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
Knock Knock.“Please come on in.” Henderson invites Chara inside his office, motioning her to a seat. “Thank you for taking on that work in such short notice. How do you like your team? Are they fit to work with?”“I think some are a bit rough around the edges and will need discipline, but they are doing pretty good. Is there an important thing I need to hear or some news I need to know? I’m getting some weird feelings about getting called to your office twice in a row as soon as I resume work.”Henderson sighs, stifling a laugh. “Yes. Please read this.” He extends his phone to her and she takes it from him, reading the message.Her eyes cloud over. “Who sent this?”“I received it yesterday from Campbell Hospital and apparently, from the Managing Director, Mason Campbell. He seemed to have some reserves about the work yesterday. I did not peg him for the picky type though. I mean, you took care of a troublemaker for him, that should be more than enough to be grateful for.”Chara holds
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
The sun was barely up in the sky when Arthur pulled into the lot outside the station. The sky was overcast, painted with streaks of gray, as if the clouds themselves knew what kind of day it was going to be...Other than that, it looked like a really gloomy day.No one said a word as the car slowed to a stop outside the police station.Quinn was the first to move, opening the door and stepping out, her face pale but unreadable. Daisy followed, then Bethany, and finally Arthur, locking the car behind them. They walked together, a tight line of four, but it didn’t feel united, not with everything that hung in the air.Daisy had woken up to the phone call from Marsh saying that John would be transported from the holding cell at the police station to the penitentiary where he would stay until his trial ends, that will decide whether he’ll continue to stay there or otherwise.Detective Marsh was already waiting at the entrance, his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat. He gave a small
Red and blue lights painted the darkened club exterior in flashing bursts as police officers stormed through the entrance. As always, whenever there is the sound of even the slightest movements of the police within a club’s surroundings, there is an unheard hush that goes through the crowd…In this case, especially the long line outside waiting to be admitted into the building.A group of onlookers had gathered just outside as well, murmuring in hushed voices, their curiosity piqued by the commotion of the police vehicles. The club's music still thumped through the walls, seemingly oblivious to the chaos unraveling outside.Bethany stood beside Daisy and Quinn, breathless, her heart still hammering from the near disaster she had narrowly escaped, although a bit calm now compared to when her back had been against the wall with slicked back’s hands to her neck.Arthur stood beside them, his jaw locked, his fury simmering just beneath the surface.She knows that a part of his anger is at
Detective Marsh strides into the station with an unmistakable swagger in his steps, whistling a low tune under his breath. His leather jacket swings slightly as he walks, his confidence practically radiating off him. The morning sun filters through the windows, casting a sharp glow across the room.He does look like he has achieved something… He really has. Even though he looks nothing like he slept all night, his smile is still unfaltering.He did not catch a wink of sleep but he has some business here at work today.With John Worth.At the coffee vending machine, Detective Halloway eyes him with suspicion as he stirs his coffee. He raises a brow and takes a slow sip before asking, “Alright, what’s with the strut? You win the lottery or something?”Marsh chuckles and shakes his head. “Better. You’ll see, come along.”Halloway sighs, dumping his half full cup into the trash before following his partner down the hall. “I swear to God, if this is another one of your dramatic reveals, I…
Bethany reaches the door, her heart slamming against her ribs. She twists the knob…Nothing.She tries again, this time pulling harder.Locked.Panic surges through her, but she tamps it down. She’s not trapped. She won’t be trapped.The room goes silent behind her.She slowly turns.The men are no longer laughing. They’re staring at her, their drunken haze lifting as realization sets in."You’re not drunk, you don’t look drunk at all." one of them says, his voice low and dangerous.Bethany forces out a nervous giggle. "W-What are you talking about?"Slicked-Back steps forward, his face darkening. "You set us up, didn’t you? You little vixen."Bethany doesn’t hesitate. She yanks her phone from her clutch and shouts into it…"Call Officer Reynold now, Daisy!"Then, she hangs up.A deadly silence follows.All four men straighten, their expressions shifting from confusion to cold calculation."You little bitch," one of them hisses.Bethany backs against the door, gripping her phone tight
Bethany steps through the doorway, her heels clicking softly against the hardwood floor. The room is dimly lit, thick with the scent of expensive cologne and alcohol, the mini strobe lights just make the sense of thick drugs in the air only increase, and she already has a headache.The moment she enters, four pairs of male eyes snap up to her, taking in her appearance with a mixture of curiosity and predatory amusement.She lets her gaze drift lazily from one man to the next, feigning a slightly dazed expression. Then, as if just realizing something, she presses her fingers to her lips and lets out a soft giggle."Umm... I was told someone was looking for me?" Her voice is intentionally high-pitched, flirty, tinged with just the right amount of uncertainty and girlishness.Mostly with the naivety they are looking for.One of the men, a tall, broad-shouldered guy with slicked-back hair and an eager smile, immediately rises from his seat. His dark eyes roam shamelessly over her body, an
Quinn, sensing Daisy’s hesitation, chimes in, “Honestly, Mum, if anyone can pull this off, it’s Bethany. You should see the transformation she did on me back then when I had to go to a party. I went from ‘meh’ to ‘wow’ in ten minutes.”Daisy smiles a little wider. “Fine. I trust you, Bethany. But if I end up looking like a clown...”Bethany waves her off. “Don’t even joke about that. I’m a professional.”After a few more minutes of meticulous work, Bethany steps back, a satisfied grin on her face. “There! Now, behold the new and improved Daisy Worth.”Daisy hesitates for a moment before turning to face the mirror. When she sees her reflection, her eyes widen in surprise. The woman staring back at her is almost unrecognizable. Her eyes are smokey and bold, her lips a deep crimson that compliments her complexion. Her hair, now styled in soft waves, frames her face perfectly.She looks nothing like the forty year old woman she is.“Wow...” Daisy breathes, reaching up to touch her cheek.
Bethany picks up Daisy’s phone from the coffee table, her heart racing. The caller ID reads “Quinn’s Case’s Officer.”Without overthinking it, she redials the number, already planning her next move. She needs to know what the officer has to say, but she doesn’t want to wake Daisy. As the phone rings, Bethany pinches her nose with one hand, slightly distorting her voice to make it less recognizable.The worldwide method of changing voices, hopefully, it works."Hello?" The officer's voice comes through, gruff but alert. "Who's this?"Bethany clears her throat, forcing herself to sound casual. “Hi Officer Reynolds, it’s Daisy Worth. Sorry, my voice is a little off, I just woke up. My sister in law told me you called and wanted to speak to me?”The officer hesitates. “You sound strange. Everything alright?”Bethany’s pulse quickens, hoping that he does not catch on, but she forces a small laugh. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just groggy. It's been a long day."After another moment of silence, the off
The evening sun casts a warm glow over the smaller sized living room as Bethany watches Martha crocheting opposite her. The house is quiet, filled with the soft sounds of yarn sliding between fingers and the occasional clink of the teacups beside them.She is currently learning how to crochet and how crocheting, according to Martha, is a way of life of elderly people which they were laughing about just a few minutes before. It’s a peaceful moment, one that Bethany savors, until her phone vibrates against the armrest.She glances down at the screen and frowns.It’s Daisy.“Strange,” she murmurs to herself. They’d just seen Daisy the day before, so this early evening call feels odd. Without hesitation, she excuses herself from the room, stepping into the hallway before answering.“Hello? Daisy? Is everything alright?” Bethany asks, her voice steady but tinged with concern.For a moment, all she hears is sniffling, soft and shaky. “Daisy?” Bethany repeats, a bit louder, and worried this