The Puppetmaster

by Linnea May

  “Thanks,” I manage, only catching his gaze for a moment before I avert my eyes again. “What are you trying to do? Winning me over on your side? Why are you saying those things, Raad?”

  “Because it’s true,” he says, opening the folder in his lap. “The guy’s heart didn’t give in because of you, but because of a medication he was taking as part of a medical trial back then. A medication that should never have been approved by the FDA.”

  I prick up my ears, still unwilling to let my guard down when our eyes meet. “What are you saying?”

  “He was one of the test subjects in a trial a while back, a trial that I tried to stop,” Raad continues. “Because our labs had worked on the same medication and our research showed that the combination of active agents was too unpredictable to be considered safe. They could potentially cause more harm than help, even though the cases were rare—they were still enough for my guys to stop working on the idea. However…”

  He clears his throat, going through the stack of paper in his lap, before he pulls out one sheet that he hands over to me.

  “It didn’t stop this firm,” he goes on, while I try to understand what’s written on the paper he just handed me. “They knew about the risks, but when they heard that we stopped working on it, they saw an opportunity. The shareholders soon decided that they needed to secure the patent on the product as quickly as possible. Their only interest was to bring the product to the market—and to be the only ones doing so.”

  I’m shaking my head, confused at the numbers and names on the paper he gave me. It’s a list with names, next to percentages and other numbers I can’t make sense of. “I don’t… understand.”

  “I was one of the shareholders,” Raad explains, pointing at one of the names on the list—his own. “But back at the time, I was only holding a small percentage of shares. Too small to influence their decision-making.”

  “And you needed more to… stop them from doing this?”

  He nods. “Yes, a lot more. If I wanted my voice to overpower that of the other main shareholders, I needed to be in possession of more than half of the firm’s shares.”

  “Why didn’t you just buy them? Why did you use our names?”

  “Because the other shareholders know me, and they knew what I was up to,” he responds. “I approached them when my lab came up with its results, because I wanted to warn them. And when they wouldn’t listen, I tried to make them stop by force.”

  “So they couldn’t know it was you who took control of those shares?” I assume.

  “Correct. I had to split the purchases, too, so they wouldn’t draw too much attention, while I gathered control of the company in secret. But you already figured that out on your own.”

  I suggest a nod. “Yes, but—”

  “It may look like I did this purely out of greed for profit, but I didn’t, Alena. I knew that was the accusation I would be facing once it became known that I’m the one holding all of those shares. I expected that to happen, because the public doesn’t know any better and the company will do what they can to stain my name. But it’s not true. I did it because I want to stop them from obtaining patents on that dangerous drug and to have the possibility of using our research results to countermand the FDA approval. You have to believe me.”

  He pins me down with a pleading look, looking even more defeated thanks to the mark I left around his eye.

  I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to believe. I want to trust him so badly and I want his words to be true, but I’m still so shaken up about everything that I can’t let myself simply be wrapped up by the warm and soothing promise that comes with his assertion.

  “But how did you know about the guy back then?” I want to know, tilting my head to the side as I regard him with a probing look. “How could you possibly know about that?”

  “Because I was there,” he says, his black eyes fixed on mine. “It was when I was trying to stop the drug from ever becoming a reality, and his case was reported to me, because his heart gave out while he was on a trial taking that drug. He was only the second case ever reported to us, and the first one was made to disappear by the rival company before we could get our hands on it. I didn’t want to let that happen again, so I flew in myself and—”

  “You saw me?” I ask, horrified at the realization. “You were at the hospital?”

  “Yes,” he says, nodding. “After I paid a visit to the guy and made sure his records were sent to us, I heard about how he ended up there in the first place.”

  Raad pauses, chuckling before he adds: “And when they told me that he was beat up by a girl, I couldn’t believe it. I had to see what kind of girl was able to successfully defend herself against an attack like that. And then I saw you.”

  He pauses again, a solemn expression gracing his handsome face as he looks at me.

  “You were so beautiful,” he says. “So vulnerable and small, yet still exuding that fierce strength, even while lying unconscious in a hospital bed. I had to know who you were. I had to learn more about you. So I did.”

  “You… stalked me?”

  He laughs, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t call it stalking, Alena. I looked you up. I learned your story. And I knew I would want to see you again. I knew I needed to make you mine. So I made sure you were taken care of and would not only stay in the city, but also become acquainted with The Velvet Rooms and… the Puppetmaster.”

  “What-What did you do?”

  “I made sure you’d get a well-paying job in the city, so you would stay in Boston.”

  “You…what? You made Mr. Hammond hire me?” I blurt out.

  I can’t believe what I’m hearing. He has planned all of this for like three years? He took control of my life like that without me ever knowing?

  “Kind of,” Raad admits. “He owed me one, so he promised to hire you under the promise that you were my responsibility—and that you would stop working for him once I called you in as my final puppet.”

  “C-C-Called me in?” I stutter. “But that…never happened?”

