CHAPTER 22

The following day, Adriana was able to drag her sister out in the evening. Evangeline had been about turning in for the night ,even though it was barely six in the evening. She was feeling sleepy these days. Her sister had noted how much she eats and sleeps. When she complained to Adriana about it, she had said it was all part of being pregnant.

But this evening, Ad had scolded her, saying it was too early to be that way. So, it was a surprise when she said sleeping this early was so wrong. She then gave her pep talk on why she should resist sleep and go for a stroll. A stroll when she wasn't even two weeks gone. Imagine! Still, being the first time pregnant woman, she listened to the voice of reason and followed her out. The twins had hopped into the car, too, but Noah dragged them out, insisting he had a chore for them. The twins grumbled but went with their dad.

"Okay, you guys are weird." Evan said to her sister. "They want to come. Let them."

"I can't handle their excesses. Moreover, they stay with me all day when Noah travels. When he's home, I let him have at them. That way, they can catch up on the lost time. It's cool for both of us." She adjusted her seat belt then leaned over to help Evan with hers.

Evan slapped her hand away. "I can do my seat belt, mother." She teased, "You've been acting all mother hen around me. Back off."

Her sister threw her hands off in mock surrender and started the car. "Now, where do we go?"

"Let's eat." Evan said excitedly. The thought of food already making her feel excited.

Perfect! "Let's go to the Kicks." She started the car. The drive to the restaurant where Jason was waiting was long. But it had to be there. He had called earlier to say that he was there already. That was when she had noticed her sister about to go to bed so early.

"Why are we going so far away? Are you trying to make me lose my appetite too?" She started to complain after a long drive.

"No. Here, we're there already." She swerved the car into the restaurant's parking space and turned off the engine. As they walked in, a waitress took their coats and hung them on the hanger while another showed them to a table. Jason Valdez spotted them instantly. He waved.

Adriana smiled widely. "Oh, fancy running into you here." She said, deliberately stressing about their meeting being coincidental.

Evan looked at her, acting weird and knew instantly that this was planned. "You conniving ..."

"Watch it." Adriana cautioned. "You can spend the night outside if you make me angry."

"See why I insisted on getting my own space." She lamented and eyed her as Jason came to their table.

"I should take my leave now. Noah just texted. The twins are a handful. I should go home."

"Don't you dare leave me with him." Evan muttered under her breathe. Jason was already at their table. He sat down on the seat Adriana had pulled out. She told him she had to leave for something urgent. "Ad." Evan called again through gritted teeth

"I'm worried about how she's going to get home. I drove us here."

"Not to worry. I'll get her home and safe." Jason promised her.

"Oh, thank you." She said, kissed her sister who was pouting, then whisper. "Be nice." And she was gone.

In between sitting and trying to get her sister not to leave, Jason had ordered some wine and appetizers. The waiter brought the order and began to set the table. "Would you like to order the main course now?" He asked, looking at Evan. She nodded, not sure what she should order yet. The appetizers would jumpstart that. Maybe she would be able to work up something she craved after these. "Bon appetite." He said and left them to it.

The moment they were alone, Jason greeted her. "Hey."

She didn't bother looking at him, "Hello." She replied and stuffed her mouth with the sweet cake on the table. It was lovely, so she reached for another and another, forgetting she wasn't alone. Then she ate the broccoli and meatballs.

Jason watched her eat. Her appetite was infectious. He immediately signaled the waiter and asked him to bring his order. He had placed his order before she came in with her sister, and from what he remembered, she was going to love this. Evan continued to eat and had finished all the appetizers in less than a minute. Done, she lifted her head. Embarrassment made her blush. "I'm sorry. I totally forgot it wasn't for me alone." She apologized.

His smile made her more embarrassed. "It's okay. I had my fill earlier too. I loved them. It's why I asked him for another."

"So, they were mine."

"Yes. Would you eat now? I ordered while you were eating."

"I didn't see anyone here." She started to say, then remembered he had been here a while. "Before we came in."

The waiter brought over their food. Fettuccine Carbonara served with chicken and mushroom Ravioli and tomato sauce.

