The murmurs would not stop increasing. All lips whispered Alison's name, and her silence even made them more curious."The queen of justice came without her client? Isn't that a ridiculous move?" "I'm sure Travis planned this accident, because he is afraid of being sentenced to jail." "I know right? I can't say it's a coincidence. Why would the prosecutor want him dead, anyway? When he is only trying to expose his bad deeds to the public?" "I knew it! His company was so good to be true. In just a few years, the company made a lot of profits and other achievements. Now, I know how it got to this point." Alison could hear the whispers behind her, but of course, she pretended not to. Her head was held up high, and she looked forward to the judge's seat, acting like he was a statue molded to that seat.Soon, the door opened from the front side, near the judge's seat, and a man cladded in a black robe and cap walked in.Judge Harold strode in, his presence commanding respect. His stern
The tension in the courtroom was thick. The courtroom erupted in whispers and gasps as Travis Rodrigo walked in. His appearance was unexpected, given the trending news that he was badly injured. No one had expected him to make such a grand opening.He held his head high as he made his way to the defendant's desk.The game was really going as planned. Alison looked at him, wearing a smile on her face. He sat next to her, arranging his suit, leaning on the chair like nothing actually concerned him.“You made it,” she whispered as he took his seat.Travis adjusted his cufflinks and gave her a light chuckle. “You didn’t think I would leave you to fight this alone, did you? Of course, I need to finish the game.”“I was starting to wonder if you had given up,” Alison replied, lowly. “I’ve been dodging the reporters all morning. You have stirred up quite a storm, you know? Everyone is literally talking about you.”“Well,” Travis said, leaning slightly closer, “let’s hope we can clear it u
Bruno Francisco.The man, who had made her feel worthless, took custody of her child and connived with his mother to send her to jail for a crime she did not commit.It never left her mind whenever she saw him that he was the reason she lost her mother.She wanted to yell at him. Worse still, she wanted to kick him so hard and probably vent her anger and frustration on him.But no. She was going to be calm and composed. She can't let him see how much he gets to her.As he walked close to her with a smile on his face, she coiled her fingers into a boil, feeling like tearing his lips apart.How could he still smile after treating her like a piece of trash? Where was his conscience when he sent her to jail and took her son?“Well, well. Alison Harper. It’s been a while.”The sight of him hit her like a punch to the face. He stood a few steps away, but it seemed like he was very close to her.The memories she had tried to bury now rushed through her mind, causing her to remember the happy
Alison stepped out of the car. Throughout the ride, her mind was racing with different thoughts.She needed to get her son out of their cage. She wondered how her son was faring, and it hurt her that she was unable to protect her son. She paused in front of the mall, looking up at the cloudy sky, her thoughts drifting back to Theo, even though she tried her best to focus. Her son’s face had been etched into her mind ever since she had heard Bruno's statement. "Flog him until he bleeds". A mother’s instinct told her something was not right, and she needed to find a way out as soon as possible. She took a few groceries she needed to buy and made payments. She headed out to the parking lot, where she dumped the bags in the back seat.However, she was not heading home immediately. She needed to act fast. So, she made her way to the police station.When Alison arrived, she walked into the station and saw some familiar faces. She felt a wave of nostalgia hitting her as she recalled t
Bruno slammed the door shut as he entered his mansion. He hated the fact that he was not able to get a hold of Alison. He wanted her to be that submissive and obedient person she was before. The echo of the door reverberated through the hallway, drawing the attention of his wife, Rachel, who stood beside the table, with a plate of fruits in her hand. She was shocked as she heard the loud bang, her head swinging towards the door, where Bruno stood."Bruno," she called softly, walking towards him. "You are home earlier than I expected."Bruno did not respond immediately, his gaze wandered around the house as if he was looking for something or someone.“Where is Theo?” he asked, his eyes roaming the house.Rachel wondered what was wrong with him, but she replied, anyway. “He is in the study, with his tutor.”Bruno’s face darkened as if he was not expecting that response. “Tutor?”“Yes,” she replied firmly, her eyes gazing at him innocently. “He has been taking lessons. He is doing well
Bruno turned his body, letting out a groan. He held his head, as he felt dizzy.He tried to sit up straight but ended up hitting his head on the headrest of the bed."Argh," he groaned, trying to keep his eyes open, but his vision was blurry.“You alright there, Bruno?” Black asked, swirling his own drink casually in his hand. Bruno blinked hard, trying to focus. “I’m fine,” he muttered, although the words came out very slow.He dragged a chair closer and took a seat, leaning back. One of his men brought in a tray, and he picked up a big stick of cocaine and took a drag.Black chuckled, leaning forward and taking a sip. “Good, good. You have been working too hard, my friend. A little relaxation never hurt anyone, and I suppose you are already feeling the satisfaction.”Bruno nodded, even though he did not understand what Black was talking about. The room felt warmer and thicker, making him feel like he was suffocating. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the first button of the shir
