ENTICE ME

Julius Pov;

Three years earlier(flashback); On that fateful breezy Sunday evening, 15th of December 2015 sitting in a glass-built five-star restaurant located just in the middle of the city having a family get-together with my wife, daughter, my parents, no in-laws(my wife was not in really good terms with her parents)and some of my business partners and my secretary to celebrate my 30th birthday. It was a surprise birthday dinner that was planned by my wife; Natalie, with the help of her friends.

Unfortunately, the night had to end with the cold blood of my Natalie in my hands, with held back tears in my eyes. Natalie stepped out during dinner to get her special gift to me from the car as she told me before leaving the restaurant. My eager eyes trailed her as she walked across the street to where her car was parked, she picked up a cute little box from the car and shut the car door while I tilted my head down a bit in a quick thought of what could be in the box cause I was so curious. The sound of a screeching car tire caught my attention and I looked up in a hurry just to see Natalie being run over by a Black SUV BMW 2012 model. I was in great shock, I was so caught off guard that I almost fell off the chair with tears howling up in my eyes but wouldn't drop. I ran outside the restaurant in the hope of saving her life by rushing her to the nearest hospital but she was far gone. Standing in front of the restaurant I stared at my wife who was already drenched in a pool of blood, I bent beside her on the floor holding her head in my arms while caressing her vanilla-scented long auburn hair and I could only scream and lament with my gaze fixed directly into our brown pretty eyes with all our memories flashing back right before me, I closed her eyes in a twitch properly with my hands and I looked into the restaurant with just the thought of how to break the news to my daughter without shattering her. I spotted the cute box she was to give me just as I was about to walk back into the restaurant, I picked it up and opened it just to find the most beautiful and expensive cufflinks directly from Harvey Markens(The biggest cufflinks store in the states), a rhodium finish to be precise, The tears dropped eventually then I pocketed it, wiped my tears and went into the restaurant. However, I met my daughter laughing with my parents. I immediately gave my secretary a sign to take care of my wife's corpse in preparation for her burial. My parents made sure she didn't see what happened and just kept cracking her up with pains in their hearts cause they couldn't cry out to avoid breaking her. On seeing me, she bombarded me with questions, " Dad, where did you run off to, where is mum, Dad why are your hands covered in blood???. The last question caught me off guard and I fell on my knees matching height with her while she was still sitting on the chair confused awaiting answers to her questions. My parents looked into my eyes giving me the confidence and go ahead to tell her. I calmed myself in the best way I could, looking into my daughter's eyes, ready to protect her despite all odds. I said " Mandy, you want to know where mummy is? And she replied immediately with a firm yes and I said okay."Mandy, your mum went on a journey to Heaven to meet with God so she can watch over you, me, and everyone very well. Still confused, she said"Heaven?, God?, I thought you only go to heaven to meet with God when you die and you're of no sin. That's what Mum told me during our usual Night Bible study. So, Dad are you saying Mum is dead and I will never see her again? She asked this question with tears already howling up in her eyes. Then I answered her saying "yes". Mandy burst into tears, screaming and shouting, calling on her Mum. I held her in my arms, hugging her tightly caressing her hair, and patting her back at intervals. I was moved to tears again but I had to be strong for Mandy, for myself, and a lot of people who look up to her.

Present day(15th of December 2018);

(Cool Monday evening)

Jane Pov:

"Mylo"!!!(Mylo is an Indian-bred White Chow Chow puppy, it has been Jane's companion since her parent's death)

It's time for your evening run, so let's go to the fun park, Are you ready???

Mylo barks in response, I bend to lift her up bring her close to my breath, and resting my chin on her head and she tilts her head in return. I dug my palm into her furs to feel her warmth, then I dropped her gently to the ground and put her leash that had her name boldly engraved in silver casting around her neck. Then we headed out to the garden.

Julius Pov:

In the kitchen,

Packing a picnic basket with Mandy and my mom, as it was my birthday, and her death day.( It's three years since she died and it's still as fresh as ever)I didn't even think I would ever celebrate that day again, I already promised myself not to remarry but to make sure Mandy stayed happy always, so I was ready to do anything to make her happy and make sure she didn't think too much about her mum. Earlier today, we paid a visit to her mom's grave to pay her respect on the year anniversary of her death. Mandy then recommended we go on a family picnic to the Fun Park located in the City garden to spend the rest of the day and celebrate my birthday because she didn't want to see me unhappy. I won't be right to say Mandy recovered quickly from the trauma of her mum's death but I guess she did, as I didn't create any space for her to think about her mom's accident one bit. So, Mandy and my mum finished packing the items we needed for the picnic, my mum then ordered the maids to take it to the car. Mandy went to dress up afterward and came downstairs looking just as beautiful as her mom in the short floral pattern dress and a black flat baby shoe I got for her when we went picnic shopping for her mom's grave. I was simply dressed in my plain suit trousers and blue striped shirt footed with Dr. Martens loafers. We headed out of the house to get into the car Gray Mercedes AMG model. My daughter walked up to me in the lot on entering the car, she said"Daddy it's your birthday and you deserve to be happy okay?

And i replied lifting her off the floor saying "Yes baby, you make me happy already, you're an epitome of your mom's reflection, your hazel eyes are as beautiful as your mom's.I promise to be happy.Mandy on the other hand, fighting to be dropped, with her cheeks all red and rosy from blushing and her dimples marking out already she said" Dad, enough , can we get the cake we forgot and move already. I replied her pinching"yes ma".I called on the maid to butler to get the cake and bring it to the car

So we got into the car with my parents and the driver rode off to the City garden.Unknowing to me that my daugher already made plans with her grand parents to invite a few of my close employees and my secretary of course.

My driver assisted Mandy and my parents in bringing down the picnic items from the car.Victoria , joined Mandy in setting up the picnic ground, some of the invited employees also helped.Not long after the picnic ground was set and ready for some get together feasting and birthday celebration.

I noticed Mandy was missing at the picnic, we had finish eating and celebrating, i got gifts from my employees, my parents and my secetary too.Some of the invited people were already going home before i fortunately met my Old time friend that i got engrossed in a discussion with which made me lose sight of Mandy. My parents were also busy discussing that nobody knew when she strayed off.At this point i couldn't think straight, a troll of thoughts was running through my mind." My birthday is a cursed day?, Is she gone just like her mother?, Can't i just be happy?, I was pacing up and down .I placed a call through to my secretary cause she had gone home and she was acting all cozy over the phone like she normally does , which i wasn't mood for at all .I made my order that a search team should be contacted immediately .My Old time Felix was trying all possible ways to calm me down and assuring me she will be found.I was devatated, my parents were worried sick as well, they started searching for her around the fun park with her picture glaring on their phone which they showed everybody they came across at the park asking if they had seen her.

The only question i wanted to ask anyone around me that instant was;

"Where is Mandy?!"