"I hope you don't mind Italian?"

"No." She said, already going for the cutlery. She ate enthusiastically for a while. And he watched her eat. Satisfied, she relaxed back to notice he had barely touched his. "Why?" She asked, then nodded at his plate when he looked confused.

"I dunno. Watching you stole my appetite." He joked.

"Then let me remedy that. Eat while I watch."

Laughing, he started to eat. She continued her meal too. They ate in total silence. Jason waited for the table to be cleared before saying anything. "I haven't congratulated you...."

"Us." She corrected. "We are going to be parents."

"Congratulations to us then." He said, raising his glass. She picked hers, clinked with his and took a sip. "Should you be drinking?"

"I checked. It's safe."

"I intentionally ordered it. Zero alcohol."

She relaxed back in her seat and eyed him warily, "From the long silence, one would think you haven't been paying attention."

"Oh, I have. And I am so sorry for staying away."

"I get it." She dismissed casually even though she didn't get it. Sudden rain patter made her look up. "Rain?"

"So it seems."

"We should head home. It's late already." She said, standing up. He stood up too and called his driver to bring the car around while he sorted the bill. As they stepped out, both turned back in. This wasn't any rain patter. It was heavy rain. Sighing, she went back to sit down while Jason told his driver to hold on. "I wanted a boy." She said suddenly. "Doctor Tom says we're having a boy. But then again, who knows?"

"I don't mind any. I just want a child. My own." Jason replied her sincerely.

"I want you in his life, like his father. I don't think I want all this silence and distances. I don't think I can cope with that."

"I will be in his life. I promise. I'm sorry for not calling earlier. I was overwhelmed by it all. It was something Ellen, and I wanted for years. And we do now...easily too."

She nodded. Her sister had said that could be the reason for his not being involved. She rubbed her stomach casually, longing for the bump to be visible. Aside from sleeping and eating much, nothing seems to have changed. Both sat in companionable silence, waiting for the rain to stop. Other customers were becoming restless too.

"Do you think we can head out too?" She asked, seeing they were the only ones left. He nodded, and they both stepped out. But the rain wasn't easing up. "Adriana's house is quite far from here." she yelled so he could hear her.

"Mine is closer. We should go there so you don't catch a cold." He said and called his driver to bring the car over. They hopped into the car, and he offered her a handkerchief his driver had passed him to clean off while the car zoomed off in the rain. The driver had to make quick stops here and there in the flooded area until they were in Jason's house. Once in, the driver stepped down with an umbrella and helped Evan into the house while Jason ignored his order to get him an umbrella.

"Warm tea, please." Jason called to Cora, the chef. In few minutes, the tea was served while they had both managed to get out of their wet clothes. Evan took the tea thankfully and slowly sipped. She was warm immediately. Jason came in to announce her room was ready.

"I need to call Adriana."

"Already sorted out. I called her when I went to get your room ready" He walked her to the room. It was a master suite-his room. The room was linked to another room painted in white. From what she saw, it looked very feminine. It was Ellen's.

"Is this yours?" She asked, looking back at him.

"Yes. This room is the only one adjourning to the other room. I thought it would be better in case you need help with anything at night. The guest rooms are downstairs. Too far for me to get to you quickly."

"Well then, will you be comfortable in the other room? I'd hate to...."

"It's fine." He said, "I left a nightdress for you." He saw the concerned look on her face. "No, it's new." He clarified. "All Ellen's clothes have been moved to the guest room by her sister immediately after the funeral."

"I didn't mean any offence." She pleaded

"None taken." He started to leave. "I'll be in the other room. Just call if you need anything."

"Okay. Good night."

"Night." He responded and gently closed the door.

Evangeline changed into night clothe and went to bed. She was so tired she was soundly asleep the instant she hit the bed. The rain continued to fall heavily then the torrent started to reduce. Evangeline thought she heard a sound. She jerked awake instantly. Something wasn't right. Something cold held her hands.

