FAZER LOGINWhy is she smiling? She can't possibly be happy about what happened to Nikas. Electra waits impatiently for Irene to speak.“Your birthday is next week! Were you trying to hide such important information from me?”Electra gapes at her. Birthday? Her birthday? With all the mountain of problems sandwiching her, her birthday is not even on the list of things on her mind to even say it's the least.What is wrong with Irene? Did she hit her head or something?Of all the things she could be thinking of, it's Electra's birthday? How can she celebrate anything when the one who has celebrated with her every other year is fighting for his life on a hospital bed? Electra holds in her breath. She doesn't know what to feel, how to react to Irene's revelation. She just takes deep breaths to calm the storm brewing inside her.Add her birthday to the long list of things she has forgotten about. And there are more important things that she has been forgetting in the last couple of hours.“I know yo
Anders' brows dip in confusion. He stares down at her in wonder, unable to understand her behavior and words.He rubs his hands up and down her arm. Maybe the contact will wake her up from the shock of seeing her brother like that. That's what this is. Electra is in shock. But she proves him wrong, shaking her head.“Is it her?” She lifts her gaze to find his, dread etched into her orbs. What is scaring her like this? Why does she look like she has seen a ghost?“Electra, you're scaring me. Do you need to see a doctor?” He lifts his head, looking about and contemplating if he should go get the doctor or take her to him. As he tries to make a move, deciding to go get a doctor, he feels her hand on his arm and he stops to look down at her.There's tears in her eyes, eyelids full to the brim. She blinks and a tear runs down her cheek. She's staring at him as though she's seeing him for the first time. Then she shakes her head, sniffing hard. “I don't need to see a doctor.” His expre
Anders holds her against him. Her head on his chest, and face buried into his shirt. One hand gently keeps her head against him. The other hand wraps around her middle. supporting and preventing her knees from caving. Electra sobs against him. Wails of pain burst out of her, shaking everything inside her. Her shoulder quakes, shuddering with every breath as sadness ripples through her. Anders says nothing. He just let her cry. He holds her and lets her cry, his heart breaking at the sight. He's known Electra to be strong, resilient and able to hold her own. Seeing her crumble like this tears him apart. He had tried to reach her. Several times and not once was he able to get through. Her anger at him prevented her from taking his calls. Anders moves his hand up her back, rubbing back and forth in gentle, soothing motion. Maybe he shouldn't have done that. Electra lifts her head from his chest as though a veil has been pulled over her head. She moves, shifting away from him
“Catch me!” She yells, giggling as she makes a run for it. Her feet dig into the wet beach sand, leaving prints behind her.She looks back. He's close, gaining on her, his arm stretched out for her. She laughs harder and pushes harder Mirth fills the air as she tries to avoid being caught. She runs for a while, then stops to look behind again. He's not following. She furrows her brows. Why is he not chasing her?She begins to run back towards him, leaving the laughter behind. Standing at a distance yet close to him, she asks,“What? Why did you stop running?” She's smiling at him.He shakes his head, panting heavily. “I'm tired. I can't anymore.”She thinks he's making a joke. An attempt to cheat through the game. She doesn't want to believe him. She waits, keeping her distance. But the smile stretched across her lips begins to fade, closing in gap as the moment passes.There's no levity in him. His expression is serious and tired. He continues to shake his head, his breathing comi
Electra’s mind is a muffled space as she journeys back home. Standing in front of the door it's as though she walked through a trance to reach it. She pulls on the knob, forgetting that she has to use the keys first. Electra dips a hand inside her bag to retrieve the keys when the door is pulled open.Irene stands in front of her, a look Electra is too distraught to notice drapes her face.“Um, did you forget your keys?” her voice is unnatural.Electra flashes her brows resignedly. Exhaustion and the weight of the event of today makes her shoulders drop.“Thank you.” That's all Electra manages to say.Irene's brows dip. “Are you alright? Was your first day that bad?”Electra sighs. “It was quite eventful.” She thinks back to the incident of meeting Andy and Jerry's reference to him as his brother. “Do you remember I told you about some goons I met the other day and my boss rescued me?” Electra begins, eyes narrowing as she relives that night in her head.“Don’t you want to come insi
Jerry's gaze doesn't shift. His eyes watch Orion like a hawk waiting for the right time to pounce on its prey.“I owe uncle… your uncle, not you.” Jerry says calmly after a long stretch of silence.He continues. “And if that's the card you want to play, then I'm afraid I can't help you, Orion.” His words carry a finality to it, leaving no room for persuasion or arguments.Orion sits there for a moment, swallowing and trying to form words. But Jerry already has his head turned, hand reaching into his drawer for something.Orion’s eyes widens. The fear that assaults him is exactly what Jerry wants him to feel. But Jerry doesn't bring out what Orion thinks he's getting out. Instead, he pulls out a receipt book and idly begins to flip through it. He doesn't say anything more. He doesn't need to for Orion to know that the conversation is over.Orion stands. A deep exhale leaves him. He parts his lips to say something, but he decides against it. He'd try again some other time, with a diff
How did he find her? How did he know she was here?Stunned, Electra backs inside the house. The door hangs wide open, he follows her inside, taking forward steps with every backward step she takes.The sight of him- she shakes her head. She remembers his deceit.Her eyes harden, narrowing to a glar
Anders sits at his desk, brooding long and hard. Nikas' case file is spread out before him. He has spent all afternoon studying the case and is still where he is; nowhere.It's like every turn is barricaded. No loopholes to attack from. It was so well crafted, well calculated that it is difficult t
Upon hearing the information, Anders' face pales as it drains of color. “Which Judge Brad?” He asks for clarity. Nikas glances at him. He expects Anders to know him. They work in law court and before he retired, Brad may have sat as judge over a few cases Anders must have handled. “The retired Ju
Orion puffs air from his mouth as he collapses onto the double-seater sofa in his living room. He exhales, long and heavy, his exhaustion apparent. He has just returned from a week training trip in Ohio. He's exhausted and grateful to be back in the familiar comfort of his house. Sitting or rat