  “Because you quit your job ahead of time, remember?” he says, arching an eyebrow at me. “I didn’t plan for that to happen, so I had to adjust.”

  “Oh…” I manage. “So that night of the hunt, you didn’t expect to see me?”

  “I only learned about it a few hours before,” he affirms. “But once I saw you there, once I knew that you were ready to become mine… I just had to go for it.”

  “Is that why my share is so much bigger than all the others?” I ask, now realizing that my name is the last on the list he gave me, and the percentage of my shares is much bigger than the ones listed above. “Because you had planned for other puppets before me?”

  The thought of him with other women stings at my chest now—as does the idea that I was just one name among many.

  “Yes,” he affirms. “You were always meant to be the last one.”

  Our eyes meet, and I’m not sure what to read in dark depths of his.

  “So… you want me to leave then?”

  He looks at me, seemingly indignant at the question.

  “Why would you say that?”

  “I just thought…” I stutter, fiddling with my fingers. “You no longer need me. Now that the shares have been purchased and everything is done. You said it yourself—I was the last one and I served my purpose.”

  His lips curve up in a soft smile when he looks at me, very gently shaking his head as he lifts his finger to caress my chin. “I said you’ll leave when I’m done with you.”

  “Yes, but aren’t you—”

  “No, I’m not,” he insists. “You’re staying, Alena.”

  “For how long?” I want to know, leaning into his warm touch as I await his response.

  He leans forward and his lips meet mine in a considerate kiss, before his hot breath dances on my skin when he whispers his response.

  “We’ll see.”

  Epilog I

  Raad

/>   ~ Five months later ~

  Her skin is kissed by the sun of my mother’s home country, adorning her with a beautiful bronze tan, which makes the light beige color of her cocktail dress stand out even more. Alena is rather fair-skinned by nature, but she looks just as stunning in a shade closer to mine.

  We returned from Alexandria about a week ago, neither one of us quite ready to return to the unpredictable New England spring weather just yet. Egyptian winters are far more passable than the harsh blizzards that still tend to make an appearance even when most days are already kissed with promising spring sun here.

  But we had to return, because of the promise I made to my brother and my role in his spring wedding.

  “This is a beautiful venue,” Alena says dreamily as we enter the lavish hall that hosts my brother’s wedding reception. Her gaze is turned up to the ceiling above, seemingly entranced by the décor as I escort her to our table. But I know it’s not the venue nor the sprawling decorations that are keeping her so occupied at the moment.

  Something has been up with her all day, causing her to be especially quiet and reserved, her face always carrying that pensive expression that does not bode well.

  I was too busy with my best man duties all day, not finding a single second to ask her about it. Now that the ceremony is over, I’m no longer tied up in obligation until it’s time for my speech—and it’s the first time today that Alena and I have a moment to ourselves.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask straight out, using the moments before we sit down at our table, surrounded by other guests who should not be part of this conversation. “You seem distracted today?”

  She looks at me, her eyes widening the same way they always do when she feels caught. I’ve been able to read this girl from day one, and she still keeps underestimating me, thinking there’s anything she could ever hide from me.

  “It’s nothing, really,” she says, trying to wave me off. “Nothing to worry about.”

  “Then there’s no reason why you can’t share it with me, right?”

  She shakes her head and lets out a short chuckle.

  “I guess that’s true,” she admits. “It’s just my sister.”

  “What did Riley do this time?”

  I’ll admit I had a hard time warming up to Alena’s little sister Riley from the get-go. I might be biased, because I know how much Alena sacrificed for that girl, and maybe I’m expecting a little too much when I presume Riley to be indebted in gratitude for that sacrifice. But that still doesn’t mean it’s okay for her in any way to flutter about the way she has been for the past few months, ever since she moved to Boston.

  Alena keeps defending her, saying that Riley is smarter than she seems at first and has accomplished more in her life than Alena herself could ever dream of—but if you ask me, that’s just Alena playing herself down and putting her little sister on a pedestal.

  “She didn’t do anything,” Alena says, sounding slightly irritated. “It’s just… she got a job offer, and she’s really excited about it.”

  “But you’re not?” I presume, raising an eyebrow at her.

  She sighs heavily. “I’m happy for her, of course. These past few months haven’t been easy. But I’m not sure about this one. It sounds weird, and she would have to move across the country for it.”

  “Weird how?”

  We are the first to reach our table, and Alena sinks down into the chair after I pull it back for her.

  She shrugs, her face contorting as if in pain.

  “I don’t know,” she utters in response, while I take my seat next to her. “She’s very excited about it, but everything sounded so ambiguous. Besides, I don’t like the idea of her moving so far away again. It was nice having her this close.”

  “Well, she basically hijacked your apartment,” I add for consideration.

  Alena winks at me. “As if you didn’t benefit from it. It made moving in with you so much easier for me.”