Scared, she tried to withdraw her hands. The room was so dark. "So dark." She murmured. Whatever held her hands pressed tighter, forcing her to open her eyes. "Ellen?" she called the dark hooded creature sitting beside her bed. "Ellen." She whispered. The creature was saying something. Evan moved closer to catch what she was saying, "Ellen." She whispered again, trying to tell her to speak louder. It was freezing. Evan shivered at the coldness.

Jason walked into the room to find Evangeline sitting up and shivering. The bed cover had dropped, and she was muttering his late wife's name. Strange, he thought, stepping into the room. He moved to the bed and sat down with her. Gently he made her lie back down and covered her up. She was so cold. She shivered again.

"Shh, it's only a dream." He cooed. Feeling the warmth radiating from him, Evan held him and curled over him while she drifted off to sleep. He was trapped beneath her. He shifted until he found a comfortable position and so dozed off too.

The next morning, Evan woke up to find herself curled over Jason. She stood up immediately, almost tripping backwards. Jason caught her hand. "It's okay." He told while trying to get himself up. "Good morning."

"I'm sorry to ...."

"I told you, it's okay." He said, gently rubbing her hand.

Suddenly feeling warm on the spot he rubbed, she withdrew her hand. "Let me wash up and get home."

"Audrey called while you were asleep. She says she's left you a message. You have an urgent meeting scheduled for this morning. So, I think you should bathe and get dressed here. My jet will take you. I'll be with you all through the meeting and get you back in Miami in no time."

Evangeline sighed, "I didn't know about schedule any meeting. Who could it be?"

"Your PA said it was a last-minute schedule she had missed last week. The meeting is in 5hours." He said, looking at the time. "You barely have time. Cora is fetching breakfast."

"I still need to get my cloth." She realized

"I got you a dress." He pointed to the hanger. A curvy wine colored jewel-neck gown hung in an exotic way on the hanger.

She went over to touch the fluffy material. "But you couldn't move." She pointed out, remembering how he had been trapped underneath her.

"My PA is on speed dial." Then, raising his voice, He said. "Spence, where is James now?" His android replied instantly that the PI was standing right in the living room.

"Okay..." Evan noted.

"He called James for me, and I did everything from here." He explained further. "You should bath. He said, leaving the room, "I'll be right back."

While she dressed, Evan wondered who it could be that wanted a face time so urgently. Then why was Jason staying with her again? She showered fast and dressed up. Aside from the cloth, he had gotten her favorites body spray; Deja, underwear and some slip-on.

"Detailed." She noted and was in time to see him seated at the dining. He was dressed in white pant with a black dotted shirt. He looked every bit of a billionaire. Her gaze fell on his shiny black shoe. "Nicey." She commented.

"Thank you. You look breathtaking in that." His gaze slowly rolled down her body in the most appraising way. Evangeline felt her face heat up.

"Thank you. It's a perfect fit." She loved the way the material clung to her body. They both settled down to eat. Breakfast was a simple dish of Parmesan Pasta, Bacon and Broccoli. They ate and were ready to leave.

"Shall we?" He said while taking her to the plane pad at his rooftop. The pilot was already waiting. They stepped in, fastened their belt and were on air.

$CHAPTER

CHAPTER 23

Mrs. Swiss stared at the file the company's Private Investigator just tendered to her in utter shock. If she was reading this right, something was wrong. The numbers didn't add up. She had suspected something wasn't right for a while now and had an external auditor look into the company's financial record.

He confirmed her suspicion. A huge amount of money was being moved from the law firm every month. But to where? The paper trail was cold. Everything was done in a clean and untraceable cut. Whoever was moving the money was smart in not using the bank. That could easily be tracked. The money was being moved the old way, in cool, minty cash. It was impressive! What was more shocking, being the fact that this had been happening for close to five years and no one had suspected a thing? In the books, the account was balanced, but in the actual bank details, it didn't tally.

"Are you sure of this?" She asked the young man again, who stood a few feet away from her. He was dressed in all black and a bullet vest on his chest. Though he looked mean and intimidating, his stance right now looked sober. He, like Mrs. Swiss and every other management member, were as guilty as anything for failing not to notice this.

