Chapter Five

Background voice 

“What happens to the property Theodore King willed Janelle if she is convicted for his murder, Christian?” A female voice asks, clearly enjoying herself.

“Most jurisdictions have a "slayer rule" that prevents a murderer from inheriting property from their victim, meaning if the victim had named the murderer as a beneficiary in a will, they would be legally barred from receiving that inheritance,” a male voice replies.

“Good. Then we can take back what was originally ours?”

“Of course, my darling.”

A kissing sound followed by the clicking of glasses is heard.

Janelle's POV 

“Inmate 345, you have a visitor,” the female guard screams, banging on my cell’s metal door.

I stare at her blankly, until one of the ugly, tall, skinny, tanned women sitting a few feet from me, lands me a hard kick on my back.

“Are you deaf? Answer the screaming guard already and give us some peace.” The woman trembles as she speaks like her obvious bones which are visible under her very tanned skin are about to come loose, yet she's surprisingly strong.

Her kick sends spasms of pain running through my spine, and I rise shakily to my feet, tears blinding my vision.

I can't believe I'm currently in prison for murder. Whoever had pulled the string to put me here had done their job thoroughly. They were definitely experts.

The evidence provided is enough to earn me a life sentence.

My lawyers have been on the case for hours now, but it only seems to get worse.

I can't remember the last time I felt fear in the last ten years of my life, but now I feel it sipping in and tightening its cold fingers around me.

I stand up and limp to the door, following the warden out of my cell.

She takes me to the visitor's room and uncuffs me.

“You have twenty minutes,” she barks before walking away.

I lift my throbbing head to see who had come to see me. Bella?

“Bella.” I stand up from my seat. The tears I've been trying to hold finally give way, and I start to weep like a baby.

Bella wipes off her tears. “Don't cry my love, I promise to get you out of here as fast as possible. The family lawyer is working on it.”

I cry louder. My sister was always like a Mom to me.

“What happened to your eyes?” Bella’s already pained face twisted in more pain and anger. “Whoever did this to you would surely pay! I'll make sure they…”

“Enough with the threats, woman.” Truce’s cold, voice cuts Bella off rudely. He sounded bored. He was suddenly behind Bella. I hadn’t heard him come.

I look at him, shocked, completely forgetting about my crying. What's Truce doing here?

He's the last person I expect to see here because I'm being accused of killing his father.

Truce carefully moves Bella out of the way and stands directly opposite me. His fiery green eyes bore into me for a while before he spoke.

“Did you kill him or not?” His expression is calm, betraying no emotion.

He looks great in a black trouser, black shirt, and a long black coat. His hair is packed in a ponytail, defining his already perfectly handsome features.

I look at him, anger rising in my veins. Since when did he care about Theodore King?

I glare at him, letting my obvious hatred be made known to him. “And if I did?”

Truce takes a step forward. A dark chuckle escapes his perfect cherry-shaped lips. “I know you're trying to be brave here, but I have a few reasons to disagree with your confession. First, you look too deeply hurt for someone who killed Theodore. Second, the fear of uncertainty in your eyes is too obvious for someone who just committed a crime like murder. Lastly, you're not dumb enough to poison Theodore and leave traces. As an extra point, your father was killed in the same way and the killer was never apprehended. Why would you get caught now.? 

Truce's voice is calm as he speaks and his eyes never leave mine. I feel my heart slamming against my chest and I can barely breathe under his hot gaze.

At least he knows I'm innocent. I take in a deep breath.

“What do you want from me?”

Truce's expression darkens. “It's simple. I'm not here to offer baby talks or try petty things like comfort. I'm here to offer a deal.”

“Deal?” Bella and I ask in unison.

Truce smiles faintly. “You know what I'm talking about, J.”

Bella turns to me. “What's going on? How is Truce King here? I haven't seen him in ten years.”

I bite my lower lips and Truce's gaze follows.

“Don't get worked up, Bella. He just appeared in my life yesterday. I'm still confused about what's going on.”

Bella takes her protective mother-hen stance. “You hurt her deeply before you left. What do you want this time?” 

“Marriage.”

Bella's eyes shut open widely, almost popping out of the surface. She adjusted her light-blue suit and tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder, with as much dignity as possible. 

“My baby sister is not someone you tose around like an object. Stay away from her!” Bella’s voice tried to sound threatening, but it came out far from that.

Truce gives her a look that silences her, which is surprising since Bella has always been the outspoken one. 

Truce turned to me. “Let me offer the deal carefully, Janelle Ronan. Marry me and you'd be released this instant. Refuse and get a life sentence for a crime you never committed.”

I swallow indecisively. “Did you do this? Put me here?”

“I do many things, but trampling on the innocent is not my speciality.”

If Truce didn't put me behind bars, then who did?

I'll never know if I stay here. I have to get out.

Marrying Truce may be a terrible idea, but at this point, what choice do I have?

I muster the little strength I have left. “Deal.”

Truce smiles, deepening his dimples. “Good. But there's one rule; no questions.”

I nod.

Marrying a man rumoured to be anything but a human may be much better than spending the rest of my life among lunatics in a human-sized cage.

What may lie in wait? Either victory, romance, or insanity…