Against All Odds

CHAPTER 3

Note: Before reading, I just wanted to let you know that words inside quotation marks ("sample") mean they are being said verbally. While italicized words inside quotation marks ("sample") are being said in their minds or thoughts. This will apply to the entirety of the book. Happy reading!

Trigger Warning! Guns and Shooting are mentioned in this chapter.

Astrid Una Diana Fournier

"Why the f**k won't you wake up, Maximillian Perceval Blaise? You are killing me in that state of yours." She sighed, she sat on his bedside and held his hand.

"You got shot by a handgun in your lower stomach and you pass out like that. You took something worse before and f*****g laughed it out." She sighed again, frustration visible on her face.

Maximillian opened his eyes as he awoke from the noise made by Astrid's complaints. "I got shot by a gun and you treat me like that? Are we even best friends at this point? DID YOU SHOOT ME?" He answered jokingly.

"You're awake! Are you okay?" Astrid's complaints turned into concerns.

"I'm fine." He sighed and whispered. "All I want right now is to find out who did this and why this happened." He looked at Astrid, "I just wanna sleep, Astrid. If you want, you can sleep beside me. I'll scoot over." He said before closing his eyes.

Astrid didn't mind sleeping beside Max, in fact, it made her feel better about his situation. She wanted to find out who did this and why. Her connections from empire to empire could make all of this easy, or so she thought.

When the morning came, Astrid realized how deep her sleep was. She was surprised to see herself alone in bed. "Where the f**k is Max now..." She got up, and hurriedly went home without trying to find Max to say goodbye. She kept thinking of who could do this to him at his own home.

As she drove off, she saw some type of shadow leave Max's garage. Her eyes widened but her mind couldn't process any possible suspect. She couldn't just let what she saw go, so she drove off behind his house, the way the shadow went. She turned off her car and quietly walked behind the bushes to avoid getting caught.

"This is crazy." All she saw was Antoni and Max's rival's secretary, Lana, making out at the back of his garage. "This cannot be possible. It can't be Antoni, right?" She thought and walked off to her car.

As soon as she got home, she called her assistant to tell her to run the records of Antoni and Luna. She wanted to make sure that no matter how dirty the work circulates in their world and rivalries, betrayal to one's empire is avoided at all cost.

While waiting for the records, she went to her armory and picked up weapons and suits that could protect her discreetly while she finds out who did this to Maximillian. She doesn't plan on letting anyone know of her little detective mission, not even Max. She was startled to see Antoni by the door, so she quickly picked up the nearest gun she could get ahold of and quickly pointed it at him.

"Why are you here, Antoni? Step back and put your hands where I can see them." She threatened.

He put his hands up in the air just to see him holding a red envelope. "Hey, hey, se calmer (calm down). Perceval told me to give this to you. I'm not so sure what it is." he laughed and handed the envelope to Astrid.

"Anything else? If there's none, then go away, now." She put the gun down and calmed down as he slowly walked away while chuckling. "What could this be?" she thought.

She quickly took all her needed equipment back to her room and prepared it for later use. She sat down and remembered the envelope Maximillian had delivered for her. She opened it and was surprised to see a handwritten letter. "This is so not Maximillian... What is up with him today? He left me alone and now he sends me a handwritten letter?" She wondered.

- Beginning of Letter -

Dear Diana, My dearest,

It is my hope that this letter finds you with a smile on your face and a heart full of joy. There's something special about our friendship that fills my days with warmth and happiness, and I wanted to take a moment to express how much you mean to me. So here goes, Astrid.

I want you to know that you are an incredible person, inside and out. You shine in a world that sometimes feels dark with your kindness, compassion and genuine nature. Your smile has the power to light up the darkest of days. Your laughter is like music to my ears. I feel incredibly lucky to have you by my side, to share both the big adventures and the small moments that make up our lives.

You've seen me at my best and at my worst, and yet you've never judged me. You've been there through the ups and downs, offering a listening ear, a shoulder to lean on and unwavering support. I can always count on you for comfort and understanding, and for that I am eternally grateful.

In a world that often rushes by, our friendship is a constant, a beautiful anchor that grounds me. We've made countless memories together, from the silly inside jokes to the heartfelt conversations that have shaped the bond between us. And I cherish each and every one of those moments and hold them close to my heart.

So, dear Diana, thank you for being the most incredible friend anyone could ever ask for. You bring so much joy, love and laughter into my life and I am so grateful. Thank you as well for staying by my side while I recover from this stupid wound. You make wounds less painful, and stress less discouraging. Because of this, I would like to take you to your dream destination. I already took care of your schedule, so pack your bags and be ready. I assure you Amsterdam is ready to see your beauty. Je t'aime, Astrid. (I love you, Astrid.)

With love and friendship,

Max

- End of Letter -

Astrid couldn't help but feel excited about finally going to her dream destination. Her hectic schedule keeps her from traveling for the purpose of leisure, so this trip is about to boost her mood. Because of this, she decided to carry out her little mission by night fall. The records of Antoni and Lana were ready so she checked for unusual contents she might use to question their innocence. And voilà, she saw nothing. "Damn it." as she rolled her eyes in disappointment.

Astrid called her trusted affiliates to find any possible suspects who might've hurt Max. She asked them to hack into the nearby CCTVs and breach the system of Maximillian's rival in order to see confidential information and conversations. She put a lot of money into this. That's why her affiliates didn't hesitate to fulfil her requests, even if it took them days.

As her workers worked inside the system, she took physical matters into her own hands. When night fall came, she has prepared a hiding spot near Max's house in case someone tries to break in once again, since the initial homicide failed.

An hour passed by and there were no unusual movements, not until she heard distant footsteps on Max's roof. She hurriedly went to a spot where the suspect was very visible. But a silenced gunshot passed by her ear.

"Well, I'd be damned." Were her few last words before she passed out on the side walk.

A few minutes went by and Astrid felt her face being poked. "Antoni?! What are you doing? Am I shot? Am I bleeding?" She stood up quickly and cleaned herself up from the dirt stuck on her suit from her fall.

"Well, I should be the one asking you why you're here, Ms. Astrid." he winked.

"I am here to find out who shot Max. I just can't let this s**t pass by without taking down this person. I swear I will kill that person with my own hand." She answered, while checking if she got hurt.

"Well, guess what, Astrid? I am here to kill the man who shot Perceval. And there he lies." He laughed.

"What are you even laughing about? You almost killed me with your gun. Do you even realize what you did-" Her words interrupted when Antoni laughed again. She just looked at him with annoyance evident on her face.

"I just saved your life, Astrid. Look behind you." Antoni pointed.

"What?" She slowly turned her head out of disbelief.

Astrid faced the body lying on the sidewalk behind her and was taken aback when she realized who it was.

"Are you being for real right now?" She screamed in disbelief.