At the same time that John is being rudely carried out for his bad and shameless behavior, the atmosphere in the Campbell Corporation’s lobby changes as well, as Kevin, flanked by a small army of disgruntled fellow officials, storm towards the exit, their faces flushed with rage. "I told you to let me go." Kelvin yells forcefully, trying to free himself from the hands of the men throwing them out, but they are stronger than him, far stronger.“I will come back with police officers! Just you see.” He bellows, his words dripping with anger. “You think you can just throw us out because you are the boss? This company will be rendered unfit to work, I promise you that!”Mark, another supposedly wronged official sighs. Even though they are being dragged out, he still manages to maintain his steeze and composure, and doesn't say a word. However, it seems Kevin keeps adding to their embarrassment as he keeps yelling over everything and keeps struggling to release himself, it’s getting everyo
Up in Bethany's office, the atmosphere has become a little more relieving since she made the order about Kevin and his cohorts to be kicked out. And now, it has become a little bit tense as soon as the representatives of the Trust Auditing team demands for Bethany's attention.Bethany sits across from them in her office, Jade stands beside her, her eyes scanning the room as if anticipating some drama, hasn’t been long since the last one anyway. Kevin had been over just a few moments ago, and now the Trust Auditing team is sitting here with different files, ready for business.“Good afternoon ma’am. Its an honor to be here once again.” A woman starts as she extends her hand for a handshake. “I am Aneeya, the head of this team.””Nice to meet you ma’am, I am Bethany.” Aneeya glances at one of the other staff member behind her and he comes forward. The auditor lay down a stack of documents on the polished mahogany table, the sound echoing like a gunshot in the quiet room. Bethany rais
Some few hours before the Press Conference at the Campbell Hospital, Daisy paces around the station, trying everything to keep the tears from falling down her eyes, her slippers slapping against the floor. Her face is pale, almost ashen, her hair is very disheveled, and her puffy eyes dart nervously toward the entrance every few seconds.“John. I can’t take this anymore.” She mutters, her voice breaking with every sentence she utters. “Where is she? It’s been over twenty four hours! She’s out there somewhere! All alone. She did not even come home all night.”John sits across the room at a desk, speaking to the officer taking his statement. His face is almost calm, but the tension in his hard up shoulders give him away. He’s trying to stay calm for both their sakes, since Daisy gave up on been calm ever since she had woken up and checked Quinn’s rom and seen that the girl had not come home or slept in her bed.“She is seventeen, her name is Quinn Worth. She has long brown hair, brown e
Millicent Atkinson sits in the driver’s seat of her sleek silver colored car, her fingers drumming nervously against the steering wheel. The city comes and goes around her, but her thoughts are locked on one thing.Arthur.She should be heading to her interview, one that Tina, her manager, had meticulously arranged to promote her new movie coming up, but the thought of sitting there answering mundane questions pales in comparison to seeing him. She has never been able to stop thinking of him after all. She hadn’t even known he had returned to New York until that man sent those pictures. Not to talk of getting remarried.The mysterious had sent her name too. He had been paid twenty five thousand for everything but Millicent does not regret it. Her name is Bethany and she is equally an heiress. And she is beautiful too.“You’re throwing away a golden opportunity.” Tina had said earlier, her tone more disapproving than angry. What right did the small woman have to be angry at her anyeay,
In the evening of the same day, the door bursts open and Charles rushes in, sweat beaded on his forehead some running down behind his ears, he has lost a lot of weight and his eeys are red and bloodshot, his lips chapped and his neck has deep wells from being malnourished. He walks briskly past the hall and the dining room until he comes to the living room where Daisy sits with her head between her hands, rocking herself back and forth as though she is grieving over someone that died.Charles came to an abrupt stop, John raises his head to look at him, and then casts his eyes back down when he sees the state of his son’s life.Daisy sits there in the awfully brightly lit living room, her body curled into a tight ball on the couch. Her arms wrap around her knees as she rocks herself back and forth, tears streaming down her face. The silence in the house is choking, interrupted only by her soft sobs. The reality of Quinn being nowhere to be found is sinking further in with each hour.Jo
As the door closes behind him when he steps into the office, he takes off the long white coat and drapes it around his coat hanger, Mason Campbell paces the length of his office, his hands stuffed into his pockets, his expression a mixture of irritation and amusement. The early morning sunlight streams through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the room. Papers and files lie scattered across his desk, forgotten as his mind fixates on something, or rather, someone he can’t seem to shake away from his thoughts.He has been at work since as early as six am because of an urgent surgery he had to perform but even till now, he could not shake off his wandering thoughts.With a frustrated sigh, Mason stops by the window and gazes out at the city and building rooftops below. His jaw tightens as he remembers his last run in with Chara.Their encounters, even right from the start, were never pleasant, always charged with a tension that left him fuming. Yet, for reasons he refuses to