Alison finally arrived at her place. She felt really exhausted and hungry.She unlocked the door to her apartment and stepped inside. She threw her bag on the sofa, collapsing into the next sofa with a heavy thud.Who were these men? It was really complicated, and the more she dug into the case, the deeper she fell into it.It was deeper than what she had imagined, and now, she was unable to get out of it. She was too tired to open the file. She picked herself up, heading to the bathroom.After spending a long time in the bathroom, she came out in a towel and walked across the room to the dressing room, where she sat to do her night skincare."What is a beautiful and intelligent lawyer without skincare," she whispered to herself, opening the bottle.After applying the skincare, she took her bag away from the sofa and placed it on the table. She made her way to the kitchen and fortunately, there was still a canned noodles left in the fridge.She took it out and put it in the microwave
Travis and Alison stood across from each other. There was silence in the room, and Alison's heart was beating fast as she thought of what he wanted to talk to her about.“Alison,” he began, and she answered, looking at him.“You have been pushing yourself too hard. I have seen the hours you have put into this case. The late work hours, the skipped meals... it is not healthy for a woman like you.”Alison folded her arms across her chest. How did he know she skipped meals and worked late?Was he stalking her?She asked, "How do you know I work late and skip meals?"He shrugged as if the questions were not necessary. He replied, "The security said you are always the last person to leave the building. And of course, your office is close to mine, and I am certain that you don't leave the office during lunchtime, nor does anyone bring in your lunch." She nodded, and said, “Is this your way of telling me I’m not good enough, Travis? Because if it is, you might as well save your breath than
Travis tried to trail Raquel, but she was nowhere to be found, apparently she had already gone too far.“Fuck!!” He groaned in annoyance, punching his steering and screaming his lungs out. “I've lost everything!”Before he could stop himself, tears began slipping down his eyes. He got to the side of the road and parked.“Why did I let it get to this point?” He asked himself, ruffling his hair in frustration and crying out. “Now she has gotten what she wanted and is nowhere to be found.”He tried to calm himself down but it just was not working out.‘why not just head home, hopefully you would meet her and explain everything.’ His subconscious mind suggested and Travis shook his head.“I fucked up already, what explanation is going to make sense to her?” He muttered, his eyes already red from crying and his fists bruised.Eventually, he decided to drive home, not knowing exactly what to expect, but hoping for the best nevertheless.The drive was rough, with Travis growing more emotiona
“What the hell is going on here?” Alison yelled in shock, and Raquel got off Travis thighs, deciding to play the victim.“Sweetheart, what is she still doing here? I thought you said you were no longer with her?” Raquel asked Travis, pointing at Alison and crying. “I should never have trusted you again in the first place.”“Alison, I swear I can explain.” Travis whispered getting off the couch and swiftly going over to hold Alison.“Don't touch me!” She snapped, slapping his hands off her. “I should have known that this is what you were up to when you suddenly woke up and created the idea that you were going to work from home.”“Cupcake, it's not what you think.” He said going on his knees. “I promise you, I was actually working from home.”“It can even be what I think, but what I saw Travis… this bitch was straddling you and you didn't even push her off, what is she even doing here? And what does she mean by you said we'd broken up?” Alison asked, feeling her feet grow cold then she
The notion that ‘time flies’ had never made more sense to Alison. Just like yesterday, she was fighting to get her son back, then she lost him, and now three months had passed already. She had finally embraced the fact that her Theo was gone and she was never going to see him again. Deep down, she was grateful to Travis, who had always been her knight in shining armor, walking her through every single stage of grief. She finally opened her heart to Karen, Megan and Carlos, letting them comfort her. Although Alison never believed the saying that ‘time heals’ she'd a testament to that. “You're awake?” Travis muttered with a small smile as Alison tried to sit upright. “How was your night?” “It was good, I mean… I slept well,” she replied and smiled back at him. Her gaze caught the time on her clock and she gasped. “It's 8am, already? I have to get to the office.” She said and swiftly got out of bed. “Wait, you're resuming, already? You sure you are ready?” Travis asked, with
