“Hello, my name is Jordan Smith, I am a journalist and I want to hire your services for the case of an Ethan Hawke currently in custody for an attempted kidnap and murder” Dr. Hensley said. He had devised the perfect plan, he would anonymously pay for representation for Ethan and when he was out, they would move on with the second phase of his plan. He had chosen one of the top lawyers in the city, no fee was too much for him to pay just to get his hands on what he needed. Dr. Hensley thought about what he stood to gain if his research was successful…“Okay, would you like to meet up to discuss the case of your – you didn’t mention who he was to you.” The lawyer’s assistant said. “Oh I’d prefer to be anonymous, I just want his case to be dismissed and he can be set free. I think he’s just being oppressed but that doesn’t matter. I’d like to make payments for his representation no matter the amount. Just make sure he gets out.” Dr. Hensley said. “That won’t be a problem sir, I’ll se
“Sir, we have a meeting with the executives at Brightford Holdings tomorrow afternoon. The team is already at the hotel waiting, do I reschedule or are we still going?” Lucas stared at his boss Alexander who was still angry about the Jessica situation. “We’re definitely still going. Jessica doesn’t count as an emergency,” he said nursing his glass of whiskey. “I’ll get my bag. We should be out in thirty minutes.” Alexander said. He left Lucas and went up the stairs to the bedroom. Aria had been pacing, as he opened the door. She was a bit startled. “Is anything the matter? Why are you looking stressed? I couldn’t help but sneak a peek at what was happening downstairs.” Aria said. “Oh, it’s just Jessica’s parents trying to cause a scene. I want to truly apologize for everything that has happened. It turns out Jessica was the one that put nut powder in Grandma’s soup and also did a lot more but I promise I’ll trust you more although I suspected you were innocent but I just couldn’t
Alexander had a meet up with his team to perfect the pitch for the meeting. By the time they were done, it was a bit late already. All he wanted to do was go to bed, he’d need to be up early as well. He got to the room and saw a complimentary bottle of orange juice. “Oh no alcohol this time. This is better, a cup might help with my fatigue.” Alexander thought. So he poured himself a glass and sat down to scroll through his phone. He hadn’t checked his messages during the meeting, he wondered if he had gotten any from Aria. Sure as night and day, there was a message wishing him a great meeting and to come home cafe… cafe? That can’t be right. “Why are the letters jumbling around?” Alexander asked himself. He felt queasy and weak, he needed sleep. This was probably due to his lack of adequate rest. He stood up to go to the bed, but he could smell a familiar scent. Was Aria here?? His vision got blurry and he felt soft hands touching him and that familiar scent except it wasn’t as str
Grandma couldn’t help herself, she had to ask. “What exactly happened? Who did this to my grandson?” Grandma panicked. Lucas knew that Grandma’s state would only add more worry to Alexander so he decided to take her out of the room leaving Aria and Alexander together on the couch. “Grandma Sinclair, I think we should let them have some space. Young Master Alexander will get better soon and then you can have a conversation with him.” Lucas said as he guided a visibly worried Grandma out of the living room. “Alex, what happened to you?” Aria asked, slowly rubbing his back.Alexander wasn’t yet himself, the allergy was one thing but also he was still feeling the effects of the drugs that had been in the juice he had drank. He couldn’t explain it yet but he knew as soon as he felt better. He would make sure to get to the bottom of this whole thing. ***Jessica immediately got home and called her mother, she almost dragged her into her room. She needed to explain what she had done and
On the drive to Jessica’s family home, Lucas knew he would have to make sure that nothing like that happened again. He was going to put a stationed guard with Alexander at all times to keep Jessica and any females away. He couldn’t believe they were back to this time, when people were always triggering Alexander’s phobia. He also wondered what exactly Alexander had in mind for Jessica. “Young Master, if I may ask, why exactly are we going to Miss Jessica’s residence? I could just call the police and she’ll be arrested.” Lucas said. “No. Jessica is foolish, impulsive and everything wrong but they aren’t like the average family. Her father is also wealthy and they probably have their own assets to protect. I do not wish to cause any damage to her family’s image, at least for old times sake. We will use this to our advantage.” Alexander said. “If you say so, Young Master.” Lucas replied. ***Aria went back into the house to find Grandma, she found her at her reading spot. “Grandma,
Anderson and Jessica rushed Janet to the hospital, Anderson, frantic as he called nurses, doctors and interns to the aid of his wife. “Mom, what’s wrong? Are you having a heart attack?” Jessica asked, even as the nurses got her in a bed and rushed her into a hospital room. “I want my daughter with me..” Janet said, with a fake pain in her voice. Jessica went into the room with her. Watching as they placed an oxygen mask on her face to help her breathe better, she gripped her mother’s hands genuinely scared about what may be happening. “Mom, you’re gonna be okay… the doctors will make sure everything’s fine. They’ll do their jobs.” Janet squeezed her hand tightly but Jessica didn’t understand what was happening. As soon as the doctors plugged her into the machine, they realized that her vitals were stable. Medically, there was nothing wrong with her. They asked to take blood to run some tests. As soon as the last nurse was out the door, Janet took off the oxygen mask from her face
