He straightened his tie as he stepped out of his black Lamborgini, looking towards the house. The bright lights inside illuminated through the windows. After a long pause, he closed the car door behind him and walked to the porch. It immediately flew open and the housekeeper dressed in her black dress and white apron stood in the doorway.296Please respect copyright.PENANAI4GED4Lout
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"Mr. Sinclair, good evening," she greeted. She looked down at his hand. "Did you leave your briefcase in the car?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAAegXgzhA8c
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Mr. Sinclair chuckled. "Silly me. I had to rush somewhere today that I forgot it in the office. No matter, I don’t plan on staying up to work anyway."296Please respect copyright.PENANAAy5gOvMtlT
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"Of course, sir," she obliged with a smile, making room for him to step inside.296Please respect copyright.PENANA5c23UTC78u
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"How is the lady of the house doing?" Mr. Sinclair asked as he stepped into the foyer.296Please respect copyright.PENANARh1XntGjVr
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The housekeeper helped Mr. Sinclair remove his jacket as she answered, "same as always. She moved around quite a bit during the day, though."296Please respect copyright.PENANAishotHXppJ
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"That's good. Is supper almost ready?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAysiC0OZN3i
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"Yes, in a few minutes." The housekeeper held his jacket in her hands.296Please respect copyright.PENANAJnDq1DkfH3
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"Okay, let me go see how she's doing."296Please respect copyright.PENANAcdKblBXnYG
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"Of course, sir," she went down the hall with the jacket in hand.296Please respect copyright.PENANA8C1MR66qLV
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Mr. Sinclair walked out of the foyer and made his way up the flight of stairs. When he reached the landing, he took a turn down to his right.296Please respect copyright.PENANAiuJtLoO5dh
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His hands flew to the front of his shirt undoing the top button. He realised how hot he felt and should've unbuttoned earlier.296Please respect copyright.PENANAHeMNnB6mda
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He reached his room. But before he could even open the door, he thought he heard a loud thud like something had fallen to the floor.296Please respect copyright.PENANApLpAr8asPm
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"Honey," he called out as he quickly entered the room.296Please respect copyright.PENANApqC3yRFfVA
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He paused for a second upon entering and later blew out a sigh of relief.296Please respect copyright.PENANAugI74gK3dc
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"Goodness, you scared me for a minute," he said as he walked in.296Please respect copyright.PENANASHu1fAVoOL
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"Sorry to startle you, dear," said Mrs. Sinclair, who sat on her bed, her back leaning onto the white headboard. "I just dropped the book I was reading."296Please respect copyright.PENANAlee89r0HW3
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Mr. Sinclair approached the bed and bent to pick up the thick red book on the red Persian carpeted floor. He sat on the bed, close to the edge and placed the book onto the white covers on the bed atop his wife's laps.296Please respect copyright.PENANANwkXlPRqMU
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"How have you been today?" Mr. Sinclair asked, smiling at his wife.296Please respect copyright.PENANANgwLe6zclv
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She ran her thin, bony fingers through her thin, dull blonde hair as she tried to put up a smile. Her tired blue eyes looked on at Mr. Sinclair. Her grey, pale face with hollowed cheeks showed clear signs of her illness.296Please respect copyright.PENANAmADZQgq41c
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"I'm trying," she answered. "This illness isn't doing me any good."296Please respect copyright.PENANAJUnucaQhEp
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"Don't say that," said Sinclair as he took hold of her hand. "You're still here, aren't you? There's a lot to be grateful for."296Please respect copyright.PENANAZCTH9uJCnw
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She pulled her hand away and Sinclair didn't bother holding on. They have been through this conversation many times. And things aren't getting any better.296Please respect copyright.PENANAxvKzjKYoxD
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"So, how was work?" Mrs. Sinclair asked, changing the subject.296Please respect copyright.PENANAY6JpDvCuHQ
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"Work was okay," he answered. "Although something tragic happened to Eugene’s father."296Please respect copyright.PENANApZ07vZUQv0
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Mrs. Sinclair now had a look of concern in her sad, hollow eyes. "Eugene's father? What happened to him?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAqySQHWOecE
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"I haven't gotten the full details, but he was brought to the hospital with a gunshot wound."296Please respect copyright.PENANAcrwsB1je3t
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Mrs. Sinclair shook her head. "That's tragic. I hope his father is okay."296Please respect copyright.PENANA0nsCq7YvC4
