CHAPTER 15.

“Oh, I see,” AnniBerry said.

Marchen stood up and walked into his bedroom, leaving AnniBerry alone in the sitting room. She began to think about everything Marchen had told her. She wondered what could have been so serious that someone would be willing to take a life.

“But it was an accident,” she muttered under her breath.

She picked up her phone and started going through her social media friends list, hoping to find someone she could talk to about Merrilyn. Several hours passed before Marchen walked out of his room. He was dressed entirely in black a black shirt, black trousers, and a black jacket. AnniBerry looked at him, wondering why he was dressed that way.

“Why are you staring at me?” he asked, his expression as serious as ever.

“Nothing,” AnniBerry replied quickly, looking away from him.

“Here's some cash. Just keep it,” Marchen said, stretching a few dollar bills toward her.

She accepted the money slowly, surprised. Marchen had never seemed like the kind of person who would give her money for no reason.

“Thank you,” she said as she took the cash from him.

“Eat and get some rest,” he told her before dashing out of the house.

AnniBerry peeped through the window to make sure he had left. She was relieved to see him get into his car and drive away. She picked up her phone again and opened a new F******k account. She searched for Merrilyn and Mark and found both of their profiles. This time, their accounts were visible, and it even looked like they were online.

She immediately sent a message request.

“Hi, Merrilyn. It's me, AnniBerry. Please reply.”

Then she waited for a response.

...

 Marchen drove out of the house and stopped beneath a nearby tree. He parked under its shade and stepped out of the car. A light-skinned man, dressed entirely in black a pair of black trousers and a matching jacket quickly got into the passenger seat.

"Good morning, Mr. Marchen," he greeted.

"Good morning, Carl," Marchen replied.

Carl slipped his hand into the pocket of his jacket, pulled out a brown envelope, and handed it to Marchen. Marchen tossed it onto the back seat before asking in a firm tone, "What did you find?"

Carl took a deep breath. "I found Mars," he began. "He has his entire family hiding in a beach house he owns on the island."

Marchen tightened his grip on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. His face darkened with anger.

"That son of a bitch," Marchen muttered. "I should have known. If he could betray his own brother, why wouldn't he betray us?"

He slammed his foot on the accelerator, causing the car to surge forward. Carl immediately fastened his seat belt.

A few minutes later, Marchen pulled up in front of a tall house. He and Carl got out of the car and walked inside. The house was filled with different kinds of ammunition guns of various types, bullets, grenades, bulletproof vests, and combat boots.

A dark-skinned man, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white T-shirt, emerged from behind them.

"Wow! Look who we have here," he said excitedly.

Marchen and Carl turned around. The moment Marchen saw him, a bright smile spread across his face.

"Father," he called warmly before walking over and embracing him. The man looked at Marchen and wore an even bigger smile on his face.

"Son, I prayed every day to God to bring you back to me safely. Tell me, why are you here?" the man asked curiously.

Marchen looked at the man, then at Carl. He leaned forward and whispered something into the elderly man's ear. Immediately, the elderly man's expression changed. He looked very worried.

"Come with me," he said, placing a hand on Marchen's back.

Marchen signaled Carl to wait for him. The man led Marchen into an office. Shelves filled with a lot of old books lined the walls, and a computer sat on a table. Two grey sofas occupied the room. The man signaled for Marchen to take a seat.

"Ella," the old man called softly.

A tall, light-skinned woman dressed in an all-black jumpsuit walked in. She had a low haircut, wore black lipstick, and had multiple earrings in her ears. She looked fierce and intimidating.

"Sir," she responded.

"Coffee," the old man requested.

She nodded and walked out of the office. The elderly man looked at Marchen, worry evident on his face.

"Are you saying Palms has a daughter, Marchen?"

Marchen took a deep breath.