Standing straighter he confirmed. "Yes, ma'am."

"Then till we have someone and the evidence is solid, this stays between us." She warned him, "Not even Adriana must be told. Clear?"

"Absolutely."

"You may leave." She dismissed him. The young man left her office, leaving her to ponder about her situation. She adjusted her crested top and removed her suit, feeling a bit too clothed. Who could be doing this? Her husband had always believed the answers lies in following the money trail. She was going to trust him with this and follow the money. But how does one follow the money being moved without any valid trial? She wasn't sure this was what he meant when he said to follow the money trail. But it had to be.

Picking up her phone, she stood up to pair at the mapped wallpaper of her office, a view of the suburb of Miami. She traced a line up the map as she dialed a number she hadn't called in a while. It was safer now to call.

The calls were no longer being monitored. The company's team had done a thorough swipe of the whole place some years back. Robert had been right about that. The moment he was out of the picture, the threats, the phone tap, everything stopped. But to be safe, she had asked the team to swipe the place again. "I think we have a big problem, husband." She said,

"You said when the money trail begins, I'll know it's time. Well, I believe it's begun a while back."

Audrey sat down in dismay when she discovered she had made a terrible mistake. The meeting she had called her boss for wasn't with an investor. It was Logan Thames who walked in and sat down in the reception. She eyed him warily and asked again if he was there ten 0'clock. When he confirmed it, she went into the room farther from him to call her boss.

Everyone read the gist on the internet, and though Evan hadn't said anything to her, as her PA, she knew Logan would be the last person her boss wanted to see. The man was caught pant down with her best friend. The lame trick he played on her now was an indication Evan didn't want to meet him. He was forcing this meeting. Have some shame! She eyed him as she tried severally to get her boss on the phone to cancel. But she must have been on air already. Her call wasn't being connected.

Angry, disorganised and fidgeting, she went back to her seat and began to type haphazardly. She was still in that confused state when Evangeline and Jason walked in. "It's getting better." Audrey muttered while ushering them in. Wordlessly, she called Logan Thames in and closed the door. The meeting should start as scheduled. She had tried to stop it, but it was no longer in her hands. Then she went to her seat to continue typing a query letter for herself. Damn Logan for cornering her this way.

Behind the closed door, Jason went to sit on the couch away from the meeting seats and centre table. But before he could sit, he turned when he heard, "Hey, honey." Just as Logan sighted him too.

Sighting her 10 o'clock, Evan also stood up, "You called for this meeting?" She asked angrily, "I had to rush my meal and almost skipped my bath for this? For fuck's sake, what is wrong with you?"

Logan didn't reply immediately. He was in a battle stare with Jason. When he called for this meeting, he didn't calculate Jason would turn up. This was a major setback. He had wanted alone time with his woman. Nothing would be said or done with the man looming over her. All he needed was a few minutes with Evan to make her remember what they shared, and he was going to propose again. This time, he was sure she would accept his proposal. Now, he had to cancel again. He glared at Jason, "Why are you tailing her everywhere? You're a bodyguard now."

Jason decided to sit this one out. He sat down, looking so pleased. He could sense his presence had disorganised whatever the other man had planned for Evangeline. "Can we begin the meeting?" He asked arrogantly. Logan menacingly took steps towards him. He was ready to punch the smug look out of his face. Then he probably realised Jason could ruin him with just a call and retreated. He instead turned his charm on Evangeline. "I needed just a few minutes. Can we go out somewhere?"

Too angry to even consider doing him any favour, Evan screamed, "Seriously? Leave."

"Another time then." He wasn't going to back down, not when Jason was here. He looked at the man with pure hatred.

Evangeline shook her head at the sore look Logan had for Jason. "Okay." She conceded, "Another time. Please leave, now." She said, knowing she had no intention of meeting him.

"Thank you." He said and walked out reluctantly.

"You need to tell me why he hates you so much. Something about you brings out his dark side." she said to Jason, who sat so confidently she knew underneath the cool façade was a steeled man who could make someone like Logan Thames, billionaire and LA's best bachelor out of his game.

