Chapter 3

Elizabeth POV

"Your parents' house was blazing with fire by the time the police had arrived.  The firefighters weren't of much help either, everything was lost."  Lance revealed softly.

I turned my face from him to stare at the monitor reading my heartbeat. I had opened my eyes to find myself lying on the hospital bed.

"And my parents?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

"The doctor said you had a panic attack,you should–"

"I'm fine, Lance. Please just tell me the Truth." I demanded, holding back sobs.

"Their bodies were found brutally destroyed by the fire"  He sighed.

"Thank you" my voice barely above a whisper..

"If you want, Eli, you can come to me for anything. Your father was my best friend, you're like a daughter to me. I can –"

"I want revenge." I blurted out, cutting in.

My words must've shocked him seeing he kept mute. I turn back to him, focusing my gaze intently on him.

"I want to finish what he started". I pressed further.

"That is suicide! you saw what happened to your parents, you barely escaped yourself!" He scowled.

"Still, I want to do this. Let me do this."

***

*THREE YEARS LATER*

Lily, my coworker and new friend, skipped excitedly into the local restaurant where we both worked as waitresses.

"Guess what?" She placed both hands on the table I was cleaning.

"You know I don't have a brain for guesses."

"Sure," She giggles, turning around to rest her weight on the table "You won't believe the latest news I just received from Jack."

"What now?"  Judging from the many information she'd shared off the streets, I wasn't particularly interested in another irrelevant topic.

"You know the infamous Adam Mich?" She kept her voice low.

My blood boiled when she mentioned his name, but I didn't give my anger away. I had been secretly investigating him ever since I got discharged from the hospital three years ago.

Lance, now Lieutenant Lance, covered my tracks whilst I dig for some useful information I can use to make sure he rots in jail for all his crimes.

I had changed my look and identity,  taking Lance's last name, Hugh, to stay undercover.

But so far, I've only gotten nothing. Hearing Lily mention him piqued my interest more than it did my anger.

"Yeah, What about him?"

"Shhhh. Keep your voice down." She covers my mouth with her hand.

"What about him?" I whispered this time.

"He's looking for a woman to wed."

"He plans to marry?!" I ask, trying to keep my voice low.

How could he think of starting a family when he ruined mine?

"No, not for himself. My bad. He's searching for his sick brother."  Lily turns and leans her weight on the table.

"He has a brother?" I stop cleaning now and turn to focus on her.

"Surprising, isn't it? I wonder how many more surprises he has up his sleeves. It's an older brother and he is almost a vegetable, as I heard."  Her eyes sparked with interest.  " I'm thinking, why don't we apply?"

"Apply?"

"Yes! You would not believe what's In for the lucky woman. One-third of his wealth! And two-thirds if she births a child!"  Lily shrieked, unable to contain the thrill.

"Why would any woman want his money? It's not pure last I checked." My voice is full of disdain.

"Any woman, like myself, who's tired of living in the trenches. Come on, Liz, you could be the lucky woman. Think about the future, would you still want to be scrubbing tables and waiting on rude customers for little pay? It can't even afford the bills anymore."

I quickly thought about it, getting closer to the bastard would help me have a better chance of digging dirt on him.

Many times I came close it was always as though he knew about me and my plans, and was two steps ahead of me in the game.

"Alright, Lily, I'll think about it"  

"Think about it? Get into action girl!" Lily shoved a flyer containing a location, and wrapped an arm around mine.

"Whoever gets chosen has to remember the other in paradise "  She giggles.

Lily was goofy and had the wildest fantasies of the dream life—living in luxury.

I instantly felt guilty knowing my plans for Adam. Someday, I'd find a way to make it up to her.

Looking down at the address,I thought of a way to be ten steps ahead of the women flocking his gates already.

Lance wasn't home by the time I got to his place to give in on the update and together, plan how best to get Adam's attention.

I was on my own this time.

Running my hands along the sleek, fitted sheath dress, I straightened my composure and walked into the Night-Crow Club, the biggest private club in Montreal where I knew Adam would be meeting his client tonight.

Sighting him sitting at the bar with an envelope in hand and no security, I strode over and  bumped into him, pretending to be just walking past.

The envelope fell off his hand to the floor.

He turned and looked up at me.

It was the first time I'd seen his face up close. For a murderer,he looked undeniably handsome and...young.

His face was an art piece of sharp angles and smooth lines

The paparazzi did him no justice when it came to posting his photos on the media.

"Oops, my bad" I bend down to pick it up, making sure he can perceive my subtle scent.

Rather than handing it back to him, I calmly opened the envelope and took out it's content. It was a letter written in a language foreign to me.

I felt the gaze of his ocean eyes burning my skin.

"Hmph. Not quite what I expected from a man who supposedly controls half the city, but it's ok. Every folk has their own charm."

Acting unfazed by his glare, I smirked at him and placed the envelope in the breast pocket of his shirt.

I should've stopped there but something was about to flick in me, so I took the shot of whiskey in front of him and gulped it down, quenching my rising anger.

"Thanks for the drink." I faked a phone call and walked out using the back door.

I could feel his gaze following me until I disappeared.

“Wait!” He said with a husky voice.