Michael wanted Layla to open her eyes and start breathing again so badly that he even put his fingers under her nostrils to know whether that would happen and he was disappointed when it didn’t happen.“Why Layla? Why did you have to leave me?” Michael began talking to Layla’s corpse after his crying had reduced a little bit.“This wasn’t the agreement. You were not supposed to leave me here all alone. It’s not fair yuuno, what am I supposed to do without you now? How am I supposed to cope with your absence?This was never supposed to happen my love. I miss you already and I can’t do anything about it.” Michael began to cry again.Meanwhile at the station, Carter was still finding it hard to believe that Noah had actually been caught. Carter always believed that Noah was invincible and above the law since he always covered his tracks so well.Noah did not want to believe that he was going to be sentenced. He knew that his rivals would be very happy once they got wind of the news and t
It has always been Michael's wish to watch Noah die. But ever since the day Layla's death was announced, it has been his number one goal, to make sure Noah and Terry die.For weeks now Terry's court hearings have been held on several occasions. Today would be his last Court hearing and Michael was not going to miss it for the world.Unlike Terry, Noah's case might not need to be heard in court since the evidence against him is strong enough for a conviction. However, for the sake of due process, Noah will be granted a day in court to prove his innocence beyond a reasonable doubt. Ultimately, he is expected to end up in prison.Michael alongside Imani, and Vince arrived at the court in a Range Rover sport.They made their way to the courtroom and took a seat at the public gallery.They watched as the hall filled up with well-wishers, supporters, onlookers, the prosecuting attorney, and the defending attorney.After a few minutes, the judge entered the courtroom accompanied by a bailiff
“Years ago, he felt threatened by a certain classmate's presence in Layla's life so Terry murdered him. Terry planned Layla's accident because she had discovered he was responsible for their classmate's death. When Layla survived the accident, initial reports suggested she might not regain her memory, which made Terry rejoice. However, when it was later confirmed that she would recover, he paid off nurses to unplug her oxygen. Fortunately, I overheard and recorded their conversation. And I stayed beside Layla, protecting her from the nurses, but sadly, the injuries she sustained from the accident were enough to take her life.”“Did I hear you say record?” Attorney John asked.“Yes I recorded their conversation, although i made use of a voice record.” Michael replied.“You don't have to worry Mr Brown, we would make use of a Voiceprint Analyzer. If the need arises.”“Your honor permit me to present this piece of evidence before the court.” Attorney John asked.“Objection your honor, At
"Miss Imani, what do you have to say?" The judge asked."Good day, Your Honor. On the day Layla died, I was wearing a shirt with a video camera hidden in a button. It captured Terry confessing not only to causing Layla's accident but also to murdering our classmate years ago out of jealousy.” Imani revealed.“Objection your honor, every piece of evidence must be submitted before a hearing.” Attorney Charles interjected.“In certain circumstances, evidence discovered late may be submitted during a hearing, provided that the party offering the evidence demonstrates good cause for the delay and the opposing party is given a fair opportunity to respond.” Attorney John intercepted.“Objection overruled.” The judge ordered. “Is there a good reason for the delay?” The judge asked Imani.“I accidentally spilled water on my shirt that very day so I wasn't sure if the video would be retrievable. I thought it best not to tell the court about the evidence as I was not certain if I would be able t
Michael, Imani and Vince were seated on a round table, a bottle of wine was placed in the middle. Each of them held a glass half filled with wine at the tip of their lips.“This is such a happy day.” Vince said, placing his empty glass on the table.“Not yet.” Michael said, causing Imani and Vince to stare at him.“And why is that?” Vince asked.“Noah hasn't been sentenced yet. I need every single one of them dead or behind bars.” Michael explained.“You should be happy that the one responsible for Layla's death is behind bars.” Imani said in a matter of fact tone.“She has a point.” Vince conceded.Imani was about to say something but her phone started to ring out. She slid her hands into her pocket and brought out her buzzing phone.She stared at the screen trying to decipher who the caller was. After a few seconds she finally realized who was calling her repeatedly.“What's wrong? Who is calling you?” Vince asked, worried.“It's Layla's dad.” Imani replied.“You should pick it up t
“Their view is totally wrong and stupid. I understand their grief but this is not the time to act childish and petty. They couldn't even attend the trial of their daughter's murderer. The same daughter you claim they can't think rationally because of her death. If they were truly affected then they would have been seated in the front roll in the courtroom awaiting Terry's sentence. Instead they decided to take out time to plan how to stop Michael from attending Layla's service. Such bullshit.” Vince scolded Imani.“You make it seem like I was the one that told Layla's dad to restrict Michael from attending her service.” Imani said, annoyed.“No one is saying that, what I am trying to say is. Michael already got the message you did not have to blabber about how he should not cause a scene.” Vince ranted.“This is bullshit.” Imani said, as she walked away.“You should apologize to her.” Michael suggested, tears still rolling down his cheeks.“And why should I do that?” Vince asked.“You
