One Wild Night

Chapter 915  I Miss You.

The Rosewood mansion settled into a tense quiet as the rumble of Henry's departing car faded into the distance.

It was almost midnight and Henry had been on a destruction rampage all day, yelling and destroying things while everyone cowered in fear.

Now that he had left, Jeff, Margaret, and Mika, stood amidst the wreckage, looking around the debris-strewn living room.

As Margaret and Mika set to work to clean up the living room, Jeff stood aside as he surveyed the scene of Henry's tantrum– a broken lamp, shattered vases, shattered glass table, cushions disemboweled spewing their innards onto the rug, toppled coffee stools.

Each broken piece on the floor seemed to hold a silent echo of the events that transpired earlier in the day.

"Aren't you going to help?" Mika asked, and Jeff glanced at him.

"That doesn't fit my job description. I was employed to cook, not clean after the boss' mess. I'm off to bed," he said, tucking his hands into his pockets as he walked away.

A whirlwind of emotions swirled within him as he headed for the servant quarter as Henry called it.

Relief warred with a gnawing worry. Relief that Mia was finally out of Henry's grasp, worry for her safety now that she was out of his sight and he had no idea what kind of stunt Henry would pull next.

As he walked into his tiny room, he replayed the events of the day in his mind as he freshened up and changed into his pajamas.

The confrontation in the living room between Mia's parents and Henry. Their unexpected courage had been exhilarating. He had seen the shock on Henry's face when her father said he didn't mind not doing business with him anymore.

He sat on the edge of the bed, and smiled to himself, thinking about Mia's bravery. He had watched her stand up to Henry, a man who thrived on intimidation, and it had been nothing short of inspiring.

He had seen the raw defiance in Mia's eyes, the fear masked by her resolve. Jeff replayed the scene in his mind, reliving the surge of protectiveness that had washed over him as he witnessed Henry's unreasonable possessiveness.

A smirk twitched on Jeff's lips. Henry, the powerful, reduced to a petulant child throwing a fit. It was a strangely empowering sight.

In all, he couldn't shake the image of Mia's departure, her face a mixture of relief and trepidation. He hoped she was safe, finally away from Henry's oppressive presence.

Lost in his thoughts, the sudden shrill of his phone startled him. He picked it up and hesitated when he saw the unfamiliar number flashing on the screen, but something urged him to answer.

"Hello?" he said cautiously.

"Jeff? It's Mia. How are you doing?" she asked softly.

Relief washed over him, warm and immediate, and he couldn't help but smile. "How are you? I should be asking how you're doing," Jeff said as he rose and walked into the bathroom, turning on the shower.

"I'm fine," she assured him, putting his worries to rest.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't call sooner. I've been busy talking with my parents, and my mom wouldn't let me out of her sight, and I could only call you now because she's asleep. This is actually her phone," Mia explained.

Jeff leaned back against the wall, comforted by the sound of her voice. "It's fine. I'm just so glad you called. Is it okay to call from her phone, though?"

"Yes, but I'm getting a phone for myself tomorrow. I just wanted to reach out and let you know I'm okay," she explained.

"It's alright. I'm glad you're fine. And you did good earlier," he said and Mia sighed.

"Whatever he plans, I believe Tom and Harry will always be a step ahead of him," Jeff said confidently.

"I was so scared, Jeff. For a moment there, I thought he might…" She didn't finish the sentence, but the unspoken fear hung heavy in the air.

Jeff closed his eyes, picturing Henry's rage-contorted face. "I worried about that too, but your father wouldn't have let him touch you. That I am sure of."

"Yea. He didn't, thanks to my parents," Mia said, "But this isn't over. I know Henry. He's going to find a way to get to me again," Mia said, sounding more resigned to the idea; than scared.

"Whatever he plans, I believe Tom and Harry will always be a step ahead of him," Jeff said confidently.

"True. I've realized that I underestimated them," Mia admitted. "How are things over there?"

Jeff sighed, glancing around the bathroom as if Henry might burst in at any moment. "He was so furious after you left. He was on a destructive rampage for hours and tore up the living room. He left a short while ago. Margaret and Mika are still busy cleaning up the mess he made. The house feels tense, more like a storm waiting to break."