Having gone to bed early from the day’s stress, at night, John opens his eyes to some small sounds in the house. He had not been able to sleep anyway, starting from the dead body he had seen thinking it was his daughter, to the loss of his company’s hopeful source of redemption that is now gone and impending bankruptcy, and above all, the pain in his side from getting kicked. He had not eve able to tell anyone of his family just yet on what is going on with him and the company, and that they might be poor now.He pushes around the bed till his legs dangle off the side of the bed, putting on his slippers. His movements startles Daisy who opens her eyes and sees him sitting up in bed.“John?” She calls out, wearily.He looks to her side of the bed, taking on an apologetic look. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up, most especially when you had been up for two whole days.”“What’s wrong?” She asks, sitting up as well, wiping the sleep out of her eyes.“I thought I heard some noises, so I
After twenty minutes of driving, Arthur parks the car in front of Campbell Hospital, the tires screeching slightly as he comes to an abrupt stop. Without a second thought, he throws the door open and steps out, Bethany following beside him in equal pacing. The chilly night air bites at their faces, but neither of them seems to notice. “Fifth floor, thank you.” Arthur says curtly after speaking to the receptionist, his voice tense with urgency. He presses the elevator button repeatedly, as if sheer force will make it arrive faster. Bethany stays quiet beside him, her hands clutched tightly around her purse. The sight of Arthur’s clenched jaw and furrowed brow makes her heart ache, but she knows this isn’t the time to offer comfort. There is a difference between loathing people and wishing them evil. She won't wish such as suicide on even her enemy, not even her enemy's daughter. Even though has been evil to her in the past, she did not look anything like someone who would take her ow
Charles doesn’t remember when the rage began, only that it grew over time, like a parasite feeding off everything he had left of humanity.He stares blankly at the GPS mounted in the Falcon Rental’s Audi R8, sleek, black, expensive, and utterly soulless. Just like him tonight. The false name he gave at the rental office, Reeds Whitby, echoes in his mind as he swerves through the streets.He doesn’t want to think too hard. The bottle of tequila he downed earlier made sure of that. He still has more of it in the deep pocket just if he needs some more liquid courage to protect his family.He punches a code into an app he’d installed on his family’s phones during the Quinn scare, a parental tracking tool he’d masked as a ‘security protocol.’ Now it pulses on the screen, blinking with one word.John.His father’s signal is floating dangerously close to the outskirts of the state. There is no other place she could be staying that is not where the blue dot is currently tapping.“She really h
The bottle is empty. Charles drops it onto the passenger seat, the final drop of tequila long gone down his throat. His vision swims a little, but his mind is sharp, sharper than it’s been in days.Rage does that.It slices through fog, even the kind caused by alcohol.Simpler to call it a drunken sober state.He adjusts the black cap over his head and slides the dark cloth mask up over his face. It’s not paranoia. It’s protection. He isn’t supposed to be seen. Not today.Not when he’s decided how this ends.The Falcon Rental lot is dim, even in daylight. He parks his actual car on the next street over, then walks across the sidewalk like any other customer. The ID he hands over is fake, the accent he puts on convincing enough. “Reeds Whitby,” he says with a light chuckle. “Just in town for a few days. Business and... pleasure.”The clerk barely looks at him. All that matters is the money.And he gives the guy a lot of it.Keys change hands.Minutes later, Charles is behind the wheel
Many weeks before...Charles stands on the front steps of the hospital, the early afternoon sun beaming down on him like a spotlight exposing every ugly thought in his mind, shining brightly on every single evil thing he has ever done and said... The conversation with Arthur that he had just some minutes earlier before Arthur had gone up to possibly smack John had ensued, plays on loop in his headaccusations, disgust, disappointment. And the worst part? Arthur did have a point no matter how much he has tried to deny it and say it's a lie.No matter how much he had tried to say he isn't like his father... Deep down, he knew he was like him.And control of himself was slipping right through his fingers.He drags a hand through his hair, chest heaving as he pulls out his phone. His fingers hover for a second before he finally dials the number.The same number he had dialed just before and Arthur had overheard the whole conversation.Sienna picks up on the second ring, her voice light a
