Detective Marsh stares at the forensic report in his hands.Halloway is also staring confusedly at him, twitching his head from side to side, wondering about the results he had just also seen.โYou have taken the phone for data recovery?โ Marsh asks, not raising his head from the paper.Halloway nods.โAnd this is the results of the forensic examination for fingerprints?โ Marsh waves the document in front of Hallowayโs eyes, who nods. โAnd properly checked with the database?โโI am not sure they can make a mistake. She had said she did not see any phone when she was interrogated.โMarsh stares at the paper that clearly identifies the fingerprints on the shattered phone has Daisy Worthโs.โShe either is the one who murdered Sienna Minton or she has something to hide on that phoneโฆโ Marsh mutters audibly, just loud enough for his partner to hear. โAh, Is John Worth here yet? He should come here with his wife after all, no need to alarm her. I think we can narrow our two choices down.โโ
Kevin Fitzpatrick stands by the large windows of his right under the penthouse apartment, the city lights twinkling in the far distance below. The people and moving vehicles down there look like colonies of ants that are going around, gathering their daily bread.He, as well, is working towards getting his own daily bread after all.His phone is in hand after just completing one call of doom, and slowly he scrolls through his contacts with a satisfied smirk on his face. The previous caller had completely broken down in tears, swearing his allegiance to whether Kevin says during the meeting that will come up soon.The game is already in motion, and now it is time to push the next chess pawn piece forward. The next piece being the next Director of Campbell Conglomerate. They have to have Bethany kicked out within a set time and this is only the tip of the iceberg, getting these entitled old men on his side so he can have a smooth sailing day when the time for the meeting comes.Which
The world was ablaze with the news that a certain A list actress called her fans puppets and that she had really used them like they were really one, to tear her former husbandโs marriage apart.โWho are you to decide what I say to my fans? They are my puppets, I get to say what I wantโฆโThe voice recording was everywhere.It was trending in number one, two and three, all the same news, different headlines, same person.Bethany Worth walked into the office that blissful morning with a noticeable spring in her step. After day and days of chaos, everything seemed to be falling into place finally, it has been a while since she has felt this kind of peace, maybe being kind of wicked is her thing after all.The protesters had finally been cleared, who would not leave after being called a puppet? Arthur was happy and safe from these โpuppetsโ, and her world felt back in balance.Life, for now, is a bed of roses.She spent the beginning of her day, at work, going through documents, signing o
Quinn lay there on her hospital bed, staring blankly at the white, partitioned ceiling.It is white and empty just like everything has been for many days now.The room is quiet, and the silence only increases the ache in her chest and the wild voices in her head, the silence only makes them louder and unable to ignore as they yell things into her conscious state.Her tears come softly, silently, rolling down her cheeks as she thinks profusely about everything that had happened. There was no one by her side in that moment and even now, and in this moment, the loneliness hit her even harder than ever.Daisy had gone off somewhere about an hour prior to this minute, Charles only comes by in the mornings and the late evenings and John has never visited since she has been conscious. Something must have happened but no one is telling her anything and it is frustrating enough already.She sniffles, trying in vain to compose herself, not wanting anyone, especially Daisy, to see her like this,
She sits on the floor of her room, her phone back in her hands with a new manager. This one seems completely supportive of her new moves after all.She checks up on her Instagram DMs and after checking past all the angry messages left by fans, supportive messages and even cursing, she arrives at the one she had been expecting, one she had been diligently checking for since the whole thing began.An interview invite to one of the biggest show houses in the country. There will be no better place to tell the world her own side of the story.Well, her own new side of the story, since they all seemed to have Bethanyโs side alone, she still has the support of many people with her anyway.Three hours later, Millicent Atkinson walks confidently into the brightly lit studio, her expression cool and composed, nothing on her face gives away nothing of how she really feels, she feels elated that soon, the tides will turn on her side again, against that scheming witch.Although, even Millicent wil
The interview airs the next day, and the public reaction is immediate.The tabloids lit up with headlines. Such asโฆโMillicent Fires Back: Claims Bethany Worth Orchestrated Scandal!โโMillicent Atkinson Accuses Bethany of Manipulation, Sabotage and Loss of her Husband!โSocial media explodes with reactions, many siding with Millicent, others defending Bethany.But the story has been set in motion, and there is no turning back now.She is now not just a homewrecker or husband thief, she is now a gold digger alongside the many names. People were questioning everything, had Bethany really been behind the viral recording? Was Millicent telling the truth, or was this just another ploy to shift the blame?Then the video from the restaurant comes out, and they all see Bethany playing the recording for everyone to hear.What had been her own instrument of safety has been cleanly turned back around, and the video is now her own sentencing.Back at Arthur and Bethanyโs home, the atmosphere is no
