The search party went on for 24 hours straight to look for Emma in the water, it was already dark and it was beginning to be difficult to see under water...the team returned to the surface to report to Alec.
" I'm sorry Sir, but there's no sign of her anywhere."
" Then keep looking."
Alec grits his teeth with a cold expression.
" Alec, it's been 24 hours now and it's dark... they can continue the search tomorrow morning." Lucas spoke, Alec gave him a blood shot eye... clearly displeased by Lucas' words.
" She's still out there, what if something happens to her?."
" Alec," Zain was the one to speak out this time around." I know it will only piss you off saying this."
" Then don't say it." Alec simply said.
" It's been 24 hours, don't expect that she'll still be alive even if found. The only reason we need to find Emma's body is to give her a proper send off. The search party will continue the search tomorrow morning, for now we return back home."
Alec clenched his fists tightly, he didn't want to accept that she might be dead, but for now all he can do is wait.
THE NEXT MORNING,
Alec rushed to the scene, he got a call from the cops stating a body was discovered not far from the shore. His heart raced inside his chest... fear creeping in to the sight of seeing his dead wife.
" Where is she?." Alec approached the officer in charge.
" Before you proceed I must warn you, it's not a pretty sight."
" What do you mean?." Alec creased his brows.
" The area you were sailing from was surrounded by sharks, the body we found had a disfigured face and missing of a leg, a shark bite it appears." They explained.
" I want to see her." Alec swallowed. They opened the black bag she was in and Alec stood there shocked and speechless, he simply couldn't tell if she was Emma or not.
" How can you prove this is my wife, officer?."
" Well we found this bloody shirt next to her body, we will go ahead and take the body to the morg."
He spoke. Alec stood pinching the bridge of his nose.
" Do the necessary, I want her to be buried as soon as possible, I want her to rest."
" Yes sir."
From that day of the discovery of Emma's body, the news spread like wild fire across nations.
Everyone was in mourning. When baby Eli didn't notice her mother anywhere to be seen she's been crying non stop, day in and day out... The nights became sleepless nights for Alec. Eli refused to eat and she would only sleep for 10 minutes and cry through out. Alec was helpless and depressed on the loss of his wife... He couldn't handle taking care of Eli, he drowned himself in work and caged himself in his study, rarely slept in his room and never stepped out. He completely neglected everything surrounding him, Ava and Trixie helped take care of Eli as years went by...they practically raised her while he buried himself in endless work at home, he only returned to the office some time later.
PRESENT DAY...
Ava wanted to get work done as early as possible before 1pm, looking at the time...it was 10:11 am. Her phone buzzed in her hand bag.
" Won't you take that?." Jonathan glanced at her with a bunch of paperwork in his hands.
" I can't I need to finish this before 1pm."
" I understand but it keeps buzzing, it might be an emergency ma'am."
Ava sighs taking out her phone.
Ava: ' yes'
Caller: ' am I speaking to Ms Avaline Woods?'
Ava: ' Speaking '
Caller: ' this is principal of Birch Wathen Lenox private school'
Ava raised a brow, it is her niece's school where Eli goes. The principal asked for her to be present at the school immediately. She stood rushing to the school like an anxious mother worried for her daughter.
" Jonathan."
" Yes ma'am."
" Schedule my meeting for another day."
" I will."
Ava grabbed her hand bag and car keys. She drove to Eli's school parking her car in the school parking lot and went inside, as she made her way through the school hallway she noticed all eyes were on her without her having to turn her head. Attracting any attention is the last thing she wants... but it seems utterly impossible with the kind of hair she has, aside from that their whispers were to loud and obvious.
Whisperer 1: ' look at her hair, was she really born like that?'
Whisperer 2: ' I bet she just dyed it there's no way it's that legit.'
Whisperer 1: ' is that jealousy I hear?' she giggles.
Whisperer 3: ' she's so beautiful... completely out of this world'
Whisperer 4: ' now I understand why Zain Woods chose her over the famous actress Darcy '
Whisperer 5: ' I like her taste in fashion.'
All these whispers followed her till she reached the end of the hall way, some negative and some positive... Ava could only sigh softly ' never the less people will always talk'
She gave a slight knock on the door before walking inside.
" Ms Woods, thank you for coming please have a seat."
" It concerns my niece of course I had to come."
" Of course, please allow me to introduce to you Ms Havon, she's Mikaela's mother...the girl Eli got into a fight with."
Ava raised a brow at the principal without batting an eye towards the woman sitting next to her.
" Fight?."
" Yes you heard her right, your niece scratched my poor baby's face leaving her with a terrible scar on her left cheek."
" Ms Havon, let's all come down." The principal spoke calmly. Ava still kept her gaze fixed on the principal completely ignoring the woman.
" Principal, something isn't adding up here...my niece is not a violent girl, she's calm and collected...if she suddenly rushed out on the other girl as you are saying then she must have been provoked to that extent. So without wasting more of my precious time I would appreciate you get straight to the matter."
" Uhm of course, first of all we don't allow or encourage bulling at this school...we teach the kids to love and appreciate one another."
" So you're telling me bulling was involved?."
" Mikaela constantly told Eli how unlucky she is on losing her mother, that she doesn't have a mother and how pathetic she is. And believe me we gave her a fitting punishment back then...we even suspended her for a week."
" And yet she continues bulling my niece, to me it looks like the punishment wasn't fitting enough."
" Ms Woods -
" Head principal if I may remind you my brother in-law saved this school from bankruptcy, not only that but he's the number 1 biggest doner...the Qinn family has the biggest influence at this school and this is how you decide to treat his only daughter?."
" Ms Woods i-
" I'm not finished, if there's anything I don't tolerate is bulling, my eldest daughter is 22 now.... but back in high school she was bullied constantly that it messed her up badly, I don't want what my daughter went through to be repeated with my only niece."
" Ms Woods I swear to you the school will take action and Mikaela will get a fitting punishment."
" Hold on a sec principal my daughter was the one hurt and wounded so why would she be punished? It's her niece that needs punishing."
" Ms Havon, Mikaela was the one who started it in the first place. Might I remind you this isn't the first time she's done this."
" But-
" Ms Havon, correct." Ava finally turned her gaze to the woman next to her." I will take full responsibility of your daughter's medical bill, but I won't deny what my niece did was wrong." Ava stood with her gaze shifting back to the principal. " I will be returning with my niece if that's okay with you principal, a family emergency."
" Sure thing Ms Woods, have a great day."
Ava strode out proud and up holding her graceful posture heading towards Eli's class.
" Auntie."
Eli stood from her desk running into Ava's arms hugging her tight.
" I'm here sweetheart... you have nothing to worry about." She whispered.
" I want to go home." Eli's little voice spoke brokenly.
" Of course." Ava nodded at the class room teacher, she picked up Eli in her arms while the teacher handed her Eli's school bag. They got into the car and drove off school premises.