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"I just worry for the whole family."296Please respect copyright.PENANAE8URThwpbx
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"Yes. Don't you think it's high time Mrs. Chamberlain finally divorced him? I mean, the man is nothing but trouble, if you ask me."296Please respect copyright.PENANA6mIUIbAssm
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"I've spoken to her about it a thousand times, but she still won't do it. She was there at the hospital since he came to her house after being shot."296Please respect copyright.PENANASioNlgG2Xu
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Mrs. Sinclair shook her head, already looking tired and frustrated. "I guess the woman still loves him. That's pretty much evident."296Please respect copyright.PENANAMJj0oqmpJe
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"As much as she is, her relationship with him still worries me." Mr. Sinclair stood up from the bedside and went over to his wardrobe at the far end of the room.296Please respect copyright.PENANAsEFcKebpOP
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"Why? Is it because he's involved with 'those' people?"296Please respect copyright.PENANA7slDEM3kTR
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Mr. Sinclair now wished he never started this conversation. He didn't like to talk about it, especially with his wife. Before he could start to unbutton his shirt, he turned around to look at her.296Please respect copyright.PENANAzIIldekOqM
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"Let's be careful when we start to talk about these things, okay?" he suggested.296Please respect copyright.PENANAHn70oAUZZJ
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He thought he heard his wife hiss, but he can't be sure. She said, "don't act like I don't know what's going on. The late Emelda might have been your client, but she got you involved in her personal life that you don't even know who you are anymore."296Please respect copyright.PENANAGoABWcJHj7
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Mr. Sinclair raised an eyebrow, confused that his wife is talking like she is right now.296Please respect copyright.PENANALsPd6Xatxj
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"Where's all this coming from?" he asked.296Please respect copyright.PENANAvv80xmlHnZ
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Mrs. Sinclair pushed aside the bed covers. Even in her frail state, she pushed them with so much vigor like she had had the energy within her all this time. She placed her feet onto the floor and slowly stood up. Her long, loose white night gown almost reaching her feet. Mr. Sinclair so much as wanted as to go to his wife and drag her back to bed, but even when she was weak physically, she somehow had a strong hold over him when it came to her actions.296Please respect copyright.PENANADtn4T3qPl1
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She slowly went towards him. "You know where all this is coming from," she answered Sinclair’s question. "Your involvement with the late Emelda."296Please respect copyright.PENANAYaeXjKQ5Hm
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"I was her lawyer. There’s nothing else to it."296Please respect copyright.PENANAw30cWUxEuQ
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"A lawyer? Sure. But you and I both know that you were more than that busy handling her dirty affairs. She’s not as innocent and generous as people thought her to be. In fact, almost the whole town knows, but they don’t want to say anything because you’re there to always intervene and would do anything to clean up her mess."296Please respect copyright.PENANAly99dtNzEI
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"You’re going way out of line, dear," said Sinclair, putting up a smile for his wife. "Why are you making me look like I’m the bad guy here?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAOguZ3XrpM6
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"It’s because you’re." She pointed her long bony index finger onto his chest. Mr. Sinclair didn’t much as flinch at the gesture. "You know what you’ve been up to for years. And even when she's dead, you now take on all of her affairs like it's normal."296Please respect copyright.PENANAH6Wp5sF2Jq
296Please respect copyright.PENANAX8ZLiF0ZtD
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"She left everything to her granddaughter and it’s my duty to make sure things are in order."296Please respect copyright.PENANATtdYs6RNZ9
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Mrs. Sinclair scoffed. "Tell me, dear husband," she said sarcastically, "does Rhénee even know what’s going on? Why she inherited everything from her grandmother? Why she never came back to this place and doing so now after such a long time? Don’t you think you’re putting that innocent girl in danger?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAT3JH4lpqNq
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"In danger of what, exactly?" Sinclair still had his smile intact.296Please respect copyright.PENANAxDlkAOpYzX
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"Everything involving her grandmother! If you ask me, you just made the girl inherit Emelda’s problems."296Please respect copyright.PENANACya5NBhrF5
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She soon let out a deep, shaky breath and Mr. Sinclair soon held her shoulder, comfortingly. "You need to sit." He said. "You can’t stand for too long."296Please respect copyright.PENANAlv9yE4BgpE
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She slapped his hand away. "As if you care. You only care about the reputation you’ve gained after you got into that old woman’s world."296Please respect copyright.PENANASg6qEudZwu
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"Well, if I can recall," Sinclair raised an eyebrow at her, but still with a smile on his face, "you’re the one who introduced me to her when we first came here. You convinced me to take her as my client."296Please respect copyright.PENANAzlXlQ3DpEb
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"That was before we knew that she was nothing but a wolf in sheep’s clothing," Mrs. Sinclair turned away, making a slow walk towards her bed.296Please respect copyright.PENANAZB6HkfyrXS
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"Let’s not talk about this any further," Sinclair suggested. "We should learn to move on."296Please respect copyright.PENANAnBpg7t7sIv
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Mrs. Sinclair settled at the foot of the bed, facing her husband. "Sadly, she left scars upon this town that a lot of people will never forget."296Please respect copyright.PENANAIC6sNbfIRL
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"You exaggerate, dear."296Please respect copyright.PENANA2MTBrZKXwF
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"Well, at least you’re not denying it."296Please respect copyright.PENANA9s6zQMR1zt
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Before Mr. Sinclair could say anything, a knock came at the door. He could only guess that the housekeeper had come to announce that supper is ready. However, the knock was a little fainter than usual.296Please respect copyright.PENANAgRZglRF39e
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"Who is it?" Mr. Sinclair asked.296Please respect copyright.PENANAJRabxMDV6T
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"It’s me, dad," came a female voice, behind the door.296Please respect copyright.PENANAAF6GdciRg4
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What perfect timing, Mr. Sinclair thought to himself.296Please respect copyright.PENANAcif3HWCbpF
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He went over to the door to open it and his seventeen-year old girl with bouncy blonde locks came slowly into the room, looking around at her father and mother.296Please respect copyright.PENANA7TddftnBMo
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"I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAvstF4D55ih
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"No, sweetie," said Mrs. Sinclair. She held up her bony hand for her daughter to hold onto as she entered the room. Her daughter came closer and held her mother’s hand.296Please respect copyright.PENANADkxWmgmNKf
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"I thought I heard you guys arguing."296Please respect copyright.PENANA6ItoheuXPT
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"Just a silly argument," Mrs. Sinclair answered. "Your father once again forgot those biscuits I wanted."296Please respect copyright.PENANA4qa89wVZxU
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"Wow, dad, you always forget to get them."296Please respect copyright.PENANAhk6DG7LvqG
296Please respect copyright.PENANAeISpk2YUKe
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"That’s why either you or the help have to remind me. You know I easily forget about these things."296Please respect copyright.PENANAnUxp8WMe7C
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"Anyway, I’ll try and remind you tomorrow when I get back from school." The teenager went on to look at her mother. "So how have you been?"296Please respect copyright.PENANA5HZupPS29s
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"I’m okay," Mrs. Sinclair said, putting up a smile. "How was school today?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAegqXAAz92Z
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"Same as usual. Now that we’re approaching the end of the year, studies are getting more tiresome."296Please respect copyright.PENANAQJla4sMjyy
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"You just make sure to work hard. If you need our help, we are here for anything you need, Scarlet."296Please respect copyright.PENANAUsSp7RrxC5
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"I will, that’s if you two can stop arguing over more than just biscuits," Scarlet’s deep blue eyes flew between her parents.296Please respect copyright.PENANAvHtbqbXWnR
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Mr. Sinclair scoffed. He forgot just how smart their daughter can be sometimes.296Please respect copyright.PENANAQQ6dc0CsQ2
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"How was work, dad?" Scarlet asked with so much excitement, looking at her father.296Please respect copyright.PENANARxw0S7glSK
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"It was okay." He turned around to head back to his closet, but Scarlet quickly asked:296Please respect copyright.PENANAufU1rNZsQN
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"Was he in today? How is he?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAebyx4esY8B
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Mrs. Sinclair chuckled as she rubbed Scarlet’s shoulder. Mr. Sinclair winced as he turned back to look at the two on the bed. Somehow he just couldn’t dodge her questions.296Please respect copyright.PENANAj7SRQEXj8M
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"He’s good," Mr. Sinclair said as he folded his arms. "But not too good, I’m afraid."296Please respect copyright.PENANAqjWYr1t6IO
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"Why? What happened to Eugene?" Scarlet sounded anxious.296Please respect copyright.PENANABbxOKx7kj0
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"Well, you’ll probably hear about this at school since this is a small town." Mr. Sinclair paused before he could continue. "Eugene’s father is in the hospital. He was shot."296Please respect copyright.PENANA1MUktg0f78
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Scarlet gasped.296Please respect copyright.PENANAv7IF9jx1Uk
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"Oh, no, that’s awful. But will he be okay?"296Please respect copyright.PENANATpSbkJgdgo
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"I’m not so sure," said Mr. Sinclair. "But according to Eugene’s mother, he’s in pretty bad shape."296Please respect copyright.PENANAs5x8RF0OXc
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"I hope Eugene, himself is okay," said Scarlet.296Please respect copyright.PENANADXneg9ApsG
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"It’s Mrs. Chamberlin I’m worried about the most," said Mrs. Sinclair. "This is just too much for her."296Please respect copyright.PENANAbYXlmIMQ4O
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"True," said Mr. Sinclair. "She might be a strong woman, but that man has put her in terrible situations I can’t even imagine."296Please respect copyright.PENANABoCWEhTJnI
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"I hope he gets out of this alive," said Scarlet.296Please respect copyright.PENANABEBmxt4qSy
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"I would advise not to call Eugene right now," advised Mr. Sinclair. "Not until we know that everything's alright."296Please respect copyright.PENANACFwQD5onrq
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Scarlet sighed. "I wasn't planning to, dad."296Please respect copyright.PENANAlryAhMX6lI
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"You like Eugene too much," said Mrs. Sinclair. "I hope your little crush over him vanishes over time."296Please respect copyright.PENANAH4URQjGMy4
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"I doubt it. Once I finish high school, I will be sure I can date him."296Please respect copyright.PENANAMhIDrULv0V
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Scarlet quickly prances up from the bed like a little deer and made her way for the door. Her parents watched her as she left.296Please respect copyright.PENANAb7haBydmFa
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"Sometimes I forget she likes him," said Mrs. Sinclair.296Please respect copyright.PENANAWCBpYCXQCs
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"I'm not too worried," said Mr. Sinclair as he closed the door. "When she goes to college, she'll definitely get over him and like somebody else. If not, Eugene will make a good son-in-law."296Please respect copyright.PENANAcGLHhUmsJD
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Mrs. Sinclair shook her head. "I definitely don't approve of it. He's a good man. I just don't feel he's right for my little Scarlet. I pray when she does go to college, she will find someone."296Please respect copyright.PENANAoz8YNn7ERn
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"Eugene isn’t that bad, if I’m being honest," Mr. Sinclair chuckled.296Please respect copyright.PENANAzszDc4xAzr
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"Well, I don’t want her to end up marrying a lawyer like I did." Mrs. Sinclair looked at her husband with a gloomy look and with her arms folded. "And to Eugene for that matter."296Please respect copyright.PENANAchxG9wbYgN
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"What’s wrong now? Are you scared that Eugene is like me?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAuu6WDtjtoW
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"I know he's a good person. I’m just scared that when push comes to shove, you might make him take up your role; working closely with Rhénee."296Please respect copyright.PENANAWw0caKC3zA
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Mr. Sinclair bit his lower lip as his right hand rubbed the bottom of his chin. "That seems like an interesting proposition, dear. Why didn’t I ever think of that before?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAw2uAvW4WXb
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His wife didn’t say anything as a horrific look started to appear on her hollow face.296Please respect copyright.PENANA2ZYUgvGh3N
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"I’m just joking," said Mr. Sinclair as he walked up to her. He then knelt down on the floor in front of her and cupped both of her hands in his. "Why you come up with such ideas is just absurd. You know I wouldn’t do anything that would upset you."296Please respect copyright.PENANAYl1lFvmAys
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"You’ve done several of those even when I told you to drop whatever you were doing for Emelda when she was still alive."296Please respect copyright.PENANArhHPWK3RWh
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Mr. Sinclair shook his head and stood up, still holding his wife’s hands. "Let’s drop the subject. I hate when we talk about it." He squeezed his hands a little, making sure that he didn’t hurt her.296Please respect copyright.PENANAelaKyoZ0LB
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His phone soon started to ring and he almost forgot that he had it in the pocket of his trousers. He took it out with one hand while the other held onto Mrs. Sinclair’s hands. He looked at the caller ID. He picked the call.296Please respect copyright.PENANAIAbeitXIrB
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"Evening," he said after placing the phone to his ear. "Yes, I’m home at the moment. What can I help you with?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAfMDOpVonoZ
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Mr. Sinclair paused to hear what the person on the other end was saying. "Alright, I’ll see what I can do." He soon cut the call.296Please respect copyright.PENANAe2ryMdhU6F
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His wife looked up at him. "Do I have to worry that you're going to walk out of this house because you've Emelda’s business to attend to? Or is it a call from work?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAyZkpfgCoSl
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"It’s work, nothing serious," Mr. Sinclair replied. "I left my bag at the office, so I'll just have to tackle it tomorrow morning."296Please respect copyright.PENANAvtX7q6nqUL
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"If you say so."296Please respect copyright.PENANA9R5jAtRC0Z
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A knock soon came at the door and the voice of the house help came behind the door: "dinner is ready."296Please respect copyright.PENANAwjCTvx9Zje
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"Thank you, I'll be right there," said Mr. Sinclair. He turned to look at his wife. "Would you be joining us at the dinner table?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAZTSE0O7EWm
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"Not today," she replied.296Please respect copyright.PENANAtKXnqFaB77
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"Alright, I'll tell the help to bring your food up to your room."296Please respect copyright.PENANA83w2bBLUF6
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"No, need, she already knows."296Please respect copyright.PENANACWqTTkuMCG
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He let go of his wife's hands and made his way out of the door. As soon as he closed it, he made his way towards the stairs. He was about to descend, when he heard the sound of a door opening and closing at the other end of the hall. He saw Scarlet coming towards him.296Please respect copyright.PENANAGOEovyozHz
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"Isn't mum coming to join us?" she asked.296Please respect copyright.PENANA1h572vNEy2
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"She'll eat from her room," he answered.296Please respect copyright.PENANAPEIPKwKEWQ
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"You upset her again, didn't you?" Scarlet folded her arms, looking at father with a stern look similar to her mother's.296Please respect copyright.PENANAW6gYCY4GWG
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Sinclair scoffed. "I wish I had, but you already know how your mother likes to pick a fight with me. Come on, let's go. The food will get cold."296Please respect copyright.PENANAyCjpYZM4x8
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Scarlet is quicker than her father as she walked past him to go down the stairs. Mr. Sinclair followed at a slower pace. She reached the bottom and went straight to the living room that led to the dining room.296Please respect copyright.PENANAoKo2vlCPYM
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As soon as Sinclair reached the bottom, he felt the phone vibrate in his pocket. He stopped before he could continue his way into the living room. He found a message. He unlocked his phone to read it. He cursed under his breath and pocketed the phone back, making his way to the dining room where he found his daughter already waiting for him.296Please respect copyright.PENANABDrfQCktVW
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"You’re getting slower reaching the table these days," Scarlet said as she looked at him.296Please respect copyright.PENANAqA3omeF71q
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"Maybe it’s because you’re so young and energetic," he said as he took his seat at the head of the table. Scarlet sat on the other end and said a prayer, asking the Holy Father to bless it. And as soon as the word "Amen" was uttered, they started to dig in. A few minutes hadn’t passed before Scarlet asked her father a question.296Please respect copyright.PENANAc8xgjTFALa
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"Have you heard anything about Eugene’s father yet?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAiecKQeJmtv
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"No, not yet," he answered.296Please respect copyright.PENANAo6tWA6AI6Z
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There came a brief silence before she asked, "is it really true that his father got shot?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAHT9Vh16rJW
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"Yes," he answered. "It was pretty fatal."296Please respect copyright.PENANAtPjsomqHCT
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"I really hope he gets out okay. Did he mess with the wrong people?"296Please respect copyright.PENANA3gRq4WF2d0
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Sinclair swallowed before he replied, "I can’t answer that. Maybe he did or he didn’t. I think it’s best to let the police handle it."296Please respect copyright.PENANAOkrbtjoBHy
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"Okay." Scarlet paused for a bit. "I hope Eugene is doing okay."296Please respect copyright.PENANAG2QuxFLbKB
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"He was devastated when he heard the news. But he’ll be fine. If there’s a good chance that his father is out of danger, I’ll give you a heads up to call him tomorrow."296Please respect copyright.PENANAGcHR8E3dt2
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Scarlet smiled at him. "Okay. I really want to know how he’s doing.”296Please respect copyright.PENANAzLyCCj44yp
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They continued to eat their supper and Sinclair in return fired Scarlet some questions concerning school and her friends. As soