Chapter 4
1448 Words
One of Richard’s guards hurriedly entered the room, his face tight with worries.
“Commander Sir. We have a situation and an urgent one.”
Richard stood quickly. “What is it, Sargent?”
He hesitated for a moment. “Sir, you asked us to track any communication from Kelly’s team regarding Lady Rose, We just got a leak.”
Richard’s eyes widened. “Quickly Speak now.”
“ The link you inputted on the system…We track the communication and it shows an intercepted call between Kelly and someone named Bar Max. He has been feeding him information and it seems they have also been meeting. All information—from Rose’s movements to her plans of going to court.
Rose's chest tightened. “Max…? He’s My best lawyer, more of a family friend?”
“Hmm it seems he's not,” the guard said coldly.
Richard gazed at Rose, his face unreadable. “That means he knew you were coming yesterday at that time. He quickly set the ambush to eliminate you.”
She shook her head in disbelief….. “N.No… Max wouldn’t do such… He couldn’t be Max.”
Believe it because he already did,” Richard sneered.
She sat rigidly on the side of Richard’s big bed, Rose's fingers tangled tightly in her legs. She was so worried—Max, her father trusted him so much and he was the one who handled every legal paper for her family for God knows how long, he had sold her out. People aren't to be trusted, the betrayal burned worse than Kelly’s evil. Rose could barely process it.
“Oh I..I trusted him so much,” she muttered. “He was not only their lawyer but she knew him to be her father’s friend too. Max was the one who handled the transition…the will...after her parent's deaths. Oh God…If he’s compromised, Richard, that means everything he touched could be fake and it means I'm finished…..”
Richard paced before her like a lion trapped in a cage of doom. “Yes Rose, that's exactly what I’m worried about. Max may have altered more than documents. What if he had tampered with the original succession will? Oh hell no.., that means your entire inheritance could be buried under legal lies conspired by them.”
Her entire body went weak. Another terrible betrayal from someone she trusted, someone she thought was still loyal in this wicked world she found herself. Rose's knees trembled as she tried to stand upright.
Richard quickly caught her….. please put yourself together… “We’ll deal with him, Rose.”
Rose wasn’t listening, unexplainable rage sparked in her eyes.
“Richard, Bar Max gave me away,” she said silently.
“I need proof,” Rose said fiercely. “We have to expose him, we need to stop him.”
He nodded. “And we will Rose.”
Then he turned back to his guard, “Now send the files to my secure drive immediately and prepare the plane right away. We need to get out tonight, any delay could get her killed.”
“Ok, sir.”
Immediately the guard left the room, she turned to Richard... “Hold on…you said ‘we...’ Do you mean you are coming with me?”
Richard responded. “Yes, I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”
Rose felt the fire inside her flare again…not just anger this time, but something stronger. Something she was scared to admit…was it love?
Richard brushed her cheek with his fingers. “Rose… I need to tell you something important before anything.”
Rose looked up at him. “Please speak Richard, What is it…?”
Richard stared directly into her eyes… “Rose, you deserve to know the whole truth about Kelly and about… me too.”
She quickly adjusted, her heart beating fast…” What are you talking about?”
“I..I’ve known Kelly for years,” Richard said finally…. “and I didn’t just meet you by chance that night on the road.”
Her pulse raises as she tries to catch her breath…. W..what…?”
“I.I was sent to find you, Rose…Sent by someone who knew your life wasn't safe with Kelly. I don't want to keep the truth from you…
And before Rose could speak and ask him questions, the door to the room slammed open.
Immediately another guard rushed into the room… “Boss—Kelly just filed a motion with the court right now. Kelly is claiming Rose is mentally unstable… and demanding full control of her remaining assets….”
He's such a crock Richard murmured..That bastard, he just declared war,” Rose whispered her hands shaking.
Richard stared at her with sympathy on his face, don't worry My lady…
She then turned toward the window, the sky growing dark beyond the cloud.“I hope he’s ready for the storm I’m bringing to his doorstep”
Richard shook his head. “We will deal with him…B..but Rose not now when you’re vulnerable…. I believe Kelly’s trying to corner you legally now and claiming you’re mentally unstable is for a reason bigger than just your assets and If the court takes sides with him, they can strip you of everything—including the baby when the child is born….”
She flinched, breath stuck in her throat, then she placed her hands instinctively on her stomach.
“Over my dead body will I let that happen,” she said, with a firm voice. “That bastard took everything from me, I will never let him take this child too.”
He gazed at her. “so… we don’t have much time Rose. If Kelly is filing this motion in court, he’ll try to serve it in person..to force a fair hearing and trap you publicly... It all means he’s smarter than we think.”
Chill snaked up Rose’s spine cord. “Do you think he knows where I am right now…?”
“I. I think someone else told him,” Richard said. “Maybe there's another spy.”
“N..no… no, that can’t be possible.”
Deep inside, Rose knew he was probably correct…but who was the mole?
Just then, Richard’s phone buzzed. He picked it up, his eyes scanning the text. “Oh damn it. It seems there’s movement at the courthouse already. Bar..Max is scheduled to testify on Kelly’s behalf in the court tomorrow.”
“What…is that not too fast?” She inhaled. “It means this motion has been in the works for days...”
His jaw tightened. Kelly is doing everything to trap you before we can take action.”
“Ok, Let me go to the court myself,” at least show them I'm not insane as Kelly claims. She responded.
He faces her sharply. “Rose no, you and I know that’s dangerous.”
“Richard, please understand that I can’t run forever. And at some point, I have to take a stand and do something.”
“Yes I know but for now you’re not strong enough yet for that. You should understand that if you show up without evidence, it is like you are walking directly into Kelly’s trap.”
“I.I f*****g don’t care. Richard, I can't just sit and do nothing, and let him erase me like I never existed like I'm nothing.”
He moved toward her, gripping her arms gently but tightly. “Rose, listen to me, please. I know how badly you want to fight and take back that which is yours and it's normal. But remember battles are not won on emotion or running into the enemy's war front. They’re winning strategies. So let me handle Max and the court first. I do have a contact at the court…someone in the judicial review board base. If I can reach her before the hearing, we can stop the court proceedings.”
“What if you can’t Richard?”
He didn’t respond.
But the silence was more than words.
She drew in a warm breath. “Fine. Let your way be…for now but.”
Richard's hands lingered on her wrist, eyes boring into hers passionately. “He smiled. Thank you Rose.”
Rose looked away for a second, biting her lip top. Suddenly she turned towards him “Richard… earlier, you said you didn’t meet me by accident on the road...”
Richard's expression darkened. “Yes.”
“And you said someone sent you to reach out to me. If I may ask, please Who?”
His eyes remained on her, and he exhaled. “It was your father.”
She was shocked “Excuse me…w..what?”
- Writer
