Chapter 45: Entanglements

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Entanglements

The drive toward Seattle was quiet for the first hour. Daniel kept the radio playing softly, a classic rock station providing a gentle hum, while Iris watched the scenery pass through the window.

Her thoughts occasionally drifted back to Spokane, to the strange dreams she’d been having – vivid, unsettling glimpses of ancient forests, snowy mountains and eyes that burned with an unfamiliar intensity.

And, despite her best efforts not to, to think about Alexander. A flicker of warmth, an almost imperceptible shiver, traced the outline of the mark on her neck. She touched it unconsciously, her fingertips brushing the smooth skin beneath her collar.

She hadn’t told her mother about it back in Spokane, a peculiar hesitation keeping the words trapped. How would she even begin to explain something so profoundly unexplainable?

Even now, both she and Zoey still didn’t have a single lead on what could have caused it to appear, seemingly overnight.

Her mother, Sophia, had certainly noticed something was different, a subtle shift in Iris’s demeanor, but had been strangely careful not to push for answers, her gaze lingering on her daughter with an almost knowing softness.

Iris tried to find ways not to think about it anymore, especially since Zoey had messaged her, hinting at new leads and promising to wait for her return at their apartment. She turned her attention toward the road, adjusting in her seat, and asked her dad, a gentle tilt of her head accompanying the question.

"So, how are you really feeling about this new position at Grant Enterprises, Dad?" she inquired, her voice soft, curious.

Daniel glanced at her, his lips curving into a slow, easy smile, a flicker of genuine pleasure in his eyes. "Oh, you know, a mix of things, sweetheart. Excited, certainly. It’s a fantastic opportunity, truly. But I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a good deal of nervousness tangled up in there too. It’s quite the leap, after all."

Iris chuckled, a light, melodic sound. "I knew it! You always get that little furrow in your brow when you’re both thrilled and terrified about something big." She gestured vaguely towards his forehead, though no furrow was currently visible.

He let out a low laugh, a rich, rumbling sound. "Well, anyone would be, wouldn’t they, walking into a position of that caliber? I honestly didn’t even dream about something so... monumental, you know? Just kept my head down, did the work, and here we are." He shook his head slightly, a quiet wonder in his expression.

"Dad, you’ve been at that company for, what, almost six years now?" Iris leaned forward slightly, her tone earnest. "And you’ve been managing finance there for the majority of that time. This new position isn’t some entirely foreign beast; it’s simply giving you more responsibilities, more influence. There’s truly no need to be nervous about it; you’re more than prepared."

"Being experienced, my dear, doesn’t automatically eradicate the butterflies when something of this magnitude happens," he countered gently, his fingers adjusting almost imperceptibly on the steering wheel, a habitual gesture.

"Besides, Grant Enterprises isn’t exactly a small, company, is it? And I’ll no longer be just the senior financial analyst, buried in spreadsheets. I’ll be heading the entire financial department. That, Iris, is a considerable weight on one’s shoulders."

"You’ll do well, Dad," Iris insisted, her gaze unwavering, a quiet confidence shining in her eyes. "You always do. You have that knack for seeing through all the noise and finding the clearest path."

Daniel’s smile deepened, a warmth spreading across his features. "Thank you for that, truly. It means a lot to hear you say it."

He glanced at her again, his expression shifting slightly, a paternal query entering his gaze. "Have you had a chance to talk to your friends about the internship opportunity at Grant Enterprise? The one I mentioned? I mean, it’s a direct in, practically, now that am the head of the financial department."

Iris sighed, a soft expulsion of air, and turned her gaze back to the window, watching the blur of trees again. "I haven’t, Dad. Not yet, anyway. I’m just waiting until I’m back on campus, then I’ll tell Zoey about it and see what she thinks. We can discuss it properly then."

"You girls really shouldn’t miss out on this, Iris," Daniel pressed, his voice firm but gentle, a deep conviction underpinning his words.

"That university internship experience, especially with a company of Grant Enterprises’ standing, it truly makes things so much easier when you step into the professional world.

And beyond that, as I’ve said countless times, Grant Enterprises is one of the biggest, most influential companies in Seattle. It’s an opportunity that could quite literally open every door for you. If you go looking for work elsewhere after graduation and they see that on your portfolio... well, you’d be employed immediately, without a shadow of a doubt."

Iris looked at him, a faint exasperation playing on her lips, though her eyes held affection. "I know, Dad, I know. You really don’t have to remind me of all that, you know. I listen."

"I have to, my love, as a parent," he said, his voice dropping to a softer, more reflective tone. "Because sometimes, children get so busy trying to prove they’re doing just fine, that they forget their parents already know they’re strong. They just need a gentle nudge, a reminder of the path that’s best for them."

Iris offered him a faint, almost shy smile, a warmth spreading through her chest. "Thanks, Dad."

Daniel reached over briefly, his large, warm hand covering her shoulder, a comforting, fleeting squeeze before he returned it to the steering wheel.

"Well, just focus on finishing your final semester, alright? Get those grades where they need to be. Then we’ll worry about everything else."

Iris nodded, a quiet affirmation. For the first time in weeks, truly, she allowed herself to think about the future without Jason being an intrinsic part of it. And somehow, surprisingly, it didn’t feel as frightening or as empty as she’d anticipated. A faint, almost imperceptible lightness settled within her.

****** ℯℯ𝑙.

Across the city, beneath the bright, unforgiving fluorescent lights of Emerald Heights University’s basketball facility, Jason Montgomery slammed his fist into a metal locker.

The impact reverberated, a sharp, metallic clang that echoed through the otherwise emptying locker room. The steel door buckled inward with a sickening groan beneath his knuckles, leaving a raw, angry dent.

Several players nearby, still lingering after practice, flinched and turned toward him, their conversations abruptly ceasing, but Jason barely registered their presence.

His chest rose and fell heavily, quick, shallow breaths, as he stared at the mangled metal, his knuckles already reddening.

Shawn Matthews, a burly figure with a perpetual frown etched between his brows, approached cautiously, his gaze flicking around the room, making sure their outburst hadn’t drawn too much unwelcome attention.

"Jason, for the love of... easy there, man. You’ll have the coach on your back about property damage again. There are still a few stragglers around, you know."

He went closer to him, a subtle warning in his posture. "Calm down. There are people around, man. You’re drawing attention."

Jason looked over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed into furious slits, and sent a glare so potent, so laced with raw frustration, that the remaining teammates quickly gathered their things and melted away, leaving him and Shawn in a tense, echoing silence.

"I don’t give a damn about the coach or anyone else right now." Jason bit out, his voice low, strained, the words barely audible but vibrating with suppressed fury. "I cannot believe it’s this damn difficult to find her. It’s ridiculous."