“I can't keep watching her do that to herself.” Travis murmured, as he sipped from his drink at the bar. “It's been more than two weeks already, and she is still refusing to talk to or see anybody.”Oscar sighed and then patted Travis’s back softly. “You've got this boss. Although Miss Alison needs som time alone, you should be by her side, comfort her and and reassure her that you're always going to be by her side and she hasn't lost her only reason to live.”“I had no idea you were really good with advice.” Travis chuckled lightly, and took a sip of his drink. “She's extremely vulnerable at this moment, and I am too…it's difficult consoling her, when she keeps blaming herself for everything that has happened.”“The more reason you have to be there for her, help her get rid of the emotional trauma.” He said, his expression unreadable. “It's better that way, so she doesn't feel like she's alone.”“I'll try to do that, and I hope she'd finally agree to go out. I can't watch her in that
Tears, pains, guilt, regrets and sorrows suddenly redefined Alison. It has already been a week since Theo's death, but to her it was no more that yesterday.Words of encouragement came in through one ear and went out through the other, leaving her drowning in despair and a walking shadow of her former self.“Where did I go wrong?” She asked no one in particular, as she sat alone in the room Theo spent his last week in. “Why do forces seem to be standing against my happiness? One moment, I'm at the verge of achieving my dreams, and the next minute, it's like everything has been turned upside down.”Travis who had been watching her from the door which was slightly ajar, shook his head in pity.“For how long will you keep doing this to yourself?” He finally asked. Alison didn't flinch despite how sudden his voice came, neither did she react, she just remained motionless, holding tightly onto Theo's bloodstained clothes, as if they were going to disappear if she let them go.She had ins
After running over Theo, the person behind the wheels smirked triumphantly and drove off without bothering to wait.When he had gotten to a reasonable distance away from them, he pulled the mask over his face revealing Spider.“Too bad, the little boy had to pay for the sins of his parents.” He repeated Raquel's words from the last time and then dialed her number.She answered on the first ring.“Hey spider, what's good? Did you succeed?” She asked, panic obvious in her voice.“You don't trust me?” He asked proudly. “To think that they made things easier for me, I didn't have to trail or…”“You're saying the kid is dead already, right?” Raquel cut him off impatiently. “Not yet, but with the level of harm I caused, I doubt he will survive it.” He reported.“Are you already on your way back here?” Raquel asked, and he could hear a hint of disdain in her voice.“Why asking?” He asked back.“Don't come back to the Cartel yet. Those people are smart enough, they would have you trailed and
**ONE WEEK LATER**“Travis, do you think I am a bad mother?” Alison asked, one morning before breakfast. She was seated before her mirror, staring at her expression, while Travis sat on the bed behind her, working on his laptop.“Where is this coming from?” He asked, clearly shocked by her question. “This is not about Theo, is it?”“It's him, and I just can't help it.” She muttered, then a tear slid down her eyes. “He does not seem happy, I have tried my best.”“He will come around very soon, it's not so easy moving away, and then blending in with new people just immediately, try to understand him.” Travis explained, keeping his laptop aside.“It's been a whole week already, Travis! I spent years praying for the day when he would finally be by my side, and call me mom without interruption. I longed to hold him in my arms and play with him…” she chocked on her tears, swallowing the bile that rose to her throat. “And now that I finally got the chance to do so, he isn't even happy.”“Hav
Alison couldn't utter any words, not like she was overjoyed, or overwhelmed, she just didn't have the ability to react, especially not at that moment, What would she even say?She remained mute as she watched Bruno and his mum get led by the cops to a van, the one that was eventually going to drive them to jail.As they walked out, being led out like criminals, Alison couldn't stop staring, as a sudden feeling of guilt overwhelmed her.Was that all? The whole vengeance she spent so much time fighting for, was that everything or more was still ahead? It did not taste as sweet as she imagined it would, rather, it was bitter—You know the taste of bitterness that just keeps enveloping your taste buds, the more you keep sipping the more you yearn for more. That was exactly how she felt.She just stood there, no longer conscious of her environment or her achievements, all she could do was stare into space.“Hey, pretty lady! I told you, didn't I? I said you were going to make us proud, and
**TWO MONTHS LATER**It's been over three months after the break out of the scandal, which is already slowly dying down. The press conference helped to keep the shareholders abreast about everything that was going on, and stop them from withdrawing, while curtailing the wagging tongues of the public and giving Travis a break from all the stigma.It's finally the day for the final trial and judgement for the case Alison pressed charges for against Mrs. Francisco and Bruno Francisco.For the custody of Master Theo Francisco. She was also sueing Mrs. Francisco for attempted murder, and forgery, while Bruno was standing trial as an accomplice.Alison is already dressed and has her files and all the evidence she intends to tender to the court, in her car.She kept pacing around the living room nervously, with a lot of thoughts running through her mind. Deep down she was really scared of what the outcome of the trial was going to be.“Alison, I think you really need to calm down, and get a