Contented sigh.The morning sun peeks softly through the curtains, its light spilling gently over the cream sheets of the master bedroom where our couple have been staying and where the stay would soon come to an end since it's all over anyway. Arthur stirs first, slipping out of bed quietly so as not to wake Bethany. A few minutes later, he returns with two steaming mugs in hand. He knows what his wife needs anyway, and he'll give it to her, knowing what time she wakes up on her and even if it's not near, the coffee will damn near wake her up with it's 'rejuvenating' scent as she calls it.Bethany blinks awake just in time to see him walk in, dressed in his robe and soft slippers on his leg. He hands her one of the mugs and sits on the edge of the bed, watching her with amusement.She accepts it gratefully, taking a sip. “Mmm. You make a mean cup of coffee,” she says sleepily, sitting up straighter as the warmth spreads through her hands, waking her fully.Arthur raises a brow. “Goo
POVGood riddance to bad trash.The glass in front of me is already half empty, but I hold it like it’s the only thing anchoring me to the planet. My fingers tremble around the rim, knuckles pale and tight. Whiskey burns my throat as I knock the rest of it back in one go, but I barely flinch.Who flinches at a burn of alcohol after seeing a dead body’s flinching in death? Its nothing compared to one another, simply fleeting and yet stays with you… When you see the eyes of a dead person closing for the last time.Or the last blink? The last sigh? The last finger twitch? Exhilarating to see and alcohol seems to be the closes thing to feeling that lovely twinge in your back again.The bartender’s eyes flick toward me from the end of the counter.He's used to me now. I’ve been coming here every other night, ordering the same thing, pretty expensive whiskey, no ice, no chaser, the perfect feeling it gives me gives me no other choice but to drink it raw.I don’t need comfort.I need focus an
After they drive away from the police station, the long ride to Daisy’s house is a bit quiet, unlike the previous night. Not heavy at all like the last time, but quiet enough to let the silence settle between them without awkwardness.Its just sad in there.A woman lost her husband to justice, rightfully, a daughter said bye to her father and family has to watch it all happen while he pays his respects, sort of.And now the date of the hearing is just a few days away… Must be hard.Daisy steps out of the vehicle with Quinn by her side just as Arthur pulls into the driveway. They both help one another when they get off from the car, and Bethany is the first to step out from the front. Quinn breaks into a small whimper and manages a small, hurtful smile towards Bethany.Not because Bethany is the one who hurt her but because Beth has been there all along and now there is no reason to hide emotions from her anymore.“I’m really glad you came with us,” Daisy says softly, walking up beside
The silence in the rental office’s reception tightens like a noose on a criminal’s neck.Travis looks like the criminal while Marsh seems like the executioner.Marsh paces slowly in front of the reception desk, fists clenched at his sides, jaw clenching and unclenching with held back fury. Travis, the kid behind the counter, glances between him and Halloway like he's deciding which cop looks slightly less ready to blow, and maybe when to dash back to avoid a swinging fist.Halloway, standing just off to Marsh’s right, clears his throat and steps in. “Is there any other way we can identify the person who rented that car?” His tone is calm but firm, the kind that invites cooperation without threat. It’s a good cop move, and one Marsh doesn’t have the patience for today.The classic good cop, bad cop.Travis blinks at him, then nods. “I… uh, I can call my manager. He’ll know more about it sir.”“Good,” Halloway says, stepping back, folding his arms. He throws Marsh a sidelong glance that
Mason shrugs off his lab coat with a sigh, the fatigue of the last surgery still clinging to his shoulders. He tosses the coat over the back of a chair and loosens the top button of his scrub shirt before sinking into his desk chair. An open file rests on the desk, the patient's file for the next surgery in two hours. He flips it open and scans the notes, but his mind isn't fully in it yet. He is really exhausted, he has had three consecutive surgeries today and this file belongs to the last before he calls it a day.Sighing, he opens the file and begins to read and take note of surgical procedures.The door opens without a knock.Chara steps in like she owns the place, dressed in her black-on-black security uniform that hugs her frame a little too well for Mason to ignore. Boots, cargo pants, tight-fit tee, the faintest glint of her belt buckle catching the light. She raises an eyebrow, arms folded, lips pursed like she knows exactly the kind of distraction she is.Like the kind of
The bus goes on its way along the cracked asphalt, its huge tires just as wide as the same look on John’s face when he comes to the realization.John sits hunched in his seat, his handcuffed wrists resting on his lap. He stares out the window, but the view feels more like a movie he’s watching from behind the barricaded glass of the bus, people walking, shops opening, the world moving on without him. He won’t be a part of it for a very long time, and maybe even never again.Then it hits him.A sleek, black Audi R8 glides past the bus, shiny, unsuspecting and beautiful. For a moment, it’s like the world slows down. The car catches the light just right, a sharp glint bouncing off its chrome details.His stomach twists.That car. The exact same model he had seen drive into the parking lot outside Sienna’s building the day she died, just as he drove off, a bit wary of the black-black dressed driver.He lurches forward, startling the officer seated a few feet away. “Officer! Please, I need