CHAPTER 132Alicia came down from her room and met Nicholas in the living room. The aroma of meat grilled medium rare with mushroom marinade greeted Alicia's sense of smell as she approached everyone. She smiled when she saw Emma setting the steaks on the table."Wow, that smells delicious!"Alicia's compliment made Emma turn her head. The woman in her knee-length purple leisure suit smiled. She put her arm around Alicia and said, "You're ready for dinner, aren't you?"Alicia nodded in agreement. "Did you make all this?""Of course. You can see the men busy grilling the meat outside, Alicia." Emma moved her face forward, she spoke in a whisper. "They should be kept busy so that they don't bother us women."At this, Alicia laughed. They laughed together until Nicholas and Alan came into the living room. At the family table they sat like family, eating and laughing together. Small talk warmed the atmosphere. Simple conversations that made Alicia forget for a moment the sadness of her pa

CHAPTER 134Nicholas and Paul were back at the BBQ party held behind Brittany's house. Everyone enjoyed the party. The food served by Susan was delicious and complete. They could choose from a variety of delicious foods on the table.Paul joined in and grabbed a can of soda from the table, they were avoiding alcohol and such until Brittany's accident case went to trial. Paul raised the soda in the air and said, "Let's toast to my daughter's freedom! Cheers!""Cheers!"Everyone raised the soda can in the air. Brittany's welcome party was warm and fun. But not for long, because Nicholas, Alicia and Noel had to leave to go back to work to prepare for Brittany's trial.Kevin would bring the best lawyers to fight Brittany in court, he was serious about making Brittany the real culprit of their accident. And Nicholas, couldn't be that casual.They got back into the car, but Noel drove his own car."We're going to the forensic lab to examine the evidence," Nicholas said, but Alicia held the

CHAPTER 136After solving Brittany's case, Nicholas decided to return to Alicia's flat. Alicia was uncomfortable staying too long with Nicholas' parents, and she was also worried that something bad might happen to Emma and Alan.Alicia opened the door in front of her. Her house, which had been a mess due to the fight between Nicholas and Ace a few days ago, was no longer there.The simple interiors and minimalist items in Alicia's flat gave the girl more space. After all, she wasn't interested in having a lot of stuff in her house. All the things she had, she needed."Are you staying tonight?" Alicia placed a cup of hot tea on the table, in front of which Nicholas sat.Nicholas looked up, he had just straightened his legs which were sore from the long journey. And mumbling his agreement, he said, "Of course. I can't risk leaving you alone when Ace returns."Alicia sat next to Nicholas. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Holding back her doubts, Alicia continued, "Do you think he'll come

CHAPTER 138Alicia woke up after a few hours of sleeping on the sofa. She blinked lightly, before realizing that part of her body was already covered by the warm blanket. She looked ahead. The windows outside were already dewy with snow, but the sky was beginning to clear. Morning had come, leaving behind a night of memories. Alicia moved her gaze around, she was not alone in the living room. Nicholas was there, asleep on another sofa with another blanket covering his entire body. From his curled up gesture, Alicia could immediately tell that Nicholas had been enduring the cold since the beginning. Alicia smiled a little at the man's behavior.Normally Nicholas would wake up first, waking Alicia up with the scent of vanilla and kneaded flour, but that day Nicholas didn't wake up. He must have been as tired as Alicia. The series of crimes had yet to be solved. The case of Alicia's parents' death, finding the location of Ace and Amanda, and other crimes that a police chief like Nicholas

CHAPTER 140The steady, constant sound of the device on the monitor suddenly showed a change. The straight line turned upward and began to wavy as Wilson's fingers moved slowly on the bed. There was movement. And a nurse named Liliana, who was working that day, noticed it immediately.Liliana glared in surprise, but then pressed the bedside button to call the doctor on duty that day. Not long after, Dr. Benneth came and saw Liliana."What's wrong, Liliana?""Mr. Blake is showing movement, Doctor," Lilliana informed him. "I've checked his pulse, heart rate and blood pressure. He... has progressed. Everything is normal."Dr. Benneth listened intently to all of Liliana's reports. He then nodded, "I'll check it myself," he said, and Dr. Benneth took out a stethoscope from the pocket of his white medical coat. He pressed the rounded end of the stethoscope against Wilson's chest, listening to his heartbeat which had changed compared to before. It was several minutes before Dr. Benneth final