One Hundred and Twenty Four

CHAPTER 124

"I brought you some fruit."

Nicholas placed the bouquet of fresh fruit from the nearby shop on the table, next to the few items Brittany had stored there. The heated atmosphere made the people in the room reluctant to comment. Especially Alicia and Brittany. They seemed to be trapped in a confused silence ever since Kevin had left the room.

There was nothing Nicholas could do but mediate between the two women who both kept their mouths shut. He cleared his throat softly. "Uhm, anyway... you guys should stop keeping your mouths shut and start talking to each other." The smile on Nicholas' gray lips rose to warm the atmosphere. He did not want the two women before him to get into a cold war. "Alright, I'll start first. So... Kevin came to see Brittany, he brought her a huge bouquet of red roses and well, it was nice for the view, but why do you three suddenly seem to be caught in a complicated love triangle?"

Silence was still the answer to Nicholas' question. They both kept their mouths shut. Until finally, Alicia walked from the front door and sat on the chair closest to Brittany's bed.

"Speak up, Britt. I won't be angry."

"You... promise?" Brittany's words were hesitant. She folded her arms across her chest and stole a glance at Nicholas standing by the bedside table. "You really won't take offense at what I say?"

Alicia rolled her eyes lazily. "Come on, Britt. How long have we been friends?" Alicia's thin hand lightly pinched Brittany's arm in front of her. "You know I always know everything, right?"

Brittany looked around. She switched her gaze from Alicia, to Nicholas. Then she began to explain, "Kevin and I had a good relationship at first. Kevin was a perfect gentleman who was much better than Luke. He was disciplined, smart, well spoken and romantic. But that day... Kevin changed. That was the day Kevin met you, Alicia."

"So, you think that... Kevin and I had a relationship?"

"No, no, no!" Brittany cut in quickly. She quickly clarified and said, "It was Kevin. He made it seem like I was jealous of you, when I wasn't. I was influenced, and I guess... this was part of his plan. You saw it for yourself, didn't you? He tried to manipulate you into hating me, he thought you'd waver just because you thought I was jealous of you, Alicia. She must have thought of something to avoid the police."

Nicholas pointed at Brittany while squinting probingly. "So you're saying... Kevin suddenly changed after meeting Alicia?" He looked at Alicia who was also casting a look in his direction. "Does this have anything to do with the car accident that night?"

"He was driving the car, Nic. But you were too bad, I was dying and she put me in the driver's seat!"

Nicholas listened intently, his mind racing to piece together the puzzle that Brittany's revelations presented. The room was filled with an unexpected tension that seemed to thicken with each confession.

Alicia's eyes widened in disbelief, her breath catching as she leaned forward, demanding further explanation. "He framed you for the accident?"

Brittany's voice wavered, her eyes glazed over. "Yes! She planned the whole thing. She secretly wanted to see Alicia again, she said she wanted to know something and that night, she made sure that I was the one who looked guilty. She organized everything, even my injuries."

Nicholas' eyebrows furrowed in concern. "But why?" Nicholas paced the room, absorbing the weight of the revelation. "This is serious. We have to do something."

Alicia nodded, her resolve growing stronger. "We have to expose him."

Brittany snorted, wiping away her tears. "But how? He even dared to challenge me with his lawyer!"

Nicholas paused for a moment, his mind whirling with a plan. "We gather evidence. We find witnesses, anything that can prove your innocence and Kevin's guilt."

"What if he's still found innocent and I'm guilty, Nic?" Brittany's tone rose. "Aren't I going to jail for drunk driving?"

Nicholas sighed. "Yes, we did find alcohol in your system. But we must have other ways to fight Kevin."

Before Ace and Amanda could finish their business, Nicholas had to deal with the manipulative Brittany and Kevin. Nicholas has asked Noel to check Kevin's background and he will wait for the results today.

Alicia then broke the silence, she looked at Nicholas who looked confused and Brittany who began to tearfully hold back the tears in her eyes. She patted Brittany's hand lightly and said, "You don't have to worry, Britt. Evil always leaves a trail."

"I'm really confused right now, Alicia," Brittany sighed in frustration.

Nicholas, with a determined look in his eyes, gathered everyone around the table. "We need to be strategic. Kevin may think he has the upper hand, but we will use his arrogance against him." He glanced at Alicia. "You said he challenged you with his lawyer?"

Brittany nodded. "Yes, he's trying to intimidate us. He acted as if he was completely innocent of the accident."

Nicholas leaned in, his voice low. "We're going to turn the tables. We play smart, not aggressive." He glanced at Noel, who entered the room with a file in hand. "What did you find?"

Noel greeted everyone in the room, before pulling out a brown folder from his jacket pocket. "You're going to be surprised by the results of this discovery."

"Alright, let's get to the point," Nicholas said hurriedly.

Noel placed the file on top of Nicholas' hand. "Kevin's past is a maze, but I found a pattern. He's been involved in similar cases before, and they all have a common thread - coercion and manipulation."

Alicia's eyes widened. "So, this isn't the first time he's twisted the truth to his advantage?"

"Exactly," Noel confirmed. "And that's where we're going to get him. His history will paint a clear picture of deception."

Nicholas tapped his fingers on the table, thinking hard. "We have to break this pattern. Collect testimonies, previous cases, anything that shows this pattern of manipulation." He looked at Brittany. "Your case is not isolated. It's part of a larger scheme he's running. It's planned."

Brittany's tearful expression gave way to one of determination. "Then we'll fight back."

"We'll make her defense a liability," Nicholas said. "I'll check the crime scene and find out if there were any witnesses to the accident."

"I'll accompany you, Nic," Alicia replied. "But let me shower and change first."

"Okay."