2025-01-09 20:15:27~Shattered~
It’s funny how quickly time flies. In between the time that Joyce Meyers, Andrès’s attorney had come to see him with her ridiculous proposition, and now, he had not expected that a day would go by so quickly.
It was the day of the court hearing. Andrès kept cursing inwardly, because he was so out of his depth here and he knew it. The officers had him bathe and put on new clothes as they wheeled a vehicle around that would take him to the court house. He sat there in the vehicle, chained and with his hands chained too. The chain connected to his feet.
Andrès was totally lost as to what he was going to do. It felt like his life suddenly took a different turn.
The door slid open and he was allowed out of the vehicle. His hands were still cuffed and being exposed to the harsh sunlight seemed to do something to his eyes, especially because he had been locked inside the cell all the while.
He took a minute or so getting his eyes adjusted to the light before the guards pulled him along into the court. Andrès sat down and while he waited for the court to fill up, his eyes constantly searched around for signs of his wife or his best friend, but even when the court session was finally about to begin, there was no sign of either of them.
Andrès tried not to be downcast, but it was an almost impossible endeavor. Surely they would have gotten the news by now.
Even if they hadn’t gotten the news of my court hearing, they would have at least filed him under a missing person report. He thought inwardly.
They would have tried to see him or even look for him. He had no idea what was going on here at all.
“All rise. Court in session.” Said a voice, but Andrès could not really bother himself with listening to anything right now. He was feeling more than a little bit disappointed and tired.
He did not even hear all of the legalese and jumble of speech that was going on with the people in the court, could not hear the judge’s words even while he watched her mouth move. It was a nightmare.
“Mr. Manuel.” The judge called once. Then again. “Mr. Manuel!”
It took one of the uniformed men standing close to Andrès to shake him out of his stupor. He raised my eyes up to the judge again, dazed. The woman looked very stern and intimidating, but he could not even be bothered. He was drowning deep in my own depression. What mattered about a little court sentence?
“Mr. Manuel, do you plead innocent or guilty to these charges?” She asked.
Andres sighed wearily. “Not guilty.”
The court gasped and murmurings rose but the judge banged her gavel and the court went silent again. Andrès could not stop the buzzing in his ears. He just wanted to sleep and cry and be done with everything.
“You are saying, Mr. Manuel, that all of the evidence presented against you is false? Even though there were eye-witness accounts?”
“Eye-witness accounts?” he spat. “What? The other employees? My co-workers who I called to help me out with the boss? How does that even make any sense? I don’t have anything to gain from my boss’s death. I loved my boss. He was good and he wanted to take a vacation for his health. As a matter of fact, he had told me that he was not returning back to the company because of his poor heart, so he wanted me to take over the company—”
“Are you saying that your boss told you that he wanted you to take over the company?” the judge asked and Andrès felt like slapping her. Had she not been listening to anything at all that he had to say?
“Yes, he did. And I turned down the offer. My wife here…”
Andrès voice trailed off as he looked around the court. There was no sign of Emilia anywhere at all in the court. He began to panic. He missed his wife and he just wanted to go home to her. He could not wait for all of this to be over. The murmuring in the court grew again.
Andrès knew what they were thinking: he had killed my boss because he wanted to take over the company. But what sense did it make? He had turned down the offer.
Andrès remembered Joyce, his lawyer telling him that high and mighty people wanted him to take the fall for this and he gritted my teeth in anger.
“Mr. Manuel, the court has evidence that the poison that killed your boss was delivered in the cup of tea that you served him. Residuals tested by the forensics teams show that the same poison was left over in the exact cup that your boss drank from and you were the only person in there with him.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t kill him! Check the cameras.”
“There are no camera recordings of your boss’s office. Something you very well know.”
Andres was livid. “I DIDN’T KILL HIM! WHAT KIND OF IDIOT WOULD—”
“Mr. Manuel!” The judge banged her gavel down hard.
“You are unable to present convincing evidence that you are not the mastermind behind this crime. Therefore, this court finds you—along with all the evidence presented and tabled against you—guilty of the charge of murder.”
“What? No, wait, you’re making a mistake.” Andrès pleaded.
“For crimes against a fellow human being and cold-blooded murder, you are hereby sentenced to jail to serve out a maximum sentence of fifty years in prison. Because you have no previous records of violence or any such crimes, we may grant you the option of early parole once the court has reviewed your case again. Case dismissed.”
Andres screamed as he was dragged away. No one paid him any heed.
Andres swore that he would get back at those that had orchestrated this thing. They would all pay.