The day had finally come, a coffin was placed in the middle while people dressed up in black surrounded it. The framed picture of a young girl with a beaming smile sat on top of the closed coffin.“We are gathered here today, to not only console the grieving family but to also pray for and share all the loving memories we had with Miss Layla Johnson.” The Reverend began the service. “We will start with whoever wishes to begin then we will round up with her parents.”Someone from the crowd raised up her hands. “My name is Rebecca Milton, I used to be a classmate to the deceased. Trust me when I say that I was not the least close to Layla. I was actually jealous of her, I envied her beaming smile, her elegant steps, her charismatic words and her beautiful aura. Each time I stared at her I saw a competition and not a human. When I heard of Layla's death I was stunned, I spent half of my life in the shadows trying to surpass Layla. Now I have no idea what to do with my life, maybe I will
FOUR YEARS LATER:A man is seated in a spacious office, files are scattered across his table. When a lady walks into his office, with a stack of files in her hands.“Is there a problem? Carol.” The man asked, still engrossed in his laptop.“Well I reviewed these files and discovered that there had been some sort of miscalculations made in the company's records.”The man was about to reply when his phone suddenly started ringing. He stared at the caller Id and hissed loudly. He decided to ignore the call but the caller was persistent so he decided to pick up the call.“What is it?” The man asked, picking up the call.“What's up bro, I called to invite you to Imani’s baby shower.” The person at the other end of the phone announced happily. But the man remained silent. “Why are you so quiet Michael? Are you not happy for me?”“When is it?” Michael asked, ignoring his questions.“Tomorrow.” Vince replied.“And I am being told about this now.” Michael commented. “Did you ever consider the
River's POV:We were done with the appetizer in no time, we moved to the main course which we had Beef Wellington and Lobster Tail. Then for the side dish we had Truffle Mashed Potatoes and a White Rice Pilaf. Finally for dessert we had Tiramisu (an Italian dessert) and Chocolates Fondant.We were currently seated at the dining table sipping champagne from a fancy new glass.When Michelle decided to break the silence. “So River, I heard that you studied History, is that true?”‘Oh boy here we go again. What is it with these people and my choice of study.’“Well yes I did. In Fact, I work as a manager of one of the greatest Museums in England.” I added to lessen her criticisms but it seemed to only fuel it the more.“So you are in it for the money?” She asked rhetorically.“Same question I wanted to ask the other time we met.” Natalie (Derek's aunt) chimned in.“Well, no I am not in it for the money, I am in it for the passion.” I replied.“So what about your father's business, do you
River's POV:We were done with the appetizer in no time, we moved to the main course which we had Beef Wellington and Lobster Tail. Then for the side dish we had Truffle Mashed Potatoes and a White Rice Pilaf. Finally for dessert we had Tiramisu (an Italian dessert) and Chocolates Fondant.We were currently seated at the dining table sipping champagne from a fancy new glass.When Michelle decided to break the silence. “So River, I heard that you studied History, is that true?”‘Oh boy here we go again. What is it with these people and my choice of study.’“Well yes I did. In Fact, I work as a manager of one of the greatest Museums in England.” I added to lessen her criticisms but it seemed to only fuel it the more.“So you are in it for the money?” She asked rhetorically.“Same question I wanted to ask the other time we met.” Natalie (Derek's aunt) chimned in.“Well, no I am not in it for the money, I am in it for the passion.” I replied.“So what about your father's business, do you
River's POV:The black dress my dad bought for me to wear to the dinner was strapless, above the knee, and a bit too tight. I could barely breathe in it, and I had no idea what material it's made of, but it felt almost as strong as plastic. It really cinched my waist and accentuated my curves perfectly.I paired it up with ankle strap heels, a pearl necklace, earrings and bangles. I made sure I put on light makeup. I didn't want to come out as desperate.After glancing at myself at the mirror for a third time I took a deep breath, picked up my phone and made my way downstairs.The dining table was already set, my dad was seated on the head of the table as usual, my mom was nowhere to be seen. I looked around and realized that the Milton's were yet to arrive.I glanced at the time on the top of my phone screen and I saw that it was forty minutes past nine. The agreed time for the dinner was nine so they were forty minutes late.Suddenly, Lola ran into the dining hall, “The Milton's are