"I will. Maybe later today. Do you have some other things to do before we leave?"

Evangeline looked around, "I'm not sure." Raising her voice a little louder, she called. "Audrey?"

Her PA walked almost immediately. She had a letter clutched in her hands which she extended to her boss. "I'm so sorry." She started to apologize.

Evan read out the title; "Query Letter? Who gave you a query Audrey? What's this?" She asked, confused.

"I didn't know it was Logan Thames who called for the meeting. He posed as the Mark Investors, and I know I should have verified. The instant I knew, I tried to call it off, but I couldn't get in touch with you."

"It's okay. I'm not blaming you for this. If anything, he's the one to pay. Discard the query."

"Thank you, Boss." Audrey sighed, relieved her boss was taking it cool. She mentally slapped herself for letting something like this happen. Every good PA knows to verify meetings before scheduling them. And her boss had flown miles here for this. "I'm so sorry, Boss." She pleaded again.

"It's okay." Tapping her head, she looked at Jason. "Why did I call you in again? Do I have any meetings again?"

The young woman shook her head vigorously. "No, ma'am."

Evan turned to Jason, "Then we're done here." She told him

"What do you say to give me a tour of LA? We can have lunch here, and I'll tell you why your boyfriend hates me so much and I, him."

"Ex-boyfriend. That sounds fine to me." She replied happily, already feeling hungry again.

Chapter 24

They were able to check the famous Madison Park. She pointed out the Hop-on-hop-off bus, and they ditched their car to join the public transport. The bus took them around some spectacular buildings in LA, and she pointed out whose celebrity lived in which building. When they highlighted it, she was feeling light-hearted from the excitement of jumping on the bus. Jason got them a drink each at the stand, and she took them through another route where a champagne brunch cruise ticket was being served. They got theirs and were soon shown their seats on the wide yacht. It was a peaceful ride. How she managed to fall asleep beat Jason who rested her head on his shoulder and watched her sleep. The cruise ended, and he told her he had had enough. When he asked for a tour, he didn’t mean taking public transports and sipping champagne off a yacht. What he had expected was a drive around the city. Still, it had been exciting to watch her jump and talk until she was out of breath. It had been a long he felt thrilled at seeing another person so happy. She was excited, and that was what counted.

“Welcome to my home.” She greeted as he stepped into her apartment. “I know you’ve been here, unofficially.”

“I did have an official reason. Still, thank you for having me now.”

They had decided to end the tour here where she could change, pick some clothes, and they can go back to Miami. “So, you were going to tell me about you and Logan.” She said while packing some clothes into her small bag. “What happened between you both?”

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for putting this wall between you and him. I know you being a surrogate mother was what created this falling out between you too.” Though he knew that wasn’t entirely true, it had to be said.

“No. You don’t have to apologize. We had our issues even before all this happened. So, trust me.” She told him.

It somehow felt good to hear that from her. “You might want to seat for this.” Jason advised, deciding to tell her the whole story. “It happened a long time ago, but it left a mark.”

Evangeline sat down while arranging her things to listen to him. “Go on then.”

“Years back, we were to work on technology for the Government. It was a huge deal. The technology was to help the crime unit of the government, so everything was done on a secret basis. But due to the large capacity needed, three strong technology company were consulted. My company, Logan’s and another.” He tried to remember the third company’s name.

“I don’t remember the third company. From the start, they didn’t show up. My developers and Logan’s worked on the deal for close to 3months. He was still a startup firm then, so I funded all the deal.” He paused when she stood up to get a cloth she had dropped.

“No, go on.” She told him, picked up the piece and sat down.

“My best developers were involved. I flew in some others.” He continued. “It was a huge deal. Finally, we completed the deal. It was tested and approved. The next day was the payday. I got there to hear that the money had been paid to my partner’s account. Logan was leaving the company too. I was infuriated with the cashier. Who does that?”

“How can they pay into one single account when three companies were involved?” Evan questioned. It didn’t add up. She did business with other companies too and had on several occasions teamed up with other companies. The money wasn’t paid into a singular account. There was always a ratio to be paid into separate accounts.

