Chapter 9 What Photos

Her heart dropped when she lifted the comforter. Crap! “Finally awake, huh?” A man’s deep and staid voice rose from nearby. Eleanor straightened her back as she turned her head in its direction, only to see Casper reclining on a couch with a file in hand. He lifted his eyes towards her when he heard her movements as she came to, but his expression was indecipherable. She could hear the blood pumping fast behind her own ear. “You... I... how...” Her face was boiling from cheek to cheek as the sheets twisted and creased inside her grasp. It took much effort for her to vocalize her thoughts and push them out from between her lips, “Are... Are you going to explain to me what happened last night?” The woman’s disconcertment juxtaposed against his relative detachment. “What’s there to say about it?” “You... Just what did you do to me!” He narrowed his eyes in response. “I think what you meant to say is - what did we do?” “You! I’ve not consented to this...” she protested indignantly. “Consent?” Her counterpart laughed, “You showed up in my room uninvited at night and hid in my wardrobe with a camera. Did you figure that I’ve consented to that?” The color fell from Eleanor’s face as she evaded his gaze to mask her own guilt. The man snapped the file shut inside his hand and got to his feet before he approached. “The photos. Where are they?” “W-what photos?” “The ones you took for Anais Greene!” he bellowed. “There wasn’t any!” She gripped her hands as she dug in her heels. “I did not manage to shoot anything, and you’ve already got my camera!” “Is that so?” He raised an eyebrow as he casually retrieved the cellphone placed on the table and tossed it onto the bed. “Take a look at this.” The phone bounced upon the mattress and landed just within her reach. She shuddered before she mustered the courage to pick it up. The display illuminated to reveal an album that featured her in various states of slumber. They were all taken on this bed itself. From the immodest to the inappropriate - it was all there. Damn it! She reckoned that he must have taken these while she was out. Eleanor was feverish as she fervently deleted those photos on the phone. In the meantime, Casper appeared unmoved. He simply watched how she reacted. “I’ve already backed them up elsewhere.” “You...” “What exactly do you want from me?” Her limbs stiffened as she asked. As her anxiety mounted, she got so tensed that she was able to feel her own back. With complete disregard for her emotional state, he persisted with his inquiry, “What were you planning to do with the photos from last night?” “Good sir. I’m telling you again that I seriously don’t have any on my hands. They’ve all been deleted!” “Deleted them? So did you shoot any, or did you not?” “I... I did, but I’ve deleted them all!” “Have you really? Or do you have them backed up somewhere?” “I...” She wrung her hands as her body shivered. “I’m going to offer you one last chance.” The man then stated in no uncertain terms, “Turn over the photos that you’ve taken last night immediately, or you are going to find your photos showing up in places apart from my phone.” Her pupils constricted at the thought of that. She had not expected that he was also capable of extortion. Eleanor bit her lip. After that, she tore the comforter off and pulled a bathrobe over herself. The woman strode assuredly towards Casper and fastened the rope belt around her waist as she fronted him. She then regarded him with disaffection. “It’s a little disappointing to learn that the renowned president of Beaumont International would stoop as low as this.” “Since Mr. Beaumont seems to enjoy photography so much, I’d be glad to oblige!” With that, she leaned in.