River's POV:The next three days I had the same routine: wake up, have an awkward breakfast with my mom and dad, plan my outfit for a date with Derek, go on a date with Derek, come back from my date with Derek, give the full details to August over the phone and fall asleep during our conversation.Today was the long awaited day, Derek's parents, himself and his sister would be arriving for dinner. The whole house has been busy from installing new house decorations to brewing crazy recipes in the kitchen. Mom and Lola have been in the kitchen all day supervising the chefs. I can't believe they paid chefs to prepare dinner for The Milton's.Dad has been on the phone placing calls to different wine brands to get the latest and most expensive wine.Then there is me, the trophy of the event. Sitted on the couch staring back and forth at the people pacing up and down, working relentlessly on making this dinner a success. This whole scene kept on adding to my already exiting nerves, and if
In a rusty apartment in a less glamorous part of town. Li Ping stood before an apartment’s door and knocked on it impatiently. He didn't care about the noise he made or the possibility of the door falling apart, he just kept on knocking.Until the door was pushed open revealing George standing not too far from him.“Are you insane, were you trying to break down my door?” George asked rhetorically.“Are you not going to invite me to Georgie?” Li Ping asked not caring about the angry look on George's face.George took a deep breath in an attempt to control his anger. “Did Aiden send you here?”“Let me in and I will tell you who sent me.” Li Ping said with a sheepish smile.George stared daggers at him then moved aside, gesturing for Li Ping to Walk in.George's apartment was filled with high-tech gadgets, maps, and surveillance equipment.Li Ping stared around for a while before sitting down on the couch.“Do you really live here?” Li Ping asked while staring at a pile of take outs at t
"Hey." River said as she made her way to Derek.Derek turned to face her with a weird look in his eyes."Is there a problem? You look annoyed." River asked."Well, that's because I am annoyed." Derek answered."What got you annoyed, is the arcade not to your liking? Should we go somewhere else?" River inquired."You know I don't understand what your problem is, you're the one who wanted us to come here when we got here you were acting all weird and suddenly you're all happy." Derek said."Is your problem the fact that I'm happy or is there something else?""My problem is that you ran off to meet some dude all upset and annoyed, and now you are all happy. If you had a man in your life, why insist on making things work.""I only said that he looked like someone I knew. I don't recall mentioning that he was once a man in my life. Tell me what's your problem exactly?""My problem is that the young man walked up to me saying that you had denied ever knowing me." Derek answered.River: “...
Aiden sat in front of the television in his modest apartment, where a female newscaster reported the latest business news."On business news tonight, AD Innovations has acquired yet another enterprise," the newscaster announced. "Yesterday, it was reported that Twilight Incorporated had suddenly gone bankrupt. A few hours ago, it was confirmed that AD Innovations successfully negotiated the purchase of Twilight Incorporated. The company will soon proceed with rebranding."Aiden smirked mischievously as he switched off the TV. He dialed a private number on his cell phone, which surprisingly went through. "Good work," he said before ending the call.Putting on his jacket and grabbing his helmet, he made his way to the Arcade for its grand opening.River stood in front of Aiden's bustling arcade, a sign proclaiming "Grand Opening" greeted visitors at the entrance. Customers bustled about, attendants diligently catered to their needs.Suddenly, the roar of an approaching motorbike caught
"Oh, trust me, it is," August countered."So what are we talking about here, millions or billions?" She continued"He hails from a wealthy family and is affluent himself, perhaps boasting billions. Trust me, I couldn't care less," River replied"So, is this gamer guy some kind of legendary gamer or does he own a gaming company?""He owns an arcade downtown," River replied."Seriously?" August sounded incredulous. "Your problem is choosing a scooter over a Bentley. Honey, you need relationship therapy ASAP.""I don't know why I thought you could be useful. Goodnight," River said, ending the call abruptly and switching off her phone to avoid any further disruptions. She lay back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.It was past 11:00 in the morning, and River was just getting up. She quickly brushed her teeth and took a shower before slipping into a pair of shorts and a white top. Rushing downstairs on her way to the kitchen, she noticed
River nodded, feeling awkward. "Yeah, it was urgent, that's why.""I've noticed this before, it's like you always have something urgent going on. On our first date, you were on a call when I approached you and you couldn't stop looking at your phone all through the little time we spent together. It was as though you were expecting a call or something. And today at the cinema, you seemed lost in your thoughts. It's like you have a lot of calculations going on in your head," Derek observed.River felt a surge of frustration. "Goodnight, Derek. I would have invited you in, but it's too late now. My parents must be asleep. Goodbye," she said abruptly, opening the car door and stepping out, already feeling upset.River quietly ascended the stairs on her way to her room. As she passed her parents' room, the door suddenly swung open, revealing her father's curious expression as he emerged."How was the movie date with Derek?" he inquired, still holding onto the door handle."It went really w