The detectives were waiting for her down there by the lobby as Marsh had said earlier, standing by the entrance. Marsh and Halloway stand with their backs straight, their expressions unreadable as they watch Daisy approach.Though they had not cuffed her for Quinnโs sake, there is not much difference in being cuffed or not when a person is being arrested as a suspect. They wonโt tell her arrest but she knows pretty well.Fingerprints are big pieces of evidences.But she did not do it, and somehow, she knows the officer she shares a look with just now knows that fact.Daisy swallows hard, trying desperately to keep her emotions in check.The hospital lobby is as busy as usual, but to her, everything feels muted. Almost like she is walking over to an executioner who will put her head in a guillotine and hack!, her head is goneโฆ the whispers of passing nurses, the shuffling feet of patients walking and being walked is all a blur, drowned out by the loud thudding of her heart. She knew Qui
Back in the police van, Daisy sat with her hands folded in her lap. The city passed by in a blur through the window, but her mind was somewhere else. She could feel the tension in the air, and despite the detectiveโs silence, she knows they are ready to pounce with questions the moment they arrived at the station.In hindsight, she did something real stupid, truly.She canโt hide him forever.Her thoughts drift to John and then to Sienna, and to the events that had just spiraled out of control over the past week and few days.How had it all come to this?โAlmost there, Mrs. Worth.โ Marsh says from the front, breaking her thoughts as he glances at her tensed up body sitting at the back. The eyes looking ahead and yet so far away.Daisy nods, not trusting herself to speak.She stares out the window, the buildings getting taller as they near the city center and the police station gradually comes into view. She isnโt ready for what was about to happen. How could she ever be ready for some
The invitation arrives in a black velvet envelope.No name. No logo. Just a gold wax seal marked with a wolfโs head.Bethany turns it over twice before she slits it open with a knife and slides the lacy edged card out.It reads,โThe Campbell Conglomerate is cordially invited to the Sterling Foundationโs Annual Black-Tie Gala.Theme: Midnight Masquerade.Date: This Saturday, 8 PM.Location: The Glass House, Midtown.Dress Code: Formal. Masks mandatory.Lifeโs a game, play it.โBethany does not react for a second, and then reads it againโฆ โThis is either someoneโs idea of a costume party or a shoddy job at making an actual party.โArthur reads it as well, over her shoulder and frowns, not even the flicker of a smile either. โThatโs not real.โโOh, it is real,โ Bethany murmurs. โAnd itโs bait. It is so obviously soโฆ Sterling Foundation.โArthurโs jaw tightens. โSo weโre not going, itโs that simple.โBethany turns slowly to face him, eyes clear and determination firm. โI do not run from
The Campbell Conglomerate headquarters is as full as it always is during the days of the week, and the staff are pretty loyal even when their boss has not been in to work for quite some time. The rumor has start to spread that she died or something most especially due to the fact that they had seen as she had been flung into the air two weeks before, had watched as her husband, with bruises of his own, had lifted her off the ground into the ambulance by himself and still making sure that everything, about her, was all in controlโฆFor the time she had been at the hospital, Arthur had made sure that Jade was always within reach and every of their works in progress, not out of reach, it had all been in control even when he had been devastated at the foot of her bed.And for it being so early in the morning, it is not silent, it is quite the opposite actually.Thereโs movement everywhere, in the halls and corners. Phones ringing and staff picking up. Meetings booked not minding that the b
He steps out of the car and closes the door behind him, Bethany is at home now and he just needs to stop by somewhere to make his point known, now that he knows who it is and his wife now does too, there is nothing to hide but to tell her to own up to her crimes and mistakes and just leave them be.Arthur Worth steps out of the sleek black elevator on the top floor and into hell, the dim lighting down the hall, the glass doors that do not reflect anything, looks like a childโs imagination of the opposite of heaven.The top floor of the glass building is colder than a morgue, the air conditioning in strategic positions not exactly helping either. Polished concrete floors. Steel framed windows. Air that smells faintly metallic, Ew.The place seems a little bit deserted and a little bit too silent for this mid afternoon period where staffs are supposed to be wandering around, talking and gossiping over cups of coffee and snacks, waiting for the time they can head for home.Ahead, the gla