  I have no reason to object. If anyone had told me half a year ago that my last hunt would end like this, I would have laughed in their face. I knew that Alena was going to be special and she was always meant to be my last puppet, the one whose dance would come with a kind of redemption that she never saw coming—but I never planned on actually staying on her, on living with her.

  On falling in love with her.

  She casts me a soft smile as she reaches for my hand and gives it a tender squeeze.

  “I love you, Raad,” she whisper solemnly, her soft voice heavy with meaning.

  My response comes with a kiss on the back of her hand. “I love you, too, Alena.”

  My eyes fall on the silver bracelet around her wrist, a proud smile playing on my face at the sight of it. It may appear to be nothing but regular jewelry in the eyes of others, but we know that there’s a reason she’s wearing one on both of her wrists. Alena may be more than just a puppet to me by now, but she still dances from my strings nonetheless.

  She wanted to believe me when I shared the truth with her. I could tell that she was desperate for my words to be true, but she didn’t want to give in to the soothing relief that came with them too quickly. She needed to be sure.

  She needed there to be proof. Proof that only time could give her, because finalizing my plan took more than just a few days. I needed to convene a shareholder meeting and a referendum, backed with the studies that my firm had conducted. I needed to revoke that damn patent from them and make it my own, if only to stop the drug from ever reaching the market.

  It would have been a strenuous time either way, but it gained a whole new challenge by the fact that I was not only fighting to prove my good intentions to the world, but to her as well. Alena wasn’t supposed to be in the light of all of this while it was happening, but once she was, I had to take my brother’s advice to heart and truly make her an ally. That meant no secrets, no lies, no hiding in mysterious shadows as I did for years.

  I didn’t want her to leave the day she found out about me, but back then I thought it was because I still needed time to wrap things up properly. I thought all I needed was a little more time to get things in order, to overcome the backlash against me and my company that would inevitably follow after it was known that I stopped the acquisition of the patent by a rival company just to secure it under my own name. It stood to reason that I would be accused of doing it purely for profit, and I anticipated the attacks that followed. But I thought I would have to face all of it on my own.

  And I didn’t.

  Alena plucked up the courage to believe in me, even when she had so little to go by. She stood by my side in a way I never asked of her.

  And she’s still here. She still wants to be here.

  And I still want her to be with me.

  Until I die.

  Epilog II

  Alena

  “I can’t wait for these cold days to be over,” Dorota says, shuddering as she takes a sip from her steaming-hot tea. Her eyes wander over to the French doors that lead outside to the terrace. It’s still pretty cold out, but the sun is shining today, providing a perfect napping spot for Salwa right in front of the glazed doors. She’s been lying there, curled up into a white ball of fluff for the entire afternoon, soaking in the warmth while always staying close to either me or Dorota.

  “It’s so nice out in the yard during summer,” she says, smiling at me now. “Just wait until the rhododendron is in full bloom—it’s quite the spectacle.”

  I reciprocate her smile, sitting at the kitchen island with my own cup of tea, while Dorota has been pacing up and down in the kitchen. There’s no need for her to cook dinner tonight, so I’m not sure what exactly is keeping her so busy right now, but that’s just how she is—she always finds something to do.

  When Raad told me about Dorota, I was more nervous to meet her than I was about meeting his father for the first time. She’s the closest thing Raad has to a mother, and it seems that her role in his life has been much more essential, too. I’ve only
met Raad’s father a couple of times, despite the fact that he’s living in Manhattan with his new wife as well. It’s just like Raad said: neither him nor his brother have a very close or even friendly relationship with their father.

  Dorota puts her mug down, checking the time on her wristwatch before she says: “Shouldn’t you get ready, dear?”

  I nod. “No worries, Dan is waiting for me outside.”

  Dorota nods toward the letter that’s resting on the counter before me.

  “Will you tell him tonight?” she wants to know.

  “Of course I will,” I respond, a little surprised at her question. “It may take me back a few years, but it could be a good way for me to start over. I’m sure he’ll agree.”

  Dorota presses her lips into a thin line, suggesting a nod before her expression changes into a smile. “I’m sure he will.”

  I don’t know why, but she doesn’t seem to share my elevation at the news I received today. The acceptance letter was dropped in the mail just a few hours ago, not only coming unexpectedly but also way earlier than I ever thought it would.

  I never thought that college could ever be a possibility for me, especially now after I’d already worked for more than eight years. Starting college in your mid-twenties is not only unusual, but also comes with its own hurdles different to those eighteen-year-old faces.

  But I want this. I want this so much, and I’m sure Raad will me support me in any way he can. He encouraged me from the start when I cautiously voiced the thought of applying, but I’m sure that he—just like me—never expected me to actually get in.

  And now I did. I actually got accepted at a good school right here in Manhattan.

  I can’t wait to tell him.

  I bid my goodbye to Dorota and leave the house, my heart fluttering nervously as Dan drives me to the upscale restaurant where Raad and I are scheduled to have dinner. He had to spend the entire day at work, but insisted on taking me out to a very expensive and exquisite restaurant with Asian dishes, because today is a special day.