CHAPTER 119
Alicia pulled up a chair, coming closer. She looked at Brittany's face, which looked like it was in pain with a Band-Aid covering her head. Now and then Brittany blinked her eyes, so she could see further than the view she was now seeing.
"Kevin and I... fought."
Brittany's soft voice drew Alicia's attention. Alicia grasped her best friend's hand, she looked at her intensely and her ears listened carefully.
"But that incident... I saw Kevin having an affair, Alicia," Brittany continued. The girl swallowed, struggling to form the words to tell her story. "I wanted to take his cell phone, but he wouldn't let me do it. And all of a sudden, Kevin slammed the steering wheel to the side of the road."
"I saw that you were badly hurt, Britt. But Kevin..."
"Is he okay?"
Alicia nodded her head, then continued to explain. "Did Kevin drive the car into the tree?" Brittany nodded her head in agreement. "Kevin... accidentally hit the tree and aimed it at your seat, didn't he?"
Again, Brittany nodded in agreement.
Alicia's intuition was becoming more and more evident.
Alicia's mind raced, trying to put together the shattered pieces of the conversation. Kevin, Brittany's boyfriend, was having a secret affair, causing the rift that led to this terrible accident. She took a deep breath, calmed the storm inside her, and focused on Brittany, who looked fragile yet resolute.
"I'm here for you, Britt. We'll get through this," Alicia promised, her voice remaining calm in spite of the emotions inside her.
The hospital room was silent, broken only by the rhythmic beeping of monitors. Brittany's eyes pleaded for understanding and support, and Alicia sensed something more to this devastating reveal.
"It looks like Kevin has evil intentions for you."
Brittany didn't immediately agree. The girl seemed to be lost in her thoughts. She thought back to Kevin's seemingly different attitude over the past few days. There was something strange about Kevin and it happened after Kevin met Alicia.
But Brittany had doubts, should she tell Alicia? What if Alicia took offense to her words?
"Britt?"
Alicia felt the weight of Brittany's unspoken words hang in the air. She approached, a mixture of concern and determination etched on her face. "Britt, you can tell me anything. I'm here to help, no matter what."
Brittany hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. "It's just... after Kevin met you, he started acting weird. Keeping secrets, calling when he thought I wasn't listening. I've told him off, but he brushes it off, and he says that I shouldn't think about things that aren't important."
"After meeting me? You mean... at your farewell, Britt?"
"Yes, Alicia."
Alicia's mind was spinning, connecting dots she had never thought of before. "Britt, I think there's more to this than we know. Whatever it is, we'll face it together. But we have to find out what Kevin is hiding. He looks suspicious, and I think that's bad for you."
Brittany's eyes widened with worry. "What if it's dangerous? I've never seen Kevin act this weird."
Alicia's determination grew stronger. "We will tread carefully. But we can't let fear stop us from uncovering the truth."
Brittany swallowed again, her throat completely dry. It was lucky that Brittany could still wake up and see Alicia there, at least she had told her about Kevin's strange behavior.
"Can... you not judge him, Alicia?" Brittany bit her lip, afraid that Alicia would take offense to her request. "After all, I've spent many years with Kevin. I think Kevin's strange behavior is a bad sign."
The room was tense as Brittany's plea hung in the air. Alicia's gaze softened, understanding the complexity of the emotions at play. "I'm not going to judge him, Brittany. But I need to help you think this through, for both of your sakes."
They sat in silence for a moment, contemplating their next move. Alicia, known for her determination, had already planned their investigation. "Let's start by observing without making Kevin feel pressured. Maybe we'll find something that will explain what's going on."
Brittany nodded, grateful for Alicia's support. "Thank you, Alicia. I'm scared, but I trust you. I just want everything to go back to normal."
Alicia spread her arms, trying to embrace Brittany's body, which seemed to be struggling to move. Brittany could be heard wincing in pain, the wounds on her body still feeling very painful.
Brittany gasped as Alicia's arms embraced her, the gentle embrace paired with the pain etched into her body. Despite the physical pain, Brittany tried to hold herself together, unwilling to give in to her torture.
"Alicia," Brittany's voice trembled, "I don't know how much longer I can hide this. The bruises, the fear... I couldn't let Kevin see it. Not with that weird, horrible attitude of his."
Alicia pulled away, her expression a mix of concern and determination. "Brittany, you don't have to hide this. We'll find a way out, together. But first, we have to uncover the truth. I will support you every step of the way."
Determined not to let fear get the better of them, Alicia guided Brittany to a nearby couch, helping her settle into a comfortable position. "Let's start by documenting everything. Dates, events, anything that can help us organize it." Alicia snapped her fingers in the air, "We'll start thinking about it once you feel better about the injuries."
Brittany nodded weakly, her mind racing with memories of Kevin's subtle threats and manipulative tactics. "I still can't believe he's not who I thought he was, Alicia. I just want to free myself from this nightmare." Kevin has really turned into someone else and he's... scary."
Alicia grasped Brittany's hand firmly. "We're going to do it, Brittany. We're going to unmask him and make sure he never hurts you again." With determination in her eyes, Alicia reached for her cell phone, dialed a number. "I'll let Nicholas know, he also came and stayed with you last night. I think he'll be happy to hear that you're awake today. Just a moment."
CHAPTER 120Kevin sits with Hailey and Louis at the dining table. A variety of food was available there, including salads, sandwiches, steaks and fresh fruits that had just been served by the maid in the house.The food looked good, although the atmosphere between them suddenly turned uncomfortable. The usual small talk that Louis used to make to Kevin, asking how he was doing in college or how his experiments were progressing, was nowhere to be heard.Everything was hidden behind an awkward silence. They were all silent, staring at each other, letting the aroma of food waft into their nostrils without them eating at all.It wasn't until five minutes later that Louis cleared his throat and opened the conversation. "Kevin, let's talk."Kevin's face lifted. He looked up at his father who was sitting at the dining table dressed all in brown, with a relaxed gaze. His face showed no remorse or guilt."Is it true that you caused the accident that night?" Louis was to the point.And the youn
CHAPTER 121Dr. Benneth entered the room and began to examine Brittany. Alicia, who had just finished cleaning herself, entered the room and greeted Dr. Benneth with a nurse named Christine. Alicia put her hands in her pockets when she came face to face with Dr. Benneth and after Dr. Benneth finished with the notes in his hand, he greeted Alicia."Did you just finish your breakfast, Ms. Alicia?"Dr. Benneth accepted Alicia's identity as Brittany's guardian because Brittany's parents were out of the country and would be returning to New York later that evening. Alicia was fine with the paperwork and everything, as long as she could confirm for herself that Brittany was okay.Alicia nodded, agreeing with the doctor's question. "Yes, Doc. How is Brittany doing, by the way?"The man in the white coat muttered under his breath. He looked at Brittany who was also looking at him curiously.Dr. Benneth glanced at Alicia before turning his attention back to Brittany. He adjusted his glasses an
CHAPTER 122As Alicia prepared to leave, Brittany's weak voice stopped her. "One more thing, Alicia. Be careful who you trust. Not everyone is who they seem.""What do you mean, is this about Kevin?"And Brittany nodded in agreement.Alicia's small smile was there. "You don't have to worry. I'll keep you safe from him."Alicia's mind was filled with questions, but before she could answer, the door creaked open, and Kevin stepped inside, a mix of concern and determination etched on his face.Alicia and Brittany were equally surprised there. They hadn't expected Kevin to come to see Brittany at all. See, he didn't even seem to feel guilty at all after the accident. Kevin stood in the center of the room in a short gray shirt and fancy black pants. He's clutching a fresh bunch of red roses that seem to match his formal style. And a smile, etched on Kevin's lips."Hello, Britt. Haven't seen you in a while.""What are you doing here?!" Brittany held back her anger, while Alicia was still sc
CHAPTER 123Nicholas had just finished parking his car in the hospital parking lot. He looked much better today and the wound on his leg was getting better. While reflecting in the rearview mirror, Nicholas also gelled his hair, making sure that the direction of his hair still looked good and that it made him cool.He got out of the car after grabbing a package of fresh fruits from the passenger seat. All that fruit to cheer Brittany up. Because there's nothing better than hearing the news that your family has woken up from a moment of death. Nicholas then walked towards the hospitalization room that Brittany used. He had a confident look on his face as he walked through the hallways.The hospital was busy in the morning, as they were about to open their outpatient services and various other medical treatments for patients. But Nicholas' focus did not change. He didn't have to limp anymore, his legs were much better. And when he opened the door to Brittany's room, the eager expression
CHAPTER 124"I brought you some fruit."Nicholas placed the bouquet of fresh fruit from the nearby shop on the table, next to the few items Brittany had stored there. The heated atmosphere made the people in the room reluctant to comment. Especially Alicia and Brittany. They seemed to be trapped in a confused silence ever since Kevin had left the room.There was nothing Nicholas could do but mediate between the two women who both kept their mouths shut. He cleared his throat softly. "Uhm, anyway... you guys should stop keeping your mouths shut and start talking to each other." The smile on Nicholas' gray lips rose to warm the atmosphere. He did not want the two women before him to get into a cold war. "Alright, I'll start first. So... Kevin came to see Brittany, he brought her a huge bouquet of red roses and well, it was nice for the view, but why do you three suddenly seem to be caught in a complicated love triangle?"Silence was still the answer to Nicholas' question. They both kept
CHAPTER 125"I'm going to go check on Ace's case, but you don't have to worry because I brought a policeman to look after Brittany here," Noel explained.And Brittany nodded in agreement. She looked at everyone and explained, "My parents will also be here later tonight. I think I'll be fine. You guys just focus on finding evidence or anything that can help me get out of this accident."Nicholas nodded. He waved and said goodbye, before taking Alicia away with him. The two of them then drove home in a car driven by Nicholas."This is for you," Nicholas said, handing Alicia a plastic bag of sandwiches. Playing with his eyebrows up and down, Nicholas smiled happily. "I told you that I would buy these sandwiches again, didn't I?""Tsk, gosh, Nic." Alicia accepted the sandwich and they had breakfast together in the car.After finishing the sandwich in less than ten minutes, Nicholas started the engine and drove away from the hospital. Alicia fastened her seatbelt and looked through the car
CHAPTER 126"Ace, we've been over for a long time. What more do you want?""Us. You and me.""That. Is. Impossible!"At the emphasis from Alicia, Ace grew furious. He lunged at Alicia, causing her to stumble away from Nicholas, who was still unconscious on the floor. Alicia tried to crawl away from Ace, but he persisted. He grabbed Alicia's arm and dragged her out of the flat. Despite Alicia's efforts, she managed to free herself and stood up.Their eyes locked, but Alicia no longer saw the Ace she once knew. She caught her breath and hastily ran to the kitchen, searching for a way to protect herself from Ace.Ace rolled his eyes lazily and walked after Alicia casually, as if his prey wouldn't escape. Alicia found herself cornered, and as a last resort, she pulled a knife from the rack and pointed it at Ace."Stop right there, or I'll kill you, Ace."The taller man tilted his head, observing Alicia's trembling grip on the knife as if she were a cold-blooded killer. With a condescendin
CHAPTER 127Nicholas tightened his grip on the shard, sweat dripping down his face as he assessed Ace's every move. With quick movements, Ace charged, aiming to strip Nicholas of his weapon, but Nicholas spun around, out of Ace's reach."You're not as smart as you think you are," Nicholas retorted, his voice remaining calm despite the rush of adrenaline.Ace was about to attack again when suddenly the sound of a car roaring outside made him stop. Everyone looked to the source of the sound. And this made Ace change his plans. He ran away and made Nicholas turn around. When Nicholas wanted to chase, Ace kicked the wound on Nicholas' leg accidentally and made the man fall to the floor."Asshole!"A smirk appeared on Ace's lips, he snorted and said, "Our business is not done yet." and he looked at Alicia who was still standing frightened back there. "I'll pick you up soon, Alicia. Don't worry.""Asshole! Where are you going?"But Ace ignored Nicholas' words and ran away from the side door