Chapter eight

"What do you mean you sold our company?" Petra felt her legs weaken as her father broke the news of his deal to her. She gazed at the older man with eyes wide open, too shocked and too broken to say anything else.

"I had no choice. I'll rot in prison if I do not find a way to get myself out. You have to understand, Petra, what I did was for the both of us..." Thomas started but Petra jumped up from the seat she was sitting on in the interrogation room. She had demanded that the cops allow her to see her father, and they gave her two minutes.

"No! What you did was for you. You just left me with nothing, Father. No legacy. And do you really think that a hundred million dollars will get you out of here? It won't! No amount of money will keep you away from prison. How could you do this?" She nearly cried.

Petra paced around while Thomas thought about it. Did he make a hasty decision? He kept thinking until it finally dawned on him that this was Victor's plan all along. Thomas's heart skipped a beat.

"Fuck! That bloody crook!!" He cursed. Petra then focused her attention on him again.

"Tell me who bought our company. I'll take it back from them," Petra said but Thomas sighed.

"Petra, my dear, do not go looking for trouble. Who you are up against is no ordinary man. You don't stand a chance of winning against him and I don't want to lose you," he said to her but she scoffed.

"Just tell me, Father, and I will take it back!" She snapped.

"His name is Victor Storms!" Thomas said and Petra froze. "Yes, that's right. The same one you took nine billion dollars from to acquire thirty percent of our shares. Need I remind you that the nine billion dollars was also taken by the government?"

"Victor Storms? He bought our company?" She was flustered. 

"He's here for revenge, Petra. Victor Storms is Alan Bernard, the same Alan that I conspired with Phil and five others to kill. He has come for vengeance," Thomas said to her. 

"Alan died. You told me he died. There's no way he survived back then," Petra argued.

"He did. All of this has been his doing. It's over for me, Petra, but you don't have to go down this path. You can run away with your life. Please," Thomas begged but Petra chuckled.

"I will face him," she started.

"Petra, don't!" Thomas warned her but she just scoffed. Then the door opened and the cops led Petra out. She did not even spare her father another look while she strolled out of the station. 

As the day progressed, Victor drove to Reggie's shop and then walked inside. The shop was turned upside down, and the staff were wounded or dead. John stood at the side and then strolled to Victor while he observed the scene.

"Who did this?" Victor asked him.

"I don't know. But Reggie wants to speak to you. He is barely holding on," he told Victor who then headed to Reggie's office. There, sitting on a chair with a bullet wound in his abdomen was Reggie. 

He whimpered as he applied pressure on the wound but it was still bleeding profusely. Victor looked upon him with pity as he approached.

"Reggie, who did this to you?" Victor asked him. Reggie cried while he tried to reply for the pain was so much. After some time, he managed to find his voice.

"It was... Bentley Bernard. Your cousin," Reggie replied. Victor was surprised.

"Bentley? What did he want with you?" Victor asked Reggie.

"He wanted information on Xavier's location," Reggie said and cried again.

"And did you tell him?" Victor asked him but Reggie was silent. He just gazed at Victor with his blood-red eyes. "Reggie, did you tell him?" Victor asked again.

"I'm sorry, Victor. I had no other choice," he said and Victor shut his eyes in pain. He then composed himself while Reggie's breath became disoriented.

"John, help Reggie. I will go to Xavier by myself," Victor instructed and John nodded. But before Victor could step out of the shop, Reggie died.

Victor took out his phone. It was time for him to execute the second phase of his plan. He dialed Mariah Fillip's number and waited for her to pick up the call.

"Hello?" She said on the other side of the phone.

"Hello, Mariah. This is Victor Storms speaking," he said to her.

"Mr Storms, to what do I owe this pleasure?" She asked him.

"How about the biggest case of your career? I have something that will get you back in the game," he told her. 

"How did you know about me?" She asked.

"I have my ways. Meet me at the Bronze restaurant tomorrow. We shall discuss further then," Victor told her. Mariah immediately recognized the restaurant as a very elite one. How rich was he?

"And who, if I may ask, are we going up against? My primary man of interest is currently behind bars as we speak," Mariah asked.

"How about Phil Bernard?" Victor said and Mariah went silent for some time.

"I will not be late," she told him and then hung up. Victor got into the car and zoomed off.