It takes about an hour.One long, slow, silent hour between the couple.Bethany stubbornly keeps her back turned toward Arthur, stewing in her own complicated swirl of already fake anger and her pride not wanting to speak first.Bethany tries.God, she tries to stay mad at him but...For a full hour, she gives Arthur the full on, patented silent treatment, staring stubbornly at the wall on the other side of thr bed, answering in one word grunts if he so much as breathes too loudly so heโll catch himself from disturbing her โsleepโ.But sheโs very terrible at it.Sheโs always been terrible at it when it came to people she loved.She cracks before the sixty minute mark, because when she finally turns her head, awkwardly and carefully because of the neck brace, she sees him sitting at the very edge of her hospital bed.Not looking at her.Not doing anything visible to her.Justโฆ sitting there by the bedside.Palms flat on the mattress. Head bowed.Like heโs waiting to be sentenced. He do
The hallway is dim and seemingly never ending. Just like is her job to do this once in a while, she is going to do it once again before clocking out of work for the day.Ana Yang walks briskly down the sterile, silver lit corridor of Unique Auditingโs private floor. Her heels click sharply against the marble tile, echoing between the glass walls and chrome doors, ignoring everyone she meets on her way since she has one single focus in mind, do this and get the hell out of here.She clutches a thick folder to her chest, filled with updates, invoices, coded communications. The usual weapons of their currently losing war, sheโll be dropping off the file with the ceo before leaving.Ahead of her, the double doors to the CEO's office loom like the gates of some modern day hell.She swipes her keycard.The lock clicks and the doors swing open.Inside, the room is dim, only thin shafts of light cutting across the floor from narrow windows.And, as always, the swivel chair behind the vast mah
The fourth day in the hospital after the blast seemed just as bleak as the first three days that had come and gone, waiting for Bethany to wake up and open her eyes to absolutely no avail.Arthur hasnโt left her side. Not once, making sure to make sure that she is attended to every single time and cleaning her unconscious body every morning and night.The nurses have stopped trying to convince him to take a break and go home or something. At this point, heโs more permanent than the IV drip standing by her bedside. Martha comes and goes, bringing fresh clothes, home cooked meals that Arthur barely touches, whispered encouragements he barely hears but nods smilingly at anyway, the old woman already has too much on her neck so Arthur always manages to persuade her to go back home as well each time.He sits beside her now, as he has for four days, one hand curled over Bethanyโs motionless fingers, holding them as though he is using his bodyโs warmth to remind her of the way back to him, b
Time slows.Bethanyโs fingers brush the handle of the driverโs side door just as the second beep-beep fades into the air. A bird chirps from the lamp post above the lot. The wheels of a nearby shopping cart squeal as someone exits the pharmacy across the road. Arthur opens his mouth to say somethingโฆAnd the world erupts.BOOM.Itโs not just a noise., itโs a force. A living, monstrous thing that tears through air, glass, and metal like paper. The car explodes in a big explosion of fire and shrapnel, its roof splitting, hurling into the sky. The windshield vaporizes in a white hot flash and for the person standing right next to the explosion...Bethany is thrown violently backward. Not a stumble. Not a fall. She is launched into the air like a ragdoll and what goes up, always comes down.Her body hits the ground very hard. The sound is sickening, skin on pavement, ribs crunching, skull cracking and the audible sound of all of it.Then stillness.Alarms scream in every direction. The
The man walks in front of the station like heโs trying not to walk into a landmine, slow, tentative steps. He stops at the top of the stairs, takes one deep sigh, rubs his weak looking eyes and takes the few more steps into the building.He does not take big strides and no waving hands. Just quiet, precise steps through the front doors of the Precinct, wearing a weather beaten hoodie and jeans that have seen better years. His eyes are the kind that donโt blink enough, too haunted to remember how.Or at least that is what it looks like to whoever cares to give him a glance.At the front desk, Officer Laney gives him the once over. Sheโs halfway through sipping her third iced latte when she asks, โCan I help you sir?โThe man doesnโt answer at first, first choosing to check if she is a police officer since she is in civilian clothes, then seeing her badge in her hands, he sighs audibly before responding, sayingโฆโI need to talk to someone. Someone in charge of a particular case here.โL
Rumors begin less than three days later.Apparently, grabbing a cup of coffee with a beautiful female Major is grounds for rumors, and even people whom you donโt know who begin to study your every move. The rumors, with truths in them however, rage on the barracks.They spread like heat on dry bush. Fast, wild and pretty much unstoppable. A Major seen sneaking smiles at a Lieutenant during drills, the same Lieutenant caught slipping out of the officer's quarters too early in the morning.Chara doesnโt as much as flinch when she hears then, sheโs pretty much used to the weight of judgment.Chara doesnโt pretend to care, not at all.She keeps her chin high, her stride sharp like the boss lady that she is, like no one dares say it to her face, because they really do not dare say it to her face.But Mason hears it.He hears them and unlike Chara with her own steely indifference, he is not indifferent to it.And it gets harder to ignore, mostly because it is not all about him but her.Mason