As promised, Sabrina had arranged safe and covert transportation for Emma and Lizzie. The driver was also given a password for extra security. The car ride was long, tense, silent. Lizzie always fell asleep while in a car, so Emma was thankful for her daughter’s peace. When she got older, they would tell her about how craziness her infancy had been. Their world was a mess, and they had done their best to shield her from everything. So far, they’d been successful and she wanted to keep it that way.Alex greeted her when she arrived, and ushered her inside. Sabrina took the sleeping baby girl upstairs so she could continue to rest.“I just got a call from Will’s attorney,” he said, pulling out a chair for her. “He told me of the charges. They’re completely ridiculous, but the cops are hurting and they are out for blood.”“So, no one is doing anything about it?” Emma asked, fists resting on the
While Emma and Alex traveled back towards his home, Emma continued to hatch out her plan. She would need everyone to cooperate to pull this off. There so much to do and she would not be able to do it all on her own. Honestly, there wasn’t much she could do on her own. There weren’t any resources that she had that she could tap into. However, she had friends and those friends were well connected throughout the city. And she would contract their help. It takes a village, after all. For now, she would keep the grander details to herself. They would all just have to trust her.The first thing that had to happen was let the shock of the incident die down, and then clear Will’s name.“We need the CCTV footage from Will’s neighborhood, and from in front of the police station,” she said. “And we need to try and access the cloud drive from his car.”“The wheels in your head are turning, I see,”
The next morning came, and Emma felt as though she’s been hit by a bus. She was disoriented for a moment, but then the previous night’s events washed over her like a violent tidal wave beating a shoreline.“Holy shit,” she whispered, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. It was as though she’d aged ten years overnight. A weariness seemed to drape over her shoulders. But she couldn’t give in to her weariness. There was no time to rest. She freshened up in the bathroom and went to check on Lizzie.“Good morning,” Alex greeted her with a loud yawn. There were dark circles under his eyes. Clearly, bad sleep was on the menu last night.“Good morning. Are the babies still sleeping?”“No. Sabrina is with them downstairs. They’re eating breakfast. I came to get you.”“Okay. Shall we head down?”“Not yet. I wanted to tell you
The babies went down for their nap, freeing Emma, and Sabrina to further immerse themselves in work. In the meantime, Alex was contacting Margie and trying to get a copy of the airline tickets will had gifted her.“Mr. Rossi!” Margie sputtered. “It’s an honor! My brother is an artist and he’s talking about your galleries and how amazing they are. He is going to die when I tell him I talked to you.”Alex chuckled internally. Will had always said his assistant was sweet and bubbly, and efficient. He’d be the judge of that.“What kind of art?”“All kinds. Portraits, murals, sculpture. Everything,” she gushed.“Interesting. How about you give your brother my business contact information? I’d love to feature a local artist in my next gallery.”“Oh my God,” she squealed. “You are too kind, sir!
Sabrina, Emma, and Alex ran back into the house as though running from a fire. They were in full panic mode as they tried to understand what had happened at Alex’s press conference. Sabrina managed to provide a satisfactory enough answer. And Alex managed to maintain his cool and calm demeanor, but inside they were spiraling.“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Alex swore. “How did we not know about this?”“This is bad,” Sabrina agreed. “This is very bad.”“What happens now?” Emma asked. “What does this mean?”“We have to talk to Will. He’ll know what to do,” Alex grabbed Emma by the wrist and pulled her along. “Come on. We’re going now.”“Good idea,” Sabrina said. “I’ll do what I can to do some damage control.”“Wait!” Emma said, pulling away from Alex. She pulled out her phone a
She woke in a tangled heap of blankets, sore and disoriented. The ornate room was still dark, but she could make out the trail of their clothing leading to the grand bed. A heavy arm draped across her nude torso prevented her moving. It had been their way for the past few days. A blur of sheets and nakedness. She tried to get up and that arm tightened around her body.“Where do you think you’re going?” a husky voice mumbled, his face still in the pillows. He turned over to face her.“We have to stop,” Jess groaned, flopping back down next to him.“Why?” he smiled against her neck, trailing slow, languid kisses down to her collarbone.“We’ve been at it for days. We went halfway around the world, and we aren’t going to explore or see anything?”“I’m seeing everything I want to see right now,” he said, hovering over he
With nothing but time alone with his thoughts, Will pieced together the events of the past year. Ever since allowing Grace back into his life, everything imploded on him. She was a bomb, detonated to go off and destroy him. Knowing what he knew of Denis now, what had she suffered before running from him? Had he changed her into the crazed, desperate creature she became? Or had that change begun much sooner? Grace was a princess, destined to become the queen. They were going to take over the city together. She would rule at his side.But as he thought about what that life would have been like, he understood why things would have never worked. She was always going to become what she became. There would be no satisfying her. She would always need more, demand more. No amount of love would ever be enough. He would never have been enough for her. She would have never contributed or enriched his life in anyway and eventually they would have ended up exactly as they did. B
A cold sting shot through Will, like a shard of ice was plunged into his heart. The suspicion that his parents were involved always lived in the back on his mind. If anything, he’d goaded his mother out of anger. He hadn’t expected that reaction. From either of them. In that moment, he was that little boy. Hiding in the closet while his parents argued about him. He was the little boy, crying for his mommy in a hospital room, vying for his father’s praise, or alone during a scary thunderstorm.“You two never loved me. Not for a single moment,” he said, unshed tears shining in his eyes.Franklin’s dead eyes stared at him in the way they always had. Indifferent. Cold. Unseeing. Julia’s hands flew over her mouth, realizing her slip up too late.“Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, we’ll need to take you in the back for some questioning.”“Not without our attorney present,” F
Six months later “Stewart Industries Landmark building construction was completed today. The twenty-story building boasts retail, commercial, and event space. The impressive building has already become a hallmark of the city with a silver tower as its crown. Glass windows glisten in the sun. And anyone in the city can enjoy the gorgeous public park that surrounds it. It is a gorgeous and shining collaboration of the best and freshest minds in the city. William Stewart has named the structure, ‘The Conrad Tower,’ in honor of his beloved late grandfather. The city awaits now for the building to open and for all the new opportunities it will create. This has been Susanne Winters for Channel 16 news.” They all cheered and toasted the completion of the building, gathered around Will and Emma’s living room. “Here’s to The Conrad Tower!” Will raised his glass. “And to all the people that helped make it possible! I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you all. Thank you.” They raised
The high from the success of the show had worn off, and Will felt himself spiraling. His pulse quickened; a sheen of cold sweat sprouted on his forehead. He held it together the best he could while around others. But alone, with nothing but his memories to accompany him… it was always the worst.As he arrived home and prepared himself for another lonely night, he was greeted by something unexpected. A large truck was parked in front of his home. Men moved in and out of it, bringing things inside.“…The fuck?” he muttered as he parked his car. “Excuse me,” he called out to them. “This is my home. What are you doing here?”“I hired them,” a voice said from the doorway of the house. He looked over towards the familiar voice, not daring to believe it. But there she was, bathed in the light from inside the house. “Hi, Will. I’m sorry if I startled you, but I w
Their days were filled with appointments. Every time they turned around, there was somewhere to be. Will had been discharged and had the company to take care of. With the building finally underway, Stewart Industries was thriving again. It was a rare moment that he got time to himself. And even when he did, everyone else was busy with their own hectic lives. Will floated around his giant, empty home. He went to work, came home, did his physical therapy exercises, and went to sleep. Alone. He found, in recent days, that alone was not a good place for him to be. Nightmares plagued his sleep, and he jumped at the slightest noises. Monsters had moved from under the bed and in the shadows to inside his mind.He hated it.Emma hadn’t been able to make good on her promise to move back. Things were hectic, and no one had time for anyone anymore. It had been almost two weeks before he saw anyone. They all called and messaged each other, but it wasn&rs
Will’s recovery was slow. The doctors had informed him that taking that bullet as such close range did a lot of damage, but it was the reason he wasn’t dead as nothing major was hit. He wasn’t out of the woods yet and would need a good round of physical therapy. The medical staff agreed that he needed to stay in the hospital for at least a week so they could monitor him. Emma and Alex fussed over him, making sure he listened and did everything according to the doctor’s orders.On the fourth day, he was restless and just wanted to leave. Alex was in the room with him, telling him off for not listening.“You’re being a brat,” Alex scolded him.“I just want to get out of this bed,” Will whined.“Try getting out again, and I’ll break both your legs.”“How very Mafia of you,” Will smirked.“Shut up,” Alex swatted at
Chaos exploded around them. Shouts and screams filled the air as Captain Whitlock ordered that Ghost be apprehended and an ambulance be called. Ghost dropped his gun and raised his hand in surrender as his fantasy came to life right before his eyes.“Beautiful!” he said over the din. “It’s more beautiful than I could ever imagine.”“Shut up,” Captain Whitlock spat as he wrenched Ghost’s hands behind his back. “You’re going to go away for a very long time. They may even make a case for the death penalty against you.”“I hope they do,” he said with a contented sigh. “I’ve done all I have ever wanted to do.”“Take this vile piece of shit. And read him his rights. This arrest needs to be perfect. I swear if this fucker gets out on a technicality, I’ll fire the lot of you!”An officer took Ghost a
Will turned around and the world moved in slow motion around him. About ten feet away from them, there he stood. Ghost. Denis. The man responsible for all the pitfalls in his life stood ten feet away from them, the sunlight glinting off the barrel of an ornate silver gun. How could he have been so careless?“Surprise,” Ghost sang.“How…” Will began to ask.“How did I get so close?” Ghost finished. “Without anyone noticing. Hmm…” he used the gun to scratch his temple for a moment and then pointed it back at them. “I’m the monster in the dark. The one under your bed. The one your parents warn you about. Oh wait… your parents wouldn’t warn you about anything. They’ve been trying to sacrifice you to the darkness for years,” he said with feigned contrition.“What do you want?” Will asked. His eyes darted around, looking for
They really thought they were smart, huh? They thought he would fall for their little traps. However, he couldn’t deny that they had presented him with the perfect opportunity. Will was serving himself on a silver platter. It would be so easy to just take care of him then. His ultimate fantasy could play out the way he’d always dreamt of. The very public murder of William Stewart was just something he couldn’t pass up.What reason was there even to hide anymore? They had revealed his identity. Everyone knew who he was. So, what purpose did the shadows serve him anymore? Perhaps it was time to come out into the light and end this charade. His last card against Will had been used up. He’d run out of games.“Let’s play,” he chuckled, loading his gun. “No plans. No backups. This is it.” His heart raced with elation as he envisioned a bullet ripping through Will. Hearing his loved ones cry as his body crump
The interview was a smash. The city was on high alert, and Ghost’s name was on everyone lips. The few times Sabrina went out, it’s all she could hear anyone talk about. She couldn’t help but feel a little proud. Captain Whitlock received dozens of calls and tips. Many people said how they knew Denis, and how there was no way he could be Ghost.Others said that they’re surprised they never saw the signs. Some offered clues and places that Denis used to frequent. He traipsed the city, following these clues. Most led to nothing. Just traces of an old that Ghost himself probably wouldn’t recognize. But there was one call…“Um… hi. Is this Captain Whitlock?” It was hesitant man’s voice.“Yes, how can I help you?”“I’m calling about Denis Ratcliffe.”Captain Whitlock received so many of these calls he was numb to them.
Will let the water wash over him as he tried to steady his frenzied heartbeat. The truth was that they were terrified. For Ghost to be so brazen as to just waltz into the police station and open fire did not bode well for any one of them. It was clear that Ghost was just as ready to end this as they were. He leaned his forehead against the cold tile, letting the rhythmic beating of the water of against his back soothe him.Soon enough, a shower wouldn’t be such an event. At least not the ones he took alone, anyway. Steam rolled off of skin as he emerged from the shower. Emma had laid out some clothes for him. Just a white t-shirt a pair of gray sweatpants. He laughed. Now that he was free and clean, he wanted to hold his baby.He went downstairs, back to the dining room where everyone was gathered.“Where is Lizzie?” he asked.“Right here,” Emma said. She stood behind him, holding a