"Father, I found out about her the day I was tailing Merrilyn, as instructed by the Boss. I often saw Merrilyn with a young lady, but I didn't know who she was. One day, I decided to park miles away from the restaurant because Merrilyn was beginning to suspect someone was following her. I walked into a store to..."

Ella returned, holding two cups of coffee.

"The coffee, sir."

She handed one cup to the elderly man and the other to Marchen before walking out and quietly closing the door.

"I walked into a store to get a drink," Marchen continued. "Before I knew it, I heard a loud noise outside. I ran out only to find a lady lying in a pool of blood beside my car. When I looked closely, I realized it was Merrilyn."

"What?" the man interrupted. "How did she get there?" he asked in disbelief.

"It was said that she was riding on AnniBerry's bike, which had brake failure."

"Who is AnniBerry?" the elderly man asked, cutting Marchen short again.

"She's Mr. Palms' daughter," Marchen replied.

“As I was saying, Father, I saw the lady. It was Merrilyn, and she had been badly injured. I noticed that her belongings had fallen onto the ground. Shortly after, the ambulance arrived and took her away. Before it left, another woman who had fainted was also brought into the ambulance.

“After they left, I picked up Merrilyn's bag and looked inside. That's when I discovered that AnniBerry isn't just her friend she's actually her cousin. I never knew AnniBerry had a cousin. Then I found something else. Her real name is Anita Palms... Mr. Palms' daughter the same daughter Mr. Mars said died at birth.”

Marchen took a sip of his coffee and watched the elderly man stare at him in speechless disbelief.After a few minutes of silence, the elderly man stood up and slipped both hands into his pockets.

"Marchen," he called gently. "Where is the lady now?"

Marchen stood up, took a deep breath, and walked toward the old man.

"She's at my house, Father," he replied.

The elderly man turned to him, his face filled with shock.

"What?" he exclaimed. "Wha... wha... what do you mean she's at your house?" he stammered.

Marchen met the elderly man's gaze.

"Are you being serious, Marchen?" the old man asked, raising his voice.

Wearing a frustrated expression, Marchen sighed.

"Father, the Boss was going to kill her. I had to protect her," he defended.

The elderly man pulled his hands from his pockets.

"What do you mean, protect her? Are you mad, Marchen?" he shouted, his anger growing. "What if the Boss finds out? You're as good as dead!" he warned. Marchen looked defeated. He no longer knew how to handle everything that was happening. He knew he couldn't send AnniBerry back home because he was certain someone would be watching the house in case she returned. For now, his house was the only safe place for her.

"Father," Marchen called, turning to the elderly man. "Why do you think Mr. Mars never told us that Mr. Palm's daughter was alive?" he asked curiously.

The elderly man took a deep breath. "That is a question only Mars can answer," he replied.

Marchen nodded in agreement. He walked closer to the elderly man and placed both hands on his shoulders.

"Father, I was never satisfied with the Boss's decision to have Mr. Palm killed because it never made sense. And now, I think the Boss's greed has finally caught up with him."

The elderly man lowered his head, ashamed to look at Marchen.

"I can't believe I voted for him to be killed," he said, regret evident in his voice.

Marchen pulled him into a tight hug.

"I'll make this right, Father," he promised before gently kissing him on the cheek.

Marchen walked out of the office. Carl was sitting on a chair near the building's entrance. Marchen gave him a signal, and Carl immediately stood up and walked toward the car.

"Any word from Linx?" Marchen asked.

"Not yet," Carl replied.

They both got into the car and drove away. The elderly man watched from his office window until Marchen and Carl were out of sight.

"Ella," he called.

Within seconds, the fierce looking woman appeared.

"Sir," she responded.

The elderly man stepped closer to her.

"I need a clean job," he said quietly. "An untraceable one."

"I'm listening, Sir," Ella replied.

The old man handed her a gun case.

"There is a young lady at Marchen's house. Put two bullets in her chest. No mistakes."

Without saying a word, Ella gave a devilish smile, took the gun case, and walked out of the office.