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
“Expecting someone else?” Eric asks Max. Keeping an eye on his hand holding his pistol at his side. Max sees where Eric’s eyes are focussed and puts his pistol away.“Wasn’t expecting anyone at all, to be honest.” Max answers with the same disinterested tone Eric used when talking to him. Eric raises an eyebrow. Max has some nerve, but then again, he works for Ally, not him. Eric nods and Max steps back to open the door completely for Eric to come into the apartment.“What brings you here?” Max asks Eric as he walks past him to stand next to his wife. She will always be his main priority, even if he knows she is willing and able enough to look after herself.“I want to speak to Megan. I have done my rounds everywhere else. Interesting facts pop up everywhere and all fingers point to Megan.” Eric tells Max, shifting his gaze between Max and his wife.“May I ask?” Max asks Eric. Eric knows that Max is not being arrogant. He cares deeply about Ally and Eric can respect that. He is not be