After Gareth’s team searched and cleaned out the house of all things electronic, Eric walks into the office to see what else could give him clues as to why Alex would have a vendetta against Ally. The office is a complete mess. There are papers strewn everywhere and some of the sheets of paper is torn in half or more pieces.Eric pics up a piece of paper that seems to show a partial address. He holds the piece of paper in his hand and reads the hand written note on it. An anxious feeling rises in his chest. The address on the paper seems to be the same address as the warehouse where Bennet sent Eric to on a business trip. Eric particularly remembers how he struggled to find the warehouse, because it is half hidden in a dessert. Eric had to take a helicopter to the premises and even when he got there, it was difficult to gain access to the warehouse. The security was above standard and also a key signature of how Bennet did business.Eric cannot think of one single venture that Bennet
Eric pulls up to Rick’s house. He sees Rick standing outside, waiting for him. Eric cannot help but wonder who it is that keeps informing others that he is on his way to them. Eric gets out of the car slowly. He closes the door softly and walks around the car to where Rick is standing.Rick is looking at Eric every single moment, from when he entered the main gate, to where he comes to stand in front of Rick, at the base of the outside steps leading to his front door. Rick is standing with his hands in his pockets. He has a look of defeat and regret on his face. Eric feels hatred for this man rising in his chest. He is not quite sure how Rick is connected to everything that feels like it’s ruining his life right now, but he knows that he is connected and that is enough to make Eric hate him more than he did before.“I see that you have been expecting me. Would you like to just get into it? I cannot say that I am in the mood to really have a long chat with you.” Eric tells Rick with a
Rick stands up and pours himself another drink. If he is not going to survive this day, he may as well numb his feelings. He takes a sealed bottle out of the bottom cabinet. It is a good year and the bottle is insanely expensive. Rick kept it aside for one day when Eric and him could be good friends again. Today, he knows it will never happen. He walks to Eric and hands him the bottle. “It’s sealed. You can trust it.” Rick says as he takes the glass out of Eric’s hand and tosses the alcohol inside it into a pot plant. Rick smiles and shakes his head slightly. He used to really love making plants grow and taking care of his garden. It was somehow therapy to know that he could help something live after he was involved in taking someone’s life. Knowing what he knows now, it doesn’t matter if his plants die with him today. He hands Eric a clean glass and goes to take his seat again. “Bennet made sure that I survive the interrogation and that I had a squeaky-clean record after the dust s
“I was asked to get rid of a problem. When I showed up, I was told that the problem was a person. I couldn’t do it. I begged Bennet for other instructions. He told me it was this person or myself.” Rick has the decency to look ashamed. Eric shakes his head. He cannot bare looking at Rick anymore. He was as bad as Bennet was. Doing all of Bennet’s dirty work. “Where is Alex?” Eric asks bluntly. “That, I cannot tell you. Not because I feel like protecting him. I just simply do not know where he is.” Rick tells Eric, he is developing the same indifference as Eric has. “See, the thing is, when I called Alex to help me, he didn’t tell me what he wanted in return. It turned out that Alex have always been envious of our friendship and after the accident, he grew envious of how your father treated me like a son.” Rick sighs. “If only he knew, Bennet didn’t treat me like a son, he treated me like a servant. He spoke to me as he did to the help. He paid me well and he kept me busy. He made s
It is very early in the morning when Eric walks into the hospital where Ally is admitted. He is exhausted and can barely keep his eyes open. Yesterday has been one of the most taxing days he has had in a long time. Eric walks to the waiting room where he met the doctor earlier and takes a seat on the comfortable sofa. He leans back and closes his eyes, thinking of how he left Rick in his home. He didn’t even bother to close the doors. He was so angry with Rick, because even though he did not directly poison Ally, he most certainly had a hand in the whole process. The list is not long, but Eric definitely has a list of people who should not survive to see the end of the year. For the fist time in his entire life, he feels that he can somehow understand his father’s methods. It is painful to hate someone so much that hurting them is not enough. Getting rid of them, feels fair. Eric feels a sharp pain in his chest. He hates that he has become this person. He never wanted to be like Benne
Eric leaves the hospital to go to Bennet. Even though he got some good hours of sleep in, he still feels drained and tired. He does not really know how he needs to confront his father. Bennet rarely keeps a secret. He is upfront about how he could easily get rid of anyone. Most people just do as Bennet asks because his reputation precedes him. Everyone that does business with Bennet, knows that you do not mess with him. You do not make promises you cannot keep and should something happen to keep you from keeping your promise, it is best to disappear on your own before he gets to you. If you disappear on your own, you have a chance to survive. If he helps you, you will probably end up dead.During the drive to Bennet, Eric pulls his phone out and dials Max’s number.“Mr Symons. How can I help you?” Max answers the call. Eric is quiet for a second.“Is Megan still in your care?” Eric asks bluntly.“Yes, Sir.” Max answers promptly.“Does she have any contact with anyone?” Eric does not p
“The explosion in the oven?” Eric asks. He hates that his father is behind everything after all. He honestly hoped that his father would respect his marriage even if he didn’t have any respect for his own.“No, by then I already knew that Rick was useless. The only use Rick has to me now, is getting rid of unwanted evidence.” Bennet is smug. Eric wants to crawl over the table and choke him to death.“You used Alex.” Eric can hear the tiredness in his own voice. He feels defeated. Bennet is fairly untouchable. Eric cannot think of one single thing, other than status and money, that Bennet truly cares about.“Well, Alex is a mastermind in manipulation. He can get anyone to do anything that he wants them to do. Even if they do not really want to do it. He manipulates a situation in such a way that the person he targets falls right into a situation where they have no other choice but to comply.” Bennet chuckles softly. He is obviously very proud of Alex. Prouder than he has ever been of E
Eric gets into his car. He can still see the utter shock on Bennet’s face as his words sunk in.Eric didn’t know if the baby Ally was carrying was a boy or a girl but he thought that Bennet would be more bereaved if he thought that he was losing a link to carry on the bloodline. Girls do not carry the family name into the next generation, but boys do.Eric couldn’t care less if the baby was a boy or a girl. It was Ally’s and that was all Eric wanted. Bennet watches from the open front door as Eric drives out of the main gates. He knows that Eric would never set foot in this house again.Even though Bennet thinks of himself as an intelligent man, he stares at the open gates where Eric has now disappeared from view. He feels angry. Someone needs to take responsibility for his unborn grandson being in this situation.He pulls his phone from his pocket.“That woman is pregnant with my grandson. You better make damn sure she doesn’t die.” Bennet barks into the receiver as soon as Alex answ
Megan waits in her room most of the day. She looks up when she hears a soft knock on the door. Agatha stands in the doorway, waiting for her to acknowledge her. Megan stands up and takes a few steps towards Agatha.“Morning.” Megan tells her.“Good morning, Mrs Symons. The doctor is here to see you. Would you like to meet him in the downstairs room or should he come up here?” Agatha asks her. There is no emotion on Agatha’s face. She does not let it be known what she is thinking or feeling.“I will see him in the downstairs room. Thank you.” Megan tells her.Agatha nods and turns to go to the downstairs bedroom. Megan follows her in silence. Megan cannot ignore the pounding of her heart as she approaches the bedroom. She does not know how she will be able to get the doctor to keep her secrets. Agatha stops next to the open door and indicates with a gesture of her open hand for Megan to go in. Megan nods at Agatha and enters the room before Agatha pulls the door closed behind her.The
Eric wakes up the following morning. The first thought that crosses his mind, is that Ally has not been for a check up since she came back. He wonders how the baby is doing. When he found out she was pregnant, he was so excited to become a father. He could never share this excitement with her because she was not in a good place and when she was discharged from hospital, she was taken. Even when she came back, he couldn’t share his excitement with her. She was just not the same person anymore.Eric gets out of bed with effort. He will have to arrange someone to go see her at the house. He cannot trust her to go to an appointment. Eric takes a hot shower to force himself to wake up fully. He steps out refreshed and ready for the day. He gets dressed and ready for work. He smiles as he steps out of his hidden bedroom into his office. No commute today. He missed staying here. He lived here for a long time after he had a fallout with his father. He only moved back to the house after Ally w
After dealing with the staff member, Benson goes to Ally’s room. He unlocks the door and opens it slowly. He never knows exactly where she is. She may be behind the door. He enters to find her laying in bed. She has her back turned towards the door and is staring towards the window.Benson walks up to the bed and waits for her to acknowledge his presence. She does not.“Good afternoon, Ally” Benson tells her. She does not move or respond. He stares at her for a few more seconds. It irritates him that she treats him like this. If she only knew what he had to do to keep her alive after the stunt she pulled with Ronald. He was able to deal with Ronald, having him fired at the facility. He is not afraid that Ronald will ever come into her life again. He also got word that Doctor White was in on the plan and have dealt with her too. She will never be able to practice again in this country.“I would like to show you something.” Benson tells Ally. Ally lays in her bed. Not moving at all and
Benson sits at his desk in his home office. He watches the screen of his laptop. The security cameras he installed to keep an eye on Ally is displayed on the screen. He watches her lay in bed. She does not move around much. After he brought her home, he placed her in the same room Megan was in.She was distraught after Eric and Megan left the hotel, crying for days. She refused to eat and she spent most nights walking around in the room. Today, when her meals were taken to her, she ate some of it but not really enough to call it a healthy meal. If things go on like this, he will have to bring a doctor in to see her.Benson sees the screen of his mobile phone flashing on his desk. He takes the phone in his hand and reads the number on the screen.“Yes?” he answers. He waits a second before the person on the other side starts talking.“It’s Megan. We have a problem.” She tells him.“What is the problem?” Benson asks. He is a little tired of having problems. Nothing worked out the way it
Eric is furious. He cannot stand the way Ally does not care about anything. This selfish nature of hers is driving him up the walls. Eric looks at his desk, he already finished his work early this morning. There is nothing left for him to do in here. He refuses to go home and he cannot sit in this office all day with nothing to do. He cannot stand going back to Ally’s restaurant.Eric goes into his hidden bedroom and gets his chef jacket from his closet. He puts it on and takes the bandana from the pocket. Wrapping the bandana around his head to cover his hair, Eric heads out of his office towards his own restaurant kitchen. When he enters the kitchen there is a moment of quick silence. Eric walks straight to a young chef that is busy chopping vegetables. Her work is neat and her station is tidy. He holds his hand out to her.“May I?” Eric asks. The young chef looks at his hand and then at the knife in her own hand. She carefully hands him the knife she is holding. Eric nods and the y
Eric and Jane sort out most of the issues that Jane had within an hour. Jane looks a lot happier when Eric is done talking to her. He applies himself to sorting out the mess on Ally’s table. There are unpaid bills on her table. He looks through them and can now understand why some suppliers refused to deliver to the restaurant. Eric sorts out everything that needs attention. When he leaves the office, there is nothing left to do. Eric shakes his head as he enters the elevator. Ally could have sorted out most of these problems yesterday, if she had not laid on her sofa playing games.Eric stops by the kitchen to check on the mood. The kitchen staff is seemingly working harder than before. All the work surfaces are clean and the head chef is doing his rounds and making sure everyone is ready for tonight’s service. Eric is happy with the immediate change in personnel morale. It was a problem for him when he walked in here and saw all the doom and gloom in the world under one roof.Eric w
Eric walks into the dining area. He finds one of the waiters who are standing next to a wall with her hands behind her back. She stares out in front of her. Eric takes a stance beside her and stares in the direction she is staring in. There is nothing there.“Oh! Mr Symons!” the young girl exclaims when she realises that he is standing beside her.“Why are you so absentminded?” he asks the young girl.“I was just thinking how much everything has changed since I started working here.” The girl answers. She immediately regrets telling this to him when she realises that she is speaking to her boss’ husband. Why did she not think of this sooner?“How long have you been working here?” Eric asks in a soft tone. He has long since realised that when speaking to women, you cannot use your demanding voice. Except when you are in the kitchen. Those women expect you to speak in a strong demanding voice.“I have been here since the restaurant opened.” The girl tells him.“What is it that changed?”
Eric takes the number and dials it from his personal phone.“Good day, Mrs Johnson. This is Chef Symons. Your husband works in our restaurant.” Eric introduces himself. There is an immediate sense of panic from the woman on the other side.“Oh, no! Did something happen to him?” she asks quickly. Eric can hear the dread in her voice.“Not at all. Please do not worry. Your husband is fine.” Eric assures her as quickly as possible. He hears the sigh of relief over the phone. To Eric, this is a positive sign that this woman still loves this man. Eric is somewhat surprised that he is so invested in saving this relationship. Ally would do exactly this. Well, Ally that he married, would have done this.“Mrs Johnson, it has come to our attention that you and your husband has had a couple of difficult years. And to add to that, we have had an admin issue in our offices in the last few days that caused salaries to pay out late. I apologise for that inconvenience.” Eric tells her. He hears how s
Eric watches as all the staff members who have not received their salaries quickly take out their phones. Most of them receive their messages as they unlock their phones. The looks of relief on their faces gives Eric a sense of guilt. He did not know that these staff members were under so much pressure.Eric straightens his shoulders and claps his hands once to draw everyone’s attention.“Good morning chefs.” Eric says. He takes the stance he usually would in his own kitchen. His feet slightly apart and his hands behind his back. He looks at each of them, making eye contact.“Good morning, Chef!” they all greet in unison.“I apologise for any inconvenience regarding the late payment of your salaries. If you were affected negatively in any way, by paying penalties or anything of that sort, please report it to Mrs May. I will gladly compensate you for any of your losses.” Eric watches as some of the staff members start to smile with relief. There is always something that causes chaos wh