On the drive back to the house, Lucas tried hard not to discuss his feelings with Alexander about Jessica and her mother. He got a call. “Hello.”“Sir, Ethan won the case. He’s been set free.” The voice on the other end of the call said. “How did that happen? That case was pretty straightforward. He should be in jail by now.” Lucas replied. Alexander listened in trying to pick off exactly what they were discussing. “Yes sir. He had a damned good lawyer. I was a bit surprised when the lawyer came in saying she was representing Ethan. You may know her, it’s Gabriella Cornell, the big leagues.” “He couldn’t have gotten someone like that without help. Try to figure out exactly why she would represent him.” Lucas said. “Okay, sir. I’ll get back to you with any information I find sir.” “Yeah. Thank you” Lucas said before dropping the call. “Who was that?” Alexander asked. “Sir, that was Carlton, our guy at the D.A.’s office. He says that Ethan got an exceptional and expensive lawye
“What are you doing?” Aria whispered, her voice trembling as her palms rested against Alexander’s firm chest, their proximity sending a ripple of heat through her body.“You know exactly what I’m doing,” Alexander replied, his tone low, teasing yet filled with undeniable intent.Aria froze, her breath catching as Alexander reached up, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. His fingers grazed her cheek, lingering for a second longer than necessary, and the warmth of his touch ignited a storm of emotions within her.“I like your body massages, maybe we'll schedule some more in the future,” he said quietly. He took a deep breath so he could soak up her scent. “You do seem rather… relaxed.” Her voice trembled a bit. “I kind of get that feeling every time I’m around you whether you’re giving massages or just sitting there.” He whispered. Aria realized his face was getting closer to hers, he chuckled softly when he saw her close her eyes in expectation of the kiss to come. Alexa
“So, how was everything while I was away?” Aria’s voice was soft as she pushed the stroller with Lilian’s baby in it. She leaned forward on the couch in the penthouse, as Lilian carefully folded a few baby clothes. Lilian glanced up, smiling softly. “Well, to be honest, there wasn't a lot that changed. When you and Mr. Alexander returned from your trip, we thought you were back but then you just disappeared into your room and then Mr. Lucas called and told me I was to come work for you here but not to disclose a single thing to anyone.” Aria stilled. “When I came back with Alexander?” Lilian nodded. “Yes, when you and Mr. Alexander didn’t come back from your mother’s memorial, Grandma and most of the staff thought you both were finally getting a honeymoon.”Aria wanted to press more but she said nothing, she didn’t want to arouse any suspicion from Lilian. Lilian chuckled, she had no idea that Aria was tense. “When Mr. Alexander said you were ill, Grandma joked that maybe your il
“Young Master, we have a problem.” Lucas’s voice sounded sharp as he stepped into Alexander’s office. He took a look at Alexander who looked like he didn’t even want to be at the office today. The ongoing investigation was weighing on the young man. Alexander didn’t look up from his desk, he still studied the documents in front of him. “Which one of our problems?” Lucas slid the file he held onto the desk. “It’s Ethan sir.” “What about him?” Alexander replied, he finally lifted his head and reached for the file Lucas dropped, his expression unreadable. Lucas exhaled. “The detective told us their full strategy on how they plan on arresting Ethan and Shanta and taking down Shanta’s whole operation but there’s a catch.” Alexander’s jaw tightened as he opened the file to photos of Shanta and Ethan and redacted lines in the investigation file. “What exactly is this catch? I already know I’m not going to like it so just say it.” “Young Master, They want to keep Ethan on the ground un
“Good day everyone, I’m the detective here for the briefing on Shanta and his crew.” The detective spoke as soon as he strode into the Tech team’s conference room at The Sinclair Headquarters. “We need to talk about Ethan, we don’t know anything about this Shanta…” Lucas immediately replied. The detective, a lean man who looked like he was in his forties, turned to Lucas with sharp eyes. “I guess it’s straight to business with you.” “Well, there’s no time for pleasantries. Ethan should be in a holding cell awaiting trial just like his fellow conspirators.” Lucas replied. The detective exhaled, he looked weary as he rubbed his temples. “Yes that’s true but it’s not that simple.” One of the tech operatives leaned forward. “So what’s the holdup? We had eyes on him at Shanta’s pub, we alerted you on the location and you had a window but you stopped the officers from taking him. Why did you do that exactly?”The detective tapped his fingers on the table. “Because arresting Ethan would
“This is the one I picked, I think it’s okay and it looks warm and homely at the same time as doubling as a safe house.” Lucas said. Alexander stepped into the penthouse, his eyes scanned the space. The apartment was sleek, modern and the sunlight filled the room. The windows were floor to ceiling but they had shutters in case the person needed to drown out the natural light. The penthouse overlooked the city… It was a humble type of luxury. “Is it secure?” Alexander asked, stepping towards the closed balcony doors. Lucas nodded his response. “Yes, Young Master. It has triple security, controlled access so no one gets in without clearance.” Alexander ran a hand along the door knob before opening it. The balcony was nice, airy but very secure. “And inside?” Lucas gave a small smile, he was proud of the apartment. “The inside is fully stocked, has a private gym and enough space so she doesn’t feel like a prisoner.” Alexander’s gaze went straight to the woman standing near the kitc
The guest house bubbled with laughter as the ladies clunk their glasses together and celebrated. The bottle of expensive French wine sat half empty on the table as Janet, Mandy and Jessica indulged in their victory. Jessica sighed, as she swirled her wine in her glass. “I have to admit, I didn’t even think it would happen this fast.” Mandy smirked, “when you pay for the best, you’ll definitely get the best.” She took a slow sip of the wine. “I didn’t exactly trust him, I thought he’d probably screw it up, or worse take the money and run away.” Jessica replied. Janet let out a small laugh and a cough, obviously enjoying the wine. “You weren’t the only one. I was skeptical about hiring someone, what if he made a mistake or he got caught? That would be stupid and traceable.” “There’s still a slight chance that he screwed up.” Jessica said. Mandy snapped, “Don’t say that.” Jessica frowned. “Don’t say what?” Mandy firmly placed her glass down on the table. “That kind of talk can j
Lucas stood in the cold, autopsy room waiting for the autopsy report. As soon as he saw the forensic toxicologist walk in, his gaze swept over the stout man. He was handed the document and his eyes absorbed the information. The results were obvious. “She was poisoned,” the examiner said as he pulled off his gloves. “We found a deeply concentrated toxic substance in her bloodstream. It wasn’t something that could have entered her blood naturally. This substance is what caused her demise, we are yet to ascertain what sort of poison it is or where it comes from but we think it’s a mix of some sort.” Lucas kept a straight face. “So do you think this substance was ingested or it was injected?” The examiner pointed at the file. “We also checked her IV bag.” Lucas opened the next document in the file, a report of the administered drugs and what was later found in the IV bag. “So the IV tested positive for the same poison meaning that’s how it got into her system?” That was a calculated
Lucas stood in the next room watching through the two way mirror as the medical examiner began cutting through Frieda’s body. He thought about how Frieda was a casualty of deception even in death. He wasn’t here for answers about her, rather he was here for proof, proof that someone had made a mistake. Or proof that someone had killed this young woman, or who they thought she was. The forensic pathologist glanced at him from the other side of the room, the light was on so he could clearly see that Lucas was watching him intently. “I’ve never had someone insist on being present for an autopsy before.” Lucas didn’t blink. “You’re not used to my kind of people.” The pathologist raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He continued the autopsy, while analyzing the toxicology results. The door opened, the doctor from earlier emerged. “The security footage is ready, you can come and take a look.” He took one last glare at the pathologist before leaving the room. He followed the doctor to
The private hospital was indeed private, it was quiet and the eerie silence felt unnatural. But that didn’t matter to Alexander. His footsteps through the hallway was fast and determined as he walked down the corridor towards the hospital room where Aria was being kept. His own Aria, his wife and love. Lucas walked briskly beside him, they found the doctor in charge. “Hello sir. I’m Doctor Smith. I’m in charge of the patient.” He said.“What’s the situation?” Alexander asked. “The man pumped her with enough anesthesia to keep her unconscious for days. We’re currently trying to clear it from her system but it’ll take time.” The doctor replied. Alexander said nothing. His body language showed his impatience, he wanted to see Aria now but he also wanted to find Hensley and make him pay for what he had done. Lucas spoke out, sensing Alexander’s rage. “At least she’s here now. We found her.” Alexander exhaled. “Not soon enough.” He said under his breath. They reached the door of he
Janet sat in her grand living room scrolling through a gossip column on her phone. It came as a surprise when the butler announced that she had a delivery. She walked out to the door and was handed a bottle of wine with a red bow tied around the neck. She frowned in confusion as she thought about the most likely people to send her a bottle of wine. “No sender information?” She asked as she signed. The delivery man shook his head. “No sender address ma’am and no note, except this.” He handed her a tiny card. Janet’s eyes scanned it. All that was written wasCongrats. Her heart almost stopped. Realization hit her at once and she almost lost hold of the bottle. There was only one reason someone would send this. This was what the hitman said he would do. She had initially thought it was a joke especially since it feels like overkill but here they were. Aria was dead and the bottle of red wine seemed fitting. Without another thought, Janet turned around and ran straight into the h