He could almost hear her gasp. "Oh no. Is Diana alright?" Mia asked, knowing that he would most likely turn on Diana since he always transferred his aggression to her when things didn't go his way, and in this case, he might blame Diana for saying all she did to her parents.

A flicker of surprise coursed through Jeff. Concern for Diana, even in this situation, spoke volumes about Mia's character.

"She locked herself up in her room when he tried to attack her. She hadn't stepped out since then. She's probably waiting for his fury to pass," Jeff replied.

"I'm worried about her," Mia confessed. "Please keep an eye on her, Jeff. Just in case."

The sincerity in her voice tugged at his heart. "I'll keep an eye on her, don't worry," Jeff promised.

"Thank you, Jeff," Mia said, wondering what she did to deserve Jeff's affection.

"Always. By the way, your parents...they were amazing today. It was like watching a miracle unfold," Jeff said, and Mia's heart swelled with pride.

"I know right? I think Tom and Harry reached out to them and convinced them that Henry wasn't who they believed him to be. Also, they've decided to go public with news of the divorce," Mia said. "That way, Henry can't back out of it. My dad plans to say Henry made him say I was mentally unstable. All that's left now is to find the right people to cover the news," Mia confided.

"That's brilliant," Jeff said, feeling a surge of optimism. "And I don't think that should be a problem. Tom and Harry can make it happen if you want it. But don't let your parents go ahead with it without first hearing from Tom and Harry," Jeff advised.

"Yeah. You're right. I plan on giving them a call after I get a phone tomorrow. I need to know what they are planning now since it is obvious my plan failed. In the meantime, I'm glad that I'm not under Henry's roof anymore."

"Me too," Jeff said.

"How much longer do you think this will take? When are you leaving there?" Mia asked, hoping he would be leaving the next day.

"That depends on whatever Tom and Harry have planned out."

"I hope you leave soon," Mia said, not wanting him to be there any longer than was necessary.

"All that matters to me is that you're out of here now. Besides, I don't think it's wise that I leave immediately after you. That would raise suspicions. And I'd rather leave after he has been taken care of. That way I can keep an eye on things from here. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"I miss you," she whispered.

Jeff smiled, though she couldn't see him, "What do you miss about me?" He asked curiously.

"Cooking with you, eating with you, playing games with you, working with you, and lying with you on the same bed," she said, and he grinned.

"That's a lot," he joked, and she giggled. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

A low murmur reached his ears, followed by a "Okay, Mom."

"Sorry," she apologized in a hushed voice. "Gotta go. My mom's awake."

He could hear the smile in her voice. "Don't worry," he said. "Stay safe, Mia."

"You too, Jeff. Don't take unnecessary risks," she warned before hanging up.

Done with the phone call, Jeff walked out of the bathroom, and room, deciding to go check on Diana before going to bed, since he had promised to keep an eye on her.

He knocked on the door once, "Are you alright, ma'am? It's Josh," Jeff called softly as he knocked.

Diana walked over to the door and opened it a crack, peering out, "Is there a problem?" She asked as she looked him over, wondering why he was at her door dressed in pajamas.

"No, ma'am. I was going to bed and decided to see if you needed anything. You didn't come out for dinner, and Mr Rosewood left the house," Jeff explained and she raised a brow.

"He left? When?" Diana asked as she opened the door wider and stepped out.

"About an hour ago," Jeff explained.

"Thanks for letting me know. You can go to bed. I'll sort myself out," Diana said, and seeing that she was okay, Jeff gave her a nod before walking away.

Diana walked into the living room to see Margaret and Mika finishing up, and when they saw her, they gave her polite nods, both inwardly blaming her for all the mess, since they had no idea exactly what was going on.

Diana took a deep breath as she surveyed the living room. She couldn't begin to imagine how obsessed he must be with Vanessa for him to have gone berserk in that manner because she left.

She knew that she had taken a big risk by doing what she had done, and if she wasn't careful, Henry would turn on her soon.

She could only hope now that the man who had asked her to do it, would deliver Henry to her as he had promised, else she would have no other choice but to poison Henry to death or kill him in his sleep if he so much as laid a hand on her as he had been about to do earlier.