Chapter three

"Mariah, I think that it is time for you to let this go now. You have been obsessing over this case for far too long and it's starting to get me bothered," Lucas Castillo said to the tall, elegant lady dressed in a black suit who was sitting across from him. Mariah scoffed while Lucas said the words, but she didn't come that far to quit.

"Lucas, you know how much this case means to me. I finally have a shot at doing something great for the victims. I have to press on. Knight Incorporated is into shady things. Dangerous things. They have been responsible for the trafficking of women and girls for a very long time. And it goes even deeper than Knight Incorporated. Tell me what I'm saying is wrong and I'll drop this," Mariah replied.

"It doesn't matter if you do not have proof. These are very powerful people, Mariah. You don't just take them on and expect them not to react. You failed to prove in court that Knight Incorporated was responsible for the death of the bodies we found close to the seaport and that has cost you your entire career. Please, stop now, Mariah," Lucas pleaded but Mariah slowly stood to her feet. She walked around in the office that Lucas was stationed in as a detective in the Blaze Police Department. Years ago, he was just a simple man with little aspirations, but now he was helping people.

"The fact that I failed in court is precisely why I want this case reopened. They did something to the evidence. I know what happened there. I could have proved it if the judge himself hadn't been bought over with money as well. Please..." She quickly sat down and grabbed Lucas' hands.

"... Help me. I recently met with the daughter of one of their victims and she was devasted. I don't want her to remain that way. For what's worth, I should be able to give her justice for what those bastards did to her mother," she said with pleading eyes. Lucas slowly rocked her hands and gazed into her eyes.

"Are you sure that this is about the victim, or is this about what happened to your mother?" He asked and she quickly let go of him. She stood again, rubbed her face with her palm, and then sighed.

"I'm fine. That is totally behind me now," Mariah lied. Lucas just scoffed.

"Mariah, your mother was trafficked and murdered by Knight Incorporated. Of course, you're not fine! You told me that it's the reason why you became a lawyer so that you can get revenge for what happened to her. But going about it the reckless way will get you killed. And I don't want you to die," Lucas muttered.

"I won't. I'm fine I promise. My therapist said that I should find a way to move past that and I'm excelling in it. In a few weeks, I'll no longer need therapy," Mariah lied again. Lucas knew it was all bollocks. She was like a ticking time bomb and losing everything after her last case with Knight Incorporated went sour further made things worse.

"Mariah..."

"Lucas, I really appreciate you looking over me. But I am a fully grown woman now and I can make my own decisions. When we dated, you took care of me and I am grateful. But that's in the past now. Nothing will happen to me. Believe me," she said but Lucas was not convinced. However, he didn't want the issue to delay any further.

"Alright, fine. I'll see what I can do," he told her and she smiled. She quickly rushed and gave him a peck.

"Thank you, Lucas. You will not regret this. I promise," she said. Lucas sighed.

"I better not," he replied to her. Mariah chuckled and dashed out of the station. 

It was a busy morning in Blaze. She could feel the optimism in the air. Now all that was left was her restarting her case against Knight Incorporated and winning, and that way, she would be able to write her name in history as the lawyer who took down the kingpins of the city.

Mariah stretched out her hand to stop a cab, but then she recalled that she had no cash on her. She sighed and started walking. Immediately after she lost the case, Mariah was fired by her firm and no other one would hire her.

She suspected that the knight family had something to do with it. Mariah wanted to start her own firm but she was still too poor to do it. Plus, she had debts to settle! As soon as Mariah took a turn into an alley, she began to walk briskly. Such places terrified her.

"Hey, Mariah!" She froze when she heard a voice call to her. Mariah turned around slowly and found a large man standing there. He wore a frown on his face and beside him were two other thugs.

"You have been difficult to keep track of lately. You're not avoiding me, are you? Seeing as you owe me twenty thousand dollars!" The man said again and Mariah forced a smile.

"What? I'm not avoiding you. I'm just..." She took a step back but then she crashed into another thug behind her. Mariah knew that she was cornered.

"I, um, have been looking for your money. I have this new case and I will win. Then I'll pay you, I promise," she begged but the man did not buy it.

"It's long overdue now. I have to kill you and sell your organs to recover my money. You chose this, Mariah. Get her!" He ordered and the thug behind her grabbed her.

"Help! Somebody help me!!" Mariah screamed and kicked but the thug threw her on the ground. He took out a silencer and then pointed it at her.

"No, stop, please!" She begged.

"Do it!" The man commanded. Just as the thug was about to shoot, Mariah heard blows landing and heard the man cry out. She looked up and saw Victor standing there with the men on the ground.

"Get off her now!" Victor warned the man who pointed the silencer at Mariah. The man quickly got off her and aimed at Victor instead while Mariah stood up.

"Whoever you are, this issue does not concern you! She owes me twenty thousand dollars. I need my money back!" Victor heard the man groan. He gazed at the man and then took out his phone. 

"How do you want your payment?" Victor asked and Mariah gasped. The man called out his account number and then Victor paid him immediately. Then the man and his thugs quickly left the scene and Victor turned to Mariah.

"Thank you for saving me," she said with a smile.

"You're welcome. You need to stay away from people like that," he told her and she nodded.

"Yeah, I know," Mariah replied and then handed her card to him. "I'm Mariah Fillip. If you are ever in need of a lawyer, give me a call. I won't charge you," she said with a smile. 

Victor gazed at her and wondered if she was the same Mariah Fillip he knew when he was younger. It's been over nineteen years but there was something about her.

"What's your name?" She asked him.

"Victor Storms," he replied.

"It's a nice name. Thanks again, Mr. Storms," she said and quickly dashed out of the scene. Victor watched her leave, and then he picked up his phone and called John.

"I need you to do something for me," Victor began.