Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

When they were done fixing Dawn’s nails, she looked down at her hands and smiled.

The soft pink polish looked neat against her fingers. She moved her fingers slowly, admiring the work.

She carefully took out her phone from her handbag; the new screen was clear.

She turned it on and checked the time.

Lucy should be done soon, she thought as she walked back to the waiting area.

She sat on one of the soft chairs and crossed her legs before checking her phone again.

Jamal had still not called.

She briefly considered calling him, but decided not to when she remembered the way he had sounded earlier when he said he had to take care of something personal.

She frowned.

What was so personal that he couldn’t share with her?

She was about to text him when she heard a familiar voice.

"Hello, Ms pretty nails! What are you doing here?"

Dawn looked up to see Adam standing a few steps away. The sleeves of his shirt were now folded to his elbows.

Dawn smiled politely. "I’m just waiting for Lucy."

Adam nodded. "Why don’t you come to my office and wait there?"

Dawn shook her head. "No, thank you. I’ll wait here."

"You’ll be more comfortable in my office."

Dawn smiled. "I’m doing just fine here."

"But I’m not."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "That’s a you problem."

Adam looked at her for a moment. "That’s not a very nice thing to say to your friend."

"Friend? Who says you’re my friend simply because you fixed my broken screen?" Dawn asked dryly.

He laughed softly. "Okay, you have a point."

Dawn smiled.

"But we did exchange phone numbers. How do we become friends if we don’t get to know each other better? I have board games in my office. Chess? Scrabble?"

Dawn shook her head. "I’m waiting for Lucy."

"Come on. Just for a few minutes. Besides, she will definitely call you before she leaves, wouldn’t she?" Adam pressed.

Dawn hesitated. She knew she should probably stay where she was.

But there was something about the way he looked at her. He seemed to genuinely enjoy her company.

And, if she was being honest with herself, she liked the attention. She liked the way he listened to her. She liked the way he looked at her when she spoke.

"Fine," she said. "Just one game."

Adam smiled. "Just one game."

He led Dawn to his office, which was at the end of a quiet hallway.

It was a large but simple room with a desk near the window, two chairs in front of it, and a small sofa against the wall.

There were pictures on one side of the room.

Dawn walked closer. "You’ve travelled a lot."

Adam smiled as he closed the door. "I have. I enjoy travelling."

"Your job lets you travel?" Dawn asked curiously.

"Well, these were before I made a bad business decision and lost all I had. I have the pictures here to keep me happy," he explained.

"Aww. I’m sorry to hear that," she said softly.

"Shit happens." He waved it off as he walked over and stood beside her. "That one is Italy."

Dawn looked at the picture. "It is beautiful."

"It was." He pointed at another. "France."

"And that one?"

"South Africa."

Dawn smiled, thinking about how she never really had done any leisure travelling. "You’ve been everywhere," she said enviously.

Adam chuckled. "Not everywhere."

"Where else have you been?"

Adam laughed. "Are you interviewing me? This is not part of the game time, right?"

"It’s the getting to know my friend part," Dawn said with a small laugh.

"I suppose that works too. We can talk as we play. I’ll love to see if you’re a worthy opponent."

She laughed as they both sat down. She took the chair opposite him.

As they set up the game of chess, he started telling her about some of his trips. He told her about getting lost in a city because he refused to use a map.

He told her about going to an Asian country with friends and how they had decided not to use their phones or translators so they could see how well they could communicate without any of those.

Dawn laughed as he told her about all the hardship they experienced because of bad communication.

"You could have saved yourself all that trouble," Dawn said, laughing so much that tears dropped from her eyes.

Adam chuckled. "It was a very terrible experience."

She shook her head. "You’re very strange."

"Not in a bad way, I hope."

Dawn held his gaze for a moment, then shook her head. "I guess not."

They continued the conversation as they played the game.

Dawn listened, asking questions from time to time. The conversation moved from travelling to his business and the poor decisions that crashed it.

Then from work to family.

Then to books.

Then to food.

Then to places they both wanted to visit.

Dawn did not notice how much time had passed.

She was laughing at something Adam said when her eyes moved toward the clock on the wall.

Her smile disappeared and she sat up straight. "Oh my goodness!"

Adam looked at her. "What?"

"Does the clock work right?" She asked as she took out her phone to confirm the time since she wasn’t wearing a wristwatch.

He followed her gaze to the clock. "Yeah. It works."

Dawn’s eyes widened and she quickly stood.

They were supposed to be at the exhibition by 6 p.m.

She picked up her handbag. "Lucy should have been done by now."

Adam reached for his phone as he stood. "Let me confirm from the reception."

He pressed a number. "Hi. Is Mrs Hank still with the massage therapist?"

He listened.

His brows lifted. "She left already?"

He looked at Dawn.

Dawn blinked.

"She left? When?" Dawn asked in disbelief.

"When did she leave?" Adam asked the receptionist.

"Over two hours ago? Okay. Thank you."

He ended the call and looked at Dawn. "She checked out two hours ago."

Dawn stared at him then shook her head. "No. She wouldn’t leave without me."

Adam shrugged. "Maybe she forgot you."

Dawn did not laugh. She gave him a serious look. "That isn’t funny."

"Sorry."

Dawn immediately pulled out her phone and called Lucy.

The call connected almost at once. "Lucy?"

"Dawn?"

"Where are you?"

There was a pause. "Why are you calling me?"

Dawn frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Aren’t you supposed to be on your date with Jamal?"

Dawn’s frown deepened. "What date? I’m not with Jamal. I’ve been waiting for you at the spa."

"What?"

"I’m still at the spa."

Lucy was silent. "That doesn’t make sense. Jamal called me hours ago. He said he was coming to pick you up and take you on a date."

Dawn’s heart skipped. "Jamal called you?"

"Yes. He said he couldn’t reach you, so I told him we were at the spa."

Dawn’s eyes widened. "When?"

"I think about thirty or forty minutes after we arrived."

Dawn’s stomach tightened.

Dawn looked down at her phone. Her phone had been off while it was being repaired.

She swallowed.

"So, you are still at the spa?" Lucy asked.

"Yes."

"I’m so sorry. I thought you were already gone. I can’t believe Jamal didn’t pick you up."

Dawn closed her eyes briefly. "It’s fine. I’ll find my way home."

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