She had kept her word, my father’s demise was broadcasted everywhere. Her strategy had been carefully carried out to eat away at the public image he cherished so much. It became apparent that his brutality had extended well beyond the confines of our home, we just didn’t know it. I saw an image of him as he was being taken away. He had aged in the short time our plan had come into play. All the color from his face had drained and his eyes had lost all hope. 

Time passed and I found myself wanting to meet him one last time. I was ready to be met with rage, something I was all too familiar with, in addition to a deep hatred from my revenge on him. However, that wasn’t what I saw at all. 

I saw a man that was cowering in fear at my presence and was refusing the visit. After that, I never spared him another thought. I stayed abroad and helped out in my mother’s family businesses. I jumped around looking for something that suited me. It seemed that I was just like her as I found myself enjoying art classes and exhibitions. Years passed and I began working alongside her. Happiness overflowed in my life, just like my dear friend had wished for me.

I tried tracking her down time and time again to come to dead ends with every search. At this point, I wanted to just have a screaming match with her for not calling after eight years. For awhile, I gave up on the search, that was until a month ago. I decided to try one last time. Not even a day after I sent someone close to me to look, he came back with good news.

I was met with a concise file of information. I was given her full name, a photo id and great deal of detail on her life. I felt like calling her and giving her a piece of my mind when I realized how close she had been all along. 

I knew instantly that she had gifted this to me.

Astrid had carefully curated this information for me, she was finally letting me find her. It was almost perfect, I had business back home anyways.

The day of the meeting had finally come and I was going to meet my dear friend that I had missed so much. 

Alistar had begrudgingly agreed to the meeting setting it up for the following week. He was clearly pouting on the drive over to the office building where we were set to meet. He quietly mumbled about how he hadn’t seen her in so long, but here I was getting to meet her first. I did all I could to hold back laughter. 

“She told me to let you go in by yourself.”

He didn’t spare me single glance as he relayed his instructions and sped off. 

I felt anxious as I went up several flights in the elevator. I watched as the trees danced in the wind through the window’s glass in front of me. It was a newly finished construction that was broadcasted widely across the media. It doesn’t surprise me that she probably had something to do with it.

When I had read about her in that file, I wondered how lonely she must have been all these years. There was no mention of her family. I had often thought she had lived alone based on the conversations we shared on the phone. It was always too quiet and she worked at all hours of the day even though she was still a student. The thing that had most led me to believe that was the case was because of the payment method she had settled for.

Of course, she was hellbent on not allowing me to offer any compensation, however that wasn’t going to fly with me. After much back and forth, she admitted that there was something she really wanted. A simple gift card to a convenience  store. I had never heard her so joyful as she recited what she wished to buy once she had it. 

The elevator chimed revealing to me that I had made it to my requested floor. Boxes cluttered the area with unopened supplies and plastic wrapped furniture. I walked slowly inside to hear a familiar voice on the phone.

“I’ll see you soon, I really don’t understand why you’re so concerned, Alistar.”

She spoke softly and lovingly. I could picture the smile that must of been on her face as she said it. I wasn’t sure how to articulate it, but her voice was smiling to me too. 

They hung up and she turned around to face me. I had sat on an unwrapped chair just outside the door, completely unsure of how to approach her. I grimaced at the thought that this would be an awkward encounter.

“I waited so long in order to talk to you again,  seeing as you kept your promise to be happy, but I guess you didn’t feel the same way.”

She held a hand up her cheek as if I’d slapped her.

I was shocked at her audacity and of course, we started to bicker. Before I knew it I was inside the office and chatting as if we had never spent anytime apart from each other. 

“You know, I said to get a buffer not a boyfriend.” She said it kind of low with a pout similar to that of Alistar. I fell into a fit of laughter, so much so that tears came.

Yes, I’d missed her so much. We carried on and I decided it was time to say my piece.

“I intend to help you with whatever you want. That’s why you finally sent word, no?”

“You were always quick to catch on, though don’t be mistaken. I worked hard so that I would be able to finally meet you as well, however there is something that I simply must solve in order to move on with my life as well.”

She smiled and continued on. 

“There is someone I must bring down. Not only for my own good, but for others. It’s the only way. There is only one person in the whole world that has access to the network people would die for and that’s you.”

I had no idea what it meant, but I was willing to help her with the power I regained. This was the making of a great partnership.