A long silence follows Kat’s declaration. Scarlett glances at Ryder who has gone pale with fear as if he’s scared to relive that day. His knuckles are white and he’s speechless. Kat and Troy are also hesitant to talk to him.“I think it’s best if we don’t play it-” Scarlett begins but Ryder shakes his head.“Play it,” he says. “I want to see it.”“A-are you sure?” Kat asks. “I mean this…this will show our parents’ deaths…”Both the siblings are in a dilemma. A part of them wants to see how Vincent wronged their parents and another part is too scared of what will happen if they did. Kat, who only heard the stories of their deaths, is visibly shaking upon facing the reality. Ryder, who faced the reality, is paralyzed by the memories of the past.“If it helps…” Troy says. “All of you can leave and I’ll watch it for you. I can confirm if…if it’s the real video.”“No,” the siblings say together. “We’ll watch.”“You guys don’t have to,” Scarlett says, privately agreeing with Troy. “This isn
Elle is slowly chewing her food, looking down. Vincent is sitting next to her at the dinner table and right across them is Amelia who’s being fed by a nurse. Vincent calmly cuts his steak as he speaks.“The investigation is going smoothly,” he says. “Autopsy reports will be out in a couple of days. Hector’s body will then be released for burial.”Elle hides her disdain and fear. So far, no one connected her to the murder and they’re still looking for Troy. The police only asked her a couple of questions about that night and she said that she was at home. No one had seen her going out nor coming in so she’s playing her cards right. The bald man’s disappearance has not been noticed either, but Elle needs to be smart.Sheer luck won’t help her. She needs to erase all the evidence but the new kidnapper is making her life miserable.“Do you know how he was killed?” she asks.“Same as in the reports,” Vincent states. “A heavy object crushed his skull. Troy’s fingerprints were all over the m
Elle is nervously tapping the table, waiting. She’s very nervous and keeps looking around her to see if she’s being followed. It has been over an hour since she arrived at XZ Insurance and the process is unbelievably slow.An agent with a bright smile finally arrives. Her name is Minnie Cox and she greets Elle.“I am so sorry Miss Swanson,” she apologizes. “It’s a monday and it’s hectic out there. I hope you weren’t inconvenienced.”Elle wants to snap at her but holds back her tongue. “Not at all,” she says. “I have a request to file.”“I’ve heard about Mr. Hector,” Minnie remarks. “I am so sorry for your loss.”“Yes…well…” Elle touches her stomach. “A part of him is living in me. I’ll be forever grateful to him for the memories.”“Indeed,” Minnie smiles. “How may I help you today?”“Well, I need to withdraw the insurance money Hector left behind,” Elle states. “I know it’s a short notice but with my pregnancy and the uncertainty of my fate at the Hawkins family, I really need to thin
Vincent is carefully going through the documents in his hands, worried. Even though the company’s investors are returning, Hector’s mismanagement is too much to bear. His incompetence is causing a lot of losses for Vincent and he now has to shut down one of their most popular chain stores or sell it to Ryder Rochester.Knock! Knock!“Can I come in?” Elle’s voice comes from the other side. “Come in.”She enters the office, smiling at him. “The baby’s progress is going well,” she reports to him, handing him the fake sonogram reports. “It’s too early to tell the gender but it’s healthy.”Vincent looks through the reports and nods. “I’ve told Jeremy to tend to your needs,” he says in an indifferent tone. “If you need to buy anything then you can tell him.”Elle stiffly nods.“I’ll need some money,” she says. “To buy things for the baby-”“Tell Jeremy and he’ll buy anything you may need,” Vincent cuts through her. “You will receive no money directly and any expenses related to the baby wi
Kat yawns and stretches her arms for a few minutes before getting back to work. Dark bags are forming under her eyes as she screens through the videos in front of her. Vincent’s crimes aren’t small but she didn’t expect so much evidence. There are thousands of files, videos, recordings, and even extortion materials which Vincent uses to blackmail his peers.Troy is sitting behind her, groaning as he also goes through all the evidence.“My dad did all this…” he whispers. He’s sick to the stomach as he pushes away a video of a woman being assaulted by Vincent. All this evidence will probably fill up a whole room. Many of the videos are hard to watch due to the graphic content. How many other people are his victims?Kat turns to him.“He’s not your dad,” she asserts. “He’s nothing more than a r*pist who destroyed your mom’s life. Yours too!”“Yeah…” Troy trails off. It’s more complicated for him though. Vincent is a bad person but he’s the only parent Troy knows. He couldn’t be with his
A deathly silence ensues the revelation. Ryder is mirthfully gazing at his sister who has gone white in shock and despair. Kat is completely frozen, unable to think what to say or do. It’s as if her brain has gone numb and she isn’t feeling anything. Her heart is beating fast, an emptiness sinking in. “Kat…” Troy calls her but in an instant, Kat collapses on the ground.“Kat!” Both Ryder and Troy grab her but she’s hysterical.“What do you mean?” She screams as she tugs on Ryder’s shirt. “Blind? What kind of sick joke is that?”Ryder doesn’t respond to her. He can’t even look at her state.Kat is bursting into tears, her eyes red and puffy. The tears are staining her cheeks and her hair is a mess. She shakes him hard, demanding for answers.“Ryder!” She yells. “F*cking tell me that it’s a joke! F*CK!”Troy hugs her and she completely breaks down in his arms, leaving Ryder guilty and ashamed.“When mom and dad died, I was saved but my eyes took a hit that time,” he narrates sadly. “Un
*A Few hours ago*The car is slowly backing out of the mansion. Scarlett’s eyes are fixed on it, her feelings mixed between dread and a strange happiness. She’s dreading that she may never see her home again while she’s also happy because she can return Ryder his life back.How many years has he been suffering like this? It pains her heart to see him hide his pain. He smiles to mask the torment he’s suffering inside, his love for his family greater than any desire for vengeance. It’s ironic, she ruefully thinks. There was a time when she was fixated on vengeance. All she wanted was to destroy the Hawkins family and wipe them off the earth. Her longing for revenge would have blinded her if Ryder hadn’t entered her life. The freedom she seeked was in front of her all along.Yes, she feels free when she’s with him. He makes her heart beat like crazy and eases her mind. Every moment with him is filled with happiness and despite the dangers which loomed around them, for the first time in
Elle pulls out a large garbage trolley and with great difficulty, shoves Scarlett into it. She’s already wearing the garbs of a cleaning lady and covers Scarlett’s unconscious form with several bags. She puts on a mask and slowly pushes the trolley out.A guard is indeed standing there. He spots the cleaner coming out of the toilet and is about to approach her but he’s blocked by a group of men who are coming out of the men’s toilet, chatting loudly. Taking her chance, Elle pushes the trolley, walking far away. The guard doesn’t follow her, distracted once again when his phone rings.Elle pushes the trolley outside the restaurant and keeps on pushing it until she reaches an alley. Sliding the trolley into the alley, she quickly pushes it till she reaches a black van. Several men come out of it and they take out Scarlett’s body and shove her into the back of the van.“Let’s take her to Vincent’s hideout,” Elle instructs. “Ryder and his men will swarm the place soon.”“Yes ma’am!”She g