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Chapter 51
~24hrs~ Mateo sat hunched over in a leather chair, a glass of Grappa half-finished on the table beside him. His tailored black shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and his Sleek black hair hung in front of his eyes as he stared at the silent screen of his phone as if expecting a call. He rubbed his eyes hoping he didn't look as bad as he looked whenever he had sleepless nights. The silence broke suddenly with a sharp buzz. A name flashed across the screen: Elena. He answered without hesitation. "Well?" Mateo's voice was clipped, low, and impatient. On the other end, Elena sighed, tired but composed. "Still working on it." Mateo gritted his teeth. "Elena, you already have enough time.I need results, not excuses." "I'm not a magician,Mister. I'm really trying my best but you have to trust me." Mateo stood up abruptly, pacing the room. His bare feet padded across the cold wooden floor as he ran a hand through his hair. "You’ve got twenty-four hours? After that, I will fi
Chapter 50
~A Happy Day For Emily~ “My order is still not here.” Emily muttered bitterly, no matter how upset she was she was too weak to argue. “ All orders are cancelled.” A calm voice replied. The hunger and the annoyance she felt were her motivation to make herself a meal. It was almost dusk and she knew Gael would be home anytime soon. She rushed back to her room, tied up her hair, wore a more comfortable clothing and came back downstairs to the Kitchen without forgetting to put her headphones on. The next couple of minutes were filled with her focused on getting the perfect meal from chopping to stirring. The air was filled with the aroma of garlic, herbs, and something faintly sweet,perhaps the tomatoes she had roasted earlier. She was still focused on her cooking when she felt a hand slipped around her waist from behind. She let out a startled gasp, nearly dropping the wooden spoon in her hand. “Gael!” she exclaimed, her voice was a mix of surprise and relief. He chuckled,
Chapter 49
~Tense~ Back at Andrès mansion, Joyce leaned against the doorframe with her arms folded across her chest, quietly watching Andrès. The late afternoon sun spilled through the blinds in streaks, striping across the room and his sharp profile. He was seated at his desk, hunched over a pile of documents, scribbling something down with furrowed brows. His eyes looked so calm but there was something detached in it. For days, she had noticed it. The silence. The odd pauses. The fake smiles. She could tell something was definitely off. "You know," she started, her voice breaking the silence, "this is, like, the fourth time this week you skipped lunch. That’s a tragic behavior for someone who used to steal my fries." Andrès blinked up, caught off guard, then chuckled under his breath. "My bad. Guess I got caught up." Joyce stepped into the room, her heels making a soft thud on the marble floor. She circled the desk slowly, like a curious cat, her fingers brushing the edge. "Caught up?
Chapter 48
~Checkmate~ Andrès stepped out of his car and slammed the door harder than he intended. The wind hit his face as he looked out over the estate grounds, his jaw clenched too. Gael’s face wouldn’t leave his mind. He walked briskly into the mansion, ignoring the greetings from two guards at the door and went straight to the bar. He didn’t even turn on the lights. Instead, he grabbed a bottle of scotch, uncorked it, and poured a full glass. His hands trembled slightly as he raised it to his lips. "I should have buried him," Andrès muttered to himself. "I should have made sure." He tossed the drink back in one go, then slammed the empty glass down. The images in his head were too clear—Gael laughing, relaxed, shopping like his conscience was clean. Like he hadn’t stabbed Andrès in the back. The glass flew. It shattered against the wall, and silence followed. Footsteps. "What happened in here?" Joyce appeared at the door, arms folded. "I heard the crash." Andrès didn't answer immedi
Chapter 47
~More Than One Player~ The heavy gates of the estate closed behind Andres as his car eased into the driveway. The sun had dipped beneath the horizon, casting an orange hue across the grand mansion. He stepped out, his dark coat rustling with the evening breeze. There was a stiffness to his posture, the kind that came only when old memories refused to stay buried. Inside the house, silence was the first thing that greeted him. He loosened his tie and walked straight to the minibar, his mind replayed the face he had seen earlier that day. Gael. He poured himself a drink, the clink of the ice echoed in the room. He had been sure, absolutely sure it was Gael. The beard was gone, and he looked more filled out than before, but Andres would never forget that face. That smug, traitorous face. Gael had just exited a mall, shopping bags in hand, laughing as he slid into the passenger seat of a sleek black car. Living free. Living happily. The glass trembled in Andres' hand before he flu
Chapter 46
~Morano LaRosa~Inside a sleek, dimly lit office, the scent of expensive cigars lingered in the air. A heavy oak desk sat at the center of the room, stacks of files neatly arranged on top. The walls were lined with bookshelves, but the books were more for appearance than usage. In reality, this office belonged to a man who conducted most of his business in the shadows. Seated in a high-backed leather chair was Morano LaRosa, the CEO of LaRosa Enterprises—a name known in legal circles as a legitimate business empire, but in the underworld, it held a much darker reputation. His dark hair was slicked back, his facial expression was unreadable as he sat in a meeting with his senior staff. The door swung open without warning. A man in a black suit and dark shades stepped inside. He walked with confidence that surprised Morano. The man exuded authority and power. The room instantly fell silent. Morano barely glanced up when he barked orders. “Out. Now.” The staff members hesitate
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