“My point exactly.” He was glad she understood that things didn’t run that way. It was a shady deal. “From the documentation, the government was made to believe we were the same company only branched with different CEO. I was very angry to be duped, you know, by a freaking startup. I had James arrest Logan and hold him up. I made him pay for the breach of contract and demanded my share of the money. He kept claiming he wasn’t paid. So I had James and his team monitor his accounts. We couldn’t find the money and had no solid case against him. I let him go.”

“Wow. But where did he hide the money?”

“In an offshore account, maybe.” Jason recalled asking the same question too.

“It doesn’t sound like something Logan can pull off.” She said, disbelieve written all over her face.

“How well do you know the man? Logan is ruthless when handling business. We worked close up for 3months.”

“What about the third company? Couldn’t it have been them?”

“They did nothing. They didn’t even show up for the job. It was just Logan and me. Trust me. He did it.”

“This is freaking hard to believe. I still think you shouldn’t overlook the third company.” Evan suggested, “I am ready, by the way.” She told him. They started to head back to his plane pad. He held her hands then helped her into the jet. And they were settled in.

“I’m home.” Evangeline said as she walked into Adriana’s home. She was crushed into a foursome hug in seconds. The twins pushed their mother aside and dragged her to the room. Then they brought out a package.

“We made this for you.” Elizabeth said, handing her the wrapped box. Adriana nudged her sister to open it, curious to see what they had bought. When Noah had brought them in earlier, they had all been trying to make sure she didn’t have a look at it.

“You’ll ruin the surprise.” Ethan said and just walked her out of their room. She had left them to it then.

All four sat on Elizabeth’s bed to unwrap the present. It was a baby-shoe key holder for her car. “Dad said to always give back.” Ethan explained while they impatiently waited for her to finish unwrapping it. There seemed to be another hidden in the pack.

“We picked this at the grocery store yesterday.”

Though they had bought the gift, they didn’t know the significance of it. Evan’s eyes were misty instantly. “Thank you, guys.” She said cheerily, then mouthed to her sister. “Thank Noah for me. My first baby gift.” Adriana winked at her. “And I have something for you both too.” She announced while unzipping her purse. She gave each twin a chocolate box that was so big, their mother exclaimed. “Sugar, Evan.”

“Chocolate is good for the body.” Evan argued. “You should do your research.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Look it up. Dark chocolates especially. They are rich in antioxidants. They ease blood flow. And their sugar content is really low. Lower than that of milk. What do you do, Ad? Read law books alone.” She teased her sister

“Interesting! I didn’t know that.”

“Thanks, Linne.” Elizabeth hugged her. Ethan also came to hug her. “Thank you.” He said too.

“Who wants to watch another episode of Frozen?” Adriana said. The twins ran out immediately. It was exactly what she wanted. Turning to her sister, she said, “Now spill everything out.”

Evangeline’s laughter rang out all the way to the next building. “You’re so into petty talks, Sis.”

“Mom?’ The twins yelled.

“You better start talking.” She said, walking to the living room, “Coming.” She replied the kids as they called out to her again. Evangeline packed her present and her small tote bag and left the twins’ room too. She undressed, showered and went to join the family in the living room to watch Frozen with the kids.

“Is that Anna?” She asked, hurrying beside Elizabeth, who adjusted so she could seat then rested her head on her boobs.

“No, that’s Elsa.” Elizabeth told her. “The one with magic.”

“They look alike to me.” She complained

“Shhh.” Ethan cautioned. “I love this part.”

Adriana and her sister exchanged knowing looks.

The next morning while Adriana dressed the kids up for school, Mrs. Swiss called, telling her to come to the office as early as possible. Something was up. She could sense it immediately. Noah had prepared breakfast and packed lunch before she woke up. He was gone for an urgent meeting too. When they were ready to leave, Adriana peeped into her sister’s room. Evan was still sleeping, so she left a note on her dresser and left the house.

While the twins chatted nonstop, she was able to drive them to school. But her mind was barely with the kids. Mother’s call left her in turmoil. As the twins got down from the car she told them, “Pay attention in class. You both.”

“Bye, Mom.” Elizabeth pecked her. Ethan came round to do the same too.

“Bye.” She said and reversed the car.

The drive to the office took just a few minutes. Her office was the first on the floor, but she didn’t bother going in. she headed straight for her mother’s. “So, mother. What is going on?” She asked, stepping into her mother’s office. The opened ledgers on the table and scattered papers were enough pointers that all wasn’t right.

“Sit down.” Mrs. Swiss said, “We need to talk.”

֍

Somewhere in the suburbs, Noah was meeting with two men that were supposedly clients. Only they weren’t. Two looked so like him in every way. They had the same grey eyes for one. They also had an accent almost like him. These were his brothers. They were seated at a hidden corner of a pub around the rarely used streets. They had on hooded caps and were seated with their backs to the door.

“I don’t like this visit.” Noah told them frankly. “I told you I have it covered.”

“Not covered enough.” One of the men said, the younger.

Noah looked at his younger brother. Though a stepbrother, he had always treated Nathan like family. “Watch your tone with me, Nate.” He said so low the boy cowered back, intimidated.

“He is right, though. You’ve gone soft on them. What is happening?”

“I told you, Gaby, I’m handling it.”

Gabriel, his older brother, hit the table angrily. The people at the pub turned towards them. Noah smiled at everyone so they could relax, then scowled at his older brother, “Really? Are we trying to draw attention to ourselves now?”

The three men laughed casually as if one of them just shared the funniest joke. The people in the pub seeing this, relaxed. “When was the last time you delivered?” Gaby asked in a deep, timbre voice.

“I have eyes on me now. I need to lay low for a while. I’m just being cautious. That’s all.” He said. The brothers didn’t look like they believed him. “We’ve come a long way to make petty mistakes now that could ruin everything we’ve worked so hard for.”

“True. But still.” Gaby argued. “We need the big move now.”

Noah suddenly felt desperate, that big move better be hold down for now, he thought, trying to think of what to do “Look, give me time, and I’ll have this cleared.”

“How much time do you need?” Gaby asked, looking at his brother doubtfully.

“I’ll let you know when I have it.” Noah said instead, refusing to specify the time he needed.

Gaby scoffed, “How long?” He asked again.

“A month or two till the coast is clear.”

“Note that Nathan.” Gaby said, and both men stood up. Noah watched them leave. From the corner he sat, he watched them through the transparent mirror until they got into their car. Then he waited a few minutes before stepping out too. He eyed the street warily for any suspicious movement before stepping into his car.

******

Cold sweat broke out on Adriana’s forehead. Her mother had just told her the most disturbing news. After series of evidence and stories, her mother had said someone was taking money from the company. That wasn’t hard to believe. But claiming Noah could be the thief that was the height of it. Could this really be her husband’s doing? Her husband had joined the family business shortly after they got married though he has his own business. Noah came from a rich family himself. So it didn’t sit right to say he’s stealing from them. He had given as much as any Swiss to see the company grow. He was the travel agent as well as the managing director. “He rarely even handles the money. Did you go through every file?”

“You need to confront him.” Mrs. Swiss stated plainly.

“No. no, I won’t do that. I will not ruin my marriage based on speculations and unproven statements. We still need to check and double-check” when her mother wanted to talk, she quickly added, “With an open mind that someone else might be doing this.”

“I did already.”

“Do it again. I want this on my terms, okay. I’ll pay extra attention at home. I’ll do all I have to. But I need solid proof first.”

Mrs. Swiss sighed. “Fine. We do it your way then.”

Her phone chimed. She checked to see the message from Noah, “He’s travelling.” She said gloomily. It was as if on cue: he knows he’s been found, and he’s escaping? She shook her head to dismiss such a disdainful thought. But from the look on her mother’s face, she had been about to say just that too. Adriana stood up and left the office angrily. She had to prove her husband’s innocence. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she would. And even as she walked back to her office, she knew she had to first convince herself that he indeed was innocent.