The Perfect Conspiracy

Valerie stared wearily at the clock on her desk. An exasperated sigh escaped from her lips for the one-millionth time that day. 10th July was marked in red on the small calendar she had beside the clock. This particular date was supposed to be the happiest day in her life but each year since that day has been nothing but a nightmare. It was past 17:00 and almost the end of business hours, but she did not feel the slightest excitement about making the trip back home. “Nothing is going to change anyway.” she thought to herself as she diverted her attention to the case files she had been working on.A subtle knock came on her door, and whoever was out there, she told them to come in. Jane, her secretary walked in, shutting the door gently behind her. “A call just came in from Dee’s Bakery saying that your order is ready ma’am.” she began and Valerie lifted her eyes to look at her for the first time since she walked in. “They are asking to know if they should have it delivered or if you

Valerie was mortified to see the state the body was in. From the body's orientation, she could tell it was a man. But who? His clothes were torn and coated in his own blood. She strained to see his face amidst the burns he had suffered. He was absolutely unrecognizable and Valerie could smell the acid that oozed from his remains. Suddenly, the man's lips moved, the words wheezing out of his lungs. “Please, help me.” He struggled to say, raising his frail hand but Valerie stepped back, scared to make contact with him. She could not utter a word and just stood there, frozen to the spot. Slowly, the man's hand fell to the ground and whatever life was left in him, was gone in that moment.It was her first time witnessing someone die before her eyes and it hit her hard. But soon enough, she pulled herself together and reached into her pocket for her phone to call the police but she had left it in her car.Valerie moved to go to her car and call for help when her eyes caught sight of his

The last thing Valerie recalled was the knife searing through her skin as she drifted into a dark place, devoid of light. She lost consciousness as the pain overwhelmed her. The ambulance came to a stop, and the paramedics wheeled her out. Valerie’s face was a painful sight, raw and blistered from the hot oil burns, while blood seeped through the bandages on her side from the stab wound. As they approached the ER, Juan, disguised as a nurse intercepted them with two others. “We’ll take it from here,” Juan said, taking control of the stretcher. Almost immediately, the hospital’s fire alarm went off, creating the perfect distraction for Juan to sneak Valerie out through the exit door.Without hesitation, Juan and his aides carefully wheeled Valerie into the van waiting for them in the basement. “Drive. Now.” He ordered and swiftly, the van screeched out of the premises and onto the highway.An hour of endless driving finally came to a stop in front of another hospital and just like the

Chapter 7.A sigh of relief escaped Ivy’s lips as she walked into the bakery that stood right across the street from her office. The smell of freshly baked goods always had a weird calming effect on her, one of the reasons why she thought she would become a baker if she failed to pass the bar exams or even afford an education at all. “Lucky you.” She muttered, taking in the happy smile on the face of the sales attendant. For a moment, she wondered what her life would be like if she had just chosen this life. The life of a baker; a simple one. She most definitely would never have crossed paths with Carlos, that’s for sure. Still, the past cannot be undone which is why she had decided to take her future and that of Carlos in her hands. The lively chatter of customers and sales attendants came to life again in her ears as she pulled herself out of her thoughts and approached the counter.“What would you have today, miss.” the beautiful Black American lady asked, smiling at her. “Two

“That's it, I'm calling the doctor.” Tim declared, throwing his hands in the air as he headed for the exit. “It's obvious that the allergy episode went as far as knocking your brains out this time.” He muttered as he walked.“C’mon Tim.” Dylan intercepted him. “You should have seen her. I'm sure you'd agree with me that she is the most beautiful person you'd ever see.” Dylan's excitement lingered and so did Tim's irritation.“You must know that I have never been this enchanted by a woman ever since you know who.” Dylan rolled his eyes for a brief moment, expressing the disgust that accompanied the memory of his ex-girlfriend, Naya.Tim paused for a moment, his gaze locked onto Dylan's. He could see the seriousness and assertiveness in Dylan's eyes. And truth be told, it has been a long time since Dylan ever brought up the name of a woman, much less been interested in one. Whoever this mystery lady was, she must be special to have made his friend and business partner go loco.Willing t