PETALS’S POVWe both went to Bea’s house and retrieved the diary she had talked about and handed it over to me but I was not done with her. She still haven’t told me what happened between Vera and Mr. Elvis.“Why did Mr. Elvis hate her that much? She’s only a sister-in-law to him” I asked and Bea sighed once againShe proceeded to explain that Mr. Elvis loved her when she was being taken care of at the orphanage before his twin brother met her. Although, he did approached her first and took care of her to some extent because he found out that they had the same dream and talent, Vera still fell for his twin brother instead of him.The love he had for her slowly turned to obsession and from their escalated to hatred. When he found out that his twin brother was maltreating her and hitting her, he offered to help her escape so she could come to him but she refused. She didn’t want to have anything doing with any of their family member if she had the avenue to escape from the twin brother.
I couldn’t believe what I saw on the news. How could they release him just like that when the evidence we sent in was so clear and glaring? Nothing was working for me and I knew at that point that it was their handiwork, they have been blocking every articles I posted so it wouldn’t affect them.“He even shook hands with the Chief of Police? What is happening in this country?” I voiced out, brushing my hair back in anger“I told you that we are up against people who have connections in high places. These people eat at the same table, shake hands with one another and also cover up for one another. They are not people someone like us can touch” I heard a familiar voice say behind me and I turned to see Pamela standing behind me with her arms folded around her chestClosing my eyes for a few second, I turned to face her “But this is just not right! How will Vera even sleep or rest in peace if her oppressors are laughing, giggling and walking around freely? This woman went through a lot a
Stanley’s comment threw both of us off our feet. We were not expecting such a remark from him and didn’t even have the slightest curiosity that he might know about it.“You knew about it?” I blurt out due to shock before adding a dragged out “ Siiirrrr” He shrugged slightly before nodding to confirm. “Don’t you think it’s weird that I run a news company and I am being deceived? I run fact checks on things so it is natural to be curious and finding certainty to things and people around me. What if I am being surrounded by spies sent from the other companies so I would be implicated or bankrupt from scandals?” he explained to us and we both let out a soft “Oh” at the same time.We didn’t think about all those factors and possibilities. It was brilliant of him as a boss to have those mindsets and my respect shoot up for him at that moment.“I am very sorry sir. I didn’t mean to lie to you but I was being desperate” she pleaded, this time on her knees.Immediately, Stanley stood up and w
As if the universe was helping me at the same time, I got a mail listing the proof of his criminal records that he made people take the fall for. I got the number of the editor whom Mr. Elvis employed to plagiarize Vera’s book and everything was falling into place.Immediately, I scheduled an interview with the innocent editor who confessed that she only did her job and didn’t know that it was someone else’s work while I took evidences from her.This time, I didn’t take it to the police straight. Instead, I brought it as a topic on urgent crises that has one of the highest viewers’ rating. Since they weren’t expecting the blow, it became a hot topic and everyone found out what Mr. Elvis was up to.I revealed every evidences from the domestic abuse video to the least document that could prove their crimes. It was found out that the husband had gotten married to several women and gotten their insurances by using different names and identities after a thorough investigation and that was
By the time I opened my eyes, I was being held down by Stanley who was trying his best not to make me fall off the sofa as I fought for my life. I was sweating profusely and breathing heavily with each seconds.“Petals! Are you okay? What’s happening? Why are you behaving this way?” he called out desperately as he held me closer to himselfEven though my eyes were opened, I was still trapped in my dream. I kept on crying for help as I cried furiously. I was far gone in the trauma that I was almost lifeless.“Petals!” I heard him call aloud one more time and I was woken up with full force.Breathing with all my strength and gasping for air, I managed to open my mouth but no sound came out. I wanted to ask him what was wrong and why I was that way but I couldn’t say a thing.“Are you okay? Should we go to the hospital?” he asked, helping me to sit up properlySince I couldn’t talk, I waved my finger to give him a no signal before folding my wrist to tell him I needed a cup of water.As
STANLEY’S POVI decided to work late that very that at the office since I had a pile of documents unattended to. I just came back from sorting the issue of the man who wanted to attack Petals days ago. I had a hunch that she would be trailed but I didn’t know that their boss would give them the go ahead so fast.Michael and Gabriel recently traveled over to Lisbon so they were there for me to handle his case. They were the ones that forced words out of his mouth and made him confess that Elvis’ twin brother sent them to kidnap her.Even though they lived all their lives at the orphanage, they moved like Mafias. They get everything they wanted and their hands on any information they needed. I met them when I went over to France to study after high school and we were very close but something was clear, they didn’t want a pure relationship. They were ready to do any job I have for them and get paid in return.“The best friendship is being partners in business” Michael would always say an
PETALS’S POVI was uncomfortable avoiding Stanley after suddenly telling him that I couldn’t do it anymore because I felt extremely bad for saying that to someone who almost lost his life. The state I met him was terrifying, he was literally on the verge of death and fighting hard for his life which made me so afraid.Several thoughts ran through my mind as I watched and helped him up to save him.“What if someday I get a bit late? What if someday no one is there to help him? What if he dies off just like that? How am I supposed to take the news of his death if I stay close to him or even date him?” those questions raced through my mind in the span of minutes and I couldn’t even think them through before my mouth spoke that I couldn’t handle such a disaster.My mouth spoke faster than my brain and I got myself in a mess that made me avoid him at all cost, he sent several texts and gave me numerous calls but I just couldn’t reply them or pick up the call due to the guilt I was feeling.
Immediately, I followed him to his office and he walked to his table to bring out a brown envelope which he handed over to me. “There is a seminar for journalists at Pennsylvania this coming weekend and an invitation has been sent to us. Would you like to go in our stead? I am asking you this as the boss and not as a friend” he said to me and I stood there for a moment I knew about the yearly seminars but I never had the grace to attend one since only one employee could represent their company. I was too stunned to speak because I wasn’t expecting such an offer from him, it had never crossed my mind. As happy as I was, I also felt hesitant. I didn’t know if I should be happy with the offer or if I truly deserved it. “I don’t know what to say. There are other people who might be more qualified than me, so I don’t know if I should receive this or not” I told him truthfully He was taken aback by my response, I guess he didn’t think about such a situation when he wanted to offer me. H
Ray finally proposed to Mei who agreed right away and they planned to leave Lisbon but she couldn’t due to the contract she had signed with Pamela. She didn’t know that she wouldn’t be able to break off the contract for three years. Pamela did that because she knew the price of their stocks would be affected when her father’s crime is exposed but with the success of Mei in the modelling world, she would be able to sustain the company over the three years when it would be balanced and would let her go.“That’s some crazy contract” Ray remarked and tried looking for a way to pay the fine so she would be free but Mei told him that she wanted to help her in return because she gave up her company to help them solve the case so he had no choice but to retreat.Pamela explained that she can go anywhere she wanted but must be always available to carry out her the terms of the contract whenever she was needed.“That is no problem. We both have to find a common ground. She has to finish school
FEW HOURS AGOMei was summoned by Pamela to her office and was given a necklace as a gift for her successful oversea deal. She expressed her happiness about how she was raking in so much money for her company because of her excellent modeling skills.“Well, I only tried my best but it worked out by luck” Mei said meekly“There’s no such thing as luck. You only got to show the work you have prepared hard for, so you deserve every credit” she told her and Mei appreciated her for the gift before leaving for the house where she saw Stanley waiting for herStanley took her to his villa after apologizing for not coming sooner to explain things to her. He told her everything about her sister to her when he found out that she also know that her sister was not biologically related to her.“Can I speak to her? Can I talk to her on the phone? She would have been worried sick about me” she said with a shaky voice and Stanley put a call through which was luckily picked up by her sister.They were
TOLU’S POVI was preparing to wash off the sweat of the day and was battling with my robe’s rope when Ray burst into my room unannounced. In horror, I jumped under the blanket, my eyes shining hard as I questioned why he would come inside without knocking but he only apologized and came in further.“I found it!” he screamed and my face frowned in confusion, what was he talking about all of a sudden? My pressurized brain couldn’t process anything. I just wanted him to get out of my room so I can take my bath before heat strangle me under the blanket.“Found what?” I snapped angrily at him“The evidence!” he screamed and I didn’t know when I rolled out of the sheet, the robe dropping off my body“Cover your damn body!” he screamed, covered his eyes and turned away.It was then I realized that I was standing in front of him in my birthday suit. With a loud gasp, I bent and pulled my robe up, tying it tightly across my waist.“It’s covered, now show me the evidence you are talking about”
Since Petals was not in a good state of mind and would be away for the time being, they were short of hand and Ray suggested that they bring in Tolu as a helping hand since she was capable and already told them to let her know when her help was needed.“She’s also good at sniffing out information” Stanley added“I know right. She had this detective spirit ever since we were little” Ray remarked, a slight chuckle dancing in his throatAs soon as Petals’ plane took off, he went to the arrivals and waited a bit before Tolu that he had been waiting for showed up. She was the first to sight him and waved towards his direction to get his attention.“Thank you for coming all the way here and I am sorry for the inconveniences it might have caused” he said with a grin and a smile appeared on her lips“What do you mean by inconveniences? I actually lived all these while for this moment. Let’s go catch the bad guys” she remarked and left for the car with him.Gabriel walked towards them and got
It took a whole week for Gemma to come to her senses. She always cowered in fear whenever anyone came close to her, even to the point of food. They had to leave her food on the table and disappear from the surroundings before she could eat peacefully.“I shouldn’t have shouted at her and startled her that way” Petals kept blaming herself and hoped that she would come back to her senses soon because she almost died of the curiosity of how Jane was not the sibling she thought she had.During those times, Stanley had successfully gotten her a temporary guidance permit for Pureza and she was able to transfer him out of the hospital to the place she trusted so he could get the ultimate and proper treatment he deserved.“Just take it slow. We have gotten to this point and we will find out everything till the end so put your mind at rest and just approach them one by one” Stanley consoled her when he noticed how tensed and anxious she was every time.Finally, after a week, Gemma was back to
They were all at home in the evening when a news of a body being found near the burnt orphanage and the guess was that the body must have belonged to one of the children in the orphanage because it was the built of a child. They also stated that some of the organs were missing which gave room for the suspicions of organ trafficking.Stanley rushed up immediately and ran inside one of the rooms where he kept the pictures. Since she was also curious and he wouldn’t come out to tell them why he ran inside, she rushed to the room too to check what was happening.“Did something happen? Did you find out about something?” she asked, staring at her“The news reminded me of a case I found out while I was making some research. There was a time when the case of organ trafficking was so rampant and they were kids. Their corpses were found at different locations but they had one thing in common and that was missing organs” he explained, flipping through the old newspaper in his hand“So do you thi
Michael and Gabriel went out to club and were busy dancing and drinking when someone said a foul language to Michael whom he thought didn’t understood the language. They both fought and were arrested by the police, then Michael was asked to provide his passport but refused.“Why is he not presenting his passport? Did he perhaps lost it?” Stanley asked on their way to the police station“I’m not sure he did that and I don’t know why he’s so adamant. It’s tiring” Gabriel sighed“He might have his reasons. He wouldn’t just act without a plan” Petals chipped inNo matter what anyone said, Michael kept denying that he had a passport. He said he was an illegal immigrant and there was nothing Stanley could do at that point. He was to be sent to the detention center and deported when his identity has been confirmed.“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine” he said to Gabriel who kept panicking after hearing that he would be detained“Croyez-moi mo frére, mon chien n’aboie pas sans voir quelque ch
MONICA’S POVTruth be told, I had forgotten all about the beach house, maybe because it reminded me of my mom so much and I didn’t want to wallow in the pain longer. I stopped going to her room, I had everything connected to her packed off from my reach and just let her lived in my heart instead.She was always insisting that I know how to take care of myself because of a situation where she would not be around but I didn’t get all she was saying until she finally passed away.“I don’t know if I’m strong enough to face this” I mumbled as I puffed out the pent up air in my lungs.Immediately I got there, I ran inside as if she was there waiting for me in person and I didn’t come to my senses until disappointment coupled with reality slapped me in the face.“What was I thinking? What was I even expecting?” I sighed as I sank into the lemon sofa by my right.I had to catch my breath for a bit before I stood up to look around. Every corners I hid in back then whenever we were playing catc
By the time we rushed into the bathroom, she had collapsed to the side and was holding unto one of the stands in the bathroom for support.“Fcking Christ!” Monica spat out and I rushed forward to help her up“Irene! Can you hear me? Can you stand up?” I called out desperately to her as I helped her to her feet.The maid was swift enough to push the emergency button and her attending doctor rushed in with immediate effect. She was attended to immediately and several drugs and injections were administered to her to keep her calm.“What’s wrong with her? Is she getting worse? Should we be concerned?” Monica asked, her eyes getting damped with tears“She upgraded her treatment today so her system has not gotten used to this kind of treatment. There’s nothing to be afraid of but she needs to be taken care of and leave to rest very well so her system can get used to it” the doctor told them and a sigh of relief dropped from Petals’ lips.“Let’s hope for the best” Petals chipped in but Monic