon camera, the same one she used back at the tulip fields. "Let's take a picture."

She held up the camera high. I placed my arm on her shoulders, getting close into the frame. Her body tensed up as she remained still and snapped a picture quickly.

"Remember to give me a copy of that picture," I told her.

"Okay." She placed the camera back in her bag. "It's getting late. We should get going."

I drove her home at her request. She provided me the address to her apartment, even though I knew exactly where she lived.

"Thank you for today, Henry," Ally said after we made it front of her building complex. "I had a very nice time. I guess ... I'll see you later then."

I nodded and then she slowly unbuckled herself from the seat as if she didn't want to leave.

"Wait." I held her arm softly from stepping out of the car. "Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

She thought it through over her head, but she didn't give me an answer straight away.

"If you're busy, it's okay. I understand."

"Well, I sort of promised my sister that I would take her kids to their soccer tournament tomorrow."

"Do you mind if I come to? I could drive you all."

"That's very nice of you, but I don't know. It's going to be hot and tiring."

"You don't think I can handle that?" I joked with her.

"Of course, I think you can handle it. Alright, if you want to come, you can. I don't remember all the details so I'll text you more information when I get upstairs."

"Sounds perfect."

Ally waved goodbye before disappearing through the building doors.

I smirked to myself, proud of the way things were moving along with the plan—just what I envisioned.