barking up the wrong tree

"You must be Gerald? Thank goodness You're awake"

I heard a familiar voice from and I look up and I saw Chris sitting in a chair in front of me. He had a can of soda in his hand and wore a smug smile on his faceI found myself tied to a chair, hands bound tightly with rope

"Damn it!"I muttered to myself

I had been foolish, sticking my nose where it didn't belong and putting Annie in danger in the process. The weight of my mistake pressed down on me, and I couldn't help but feel the pang of regret.

"Annie!" I thought.a flicker of relief surged through me when I spotted Annie, who tied up in a chair next to mine unconscious yet She looked to be unharmed, much to my relief

I wriggled and strained against the binds on my wrists, trying my best to loosen the rope as I struggled to break free But the knot remained firm

I gritted my teeth, "You better let Annie go right now, or you're going to regret it," I warned, my gaze locking onto Chris

Chris's gaze narrowed as he looked at us, confusion and annoyance evident on his face.
"What in the world are you two doing in my apartment anyways? Trespassing isn't something I take lightly"he said

"So, let me ask you, what exactly do you want from me?" He had this smugness about him that made me want to roll my eyes.

"Why are you asking for money from Camella?" "Is she alright? Are you hurting her in any way?"

"Where is she?"

Chris cleared his throat, a flicker of annoyance passing over his face. "Okay, let me set the record straight,"
"Camella owes me money, not the other way around. She got herself mixed up in some gambling debts, and now she owes me a significant sum. "Chris leaned his back on his chair, sighing as if it was all very simple.

"See? it's not like I'm demanding money for nothing." He continued,

"I'm asking you why you are here? And how did you know me? “he asked

With every ounce of strength I had, I managed to break free from the constraints of the binds. I aimed a kick at his side, but he blocked it effortlessly

“Is he some kind of delinquent?" I thought he seemed oddly familiar with street fights, his movements swift and precise as he dodged and blocked my attacks

How does he move like this?" Our fight continued, his speed and precision making it almost impossible for me to land a solid hit on him. I tried to analyze his movements, searching for an opening. But every attack I attempted was either blocked or easily dodged, His smile remained even as I lunged at him again and again,

"Give up already “

Chris seemed entertained, enjoying the one-sided fight like it was a game to him.

Determined to take him down, I waited for the right moment. When he left himself momentarily open, I lunged forward, my hands connecting with his shoulders and pushing him to the ground.

A look of surprise crossing his face as I managed to pin him down, my knees on either side of him to ensure he couldn't escape.

“you don’t have to go this far “he said as he glared at me

"I will not going to let you hurt camela"

"she's the one who ruined my life. She's the one who went around spreading news about me being a gambler. Not a damn thing wrong with that, but you know what she said? She said I was a cheater then she took it a step further, telling everyone that I'm some kind of sicko hurting her. Can you believe it? “Chris sneered, his irritation evident in his tone

"And let me make something crystal clear: I would never lay a hand on any girl. I've got standards. “he said, a hint of pride in his eyes as he spoke.

I remembered vividly the bad things Annie had told me about him - are those lies spread about him?i thought

The real camela must done mean things about him. I felt sorry for him

I decided to be straight, "Fine, I'll be honest. The reason we broke into your apartment is because Camela claimed she's been receiving threats and blackmail from you, all demanding money and asking her to met up with you. We thought we needed to stop it that’s why we came here."

Alright, look," he explained, his voice firm. "I never sent any text messages to Camella, asking her to meet me up today and I've been looking for my freaking phone 3 days now “

I took a moment to gather my thoughts, then replied, "Camella actually called me earlier this morning, saying she was going to meet up with you today in the East District to comply in your demand “

"Weren't you supposed to meet up with her today? “I asked,

Chris' expression darkened,

"Wait, you didn't send her text message today?

A lightbulb moment hit me as the realization dawned on me.

Wait a minute... camela never mentioned she’s going to Chris's apartment. Could it be possible that Camela is somewhere else in the East District? And those text messages earlier - they might not have been from Chris at all."I thought starting to put puzzle together 

"If someone else got a hold of my phone .they might have sent those texts pretending to be me." Chris whispered. He ran a hand through his hair, the situation clearly troubling him.

Chris, about those text messages and blackmail threats – who's been sending them to Camella? If it's not you, who is it?"

"Could it be Desmond?" he mumbled, his grip on my wrists firm and unyielding.

Before I could react, he swiftly turned the situation around, using his weight and strength to pin me down, my back slammed onto the cold, hard floor effectively reversing the situation. Leaving me completely immobilized.



A look of confusion washed over my face, and I responded, "Who is Desmond? I honestly have no clue..." Before I could finish, Chris suddenly rushed to the door

Thinking quickly, I quickly untied Annie and placed her on the sofa

I hurriedly chase after him, determined not to let him out of my sight. My breaths became labored as I quickened my pace, desperate to close the gap between us.

I wishing I could turn back time.i cursed myself internally as I chased after Chris, realizing my mistake. I had been barking up the wrong tree. My impatience and quick actions had led me down the wrong path, wasting time and effort on a misunderstanding.

"I shouldn't have acted alone without Nora 2," I chastised myself silently. "She needed to be aware of the situation too. Acting alone was foolish."I thought

note:

another confusing chapter hahah lol lemme reread it later to fix it HAHAHH

sorry guys i feel like im losing direction now HAHHAHA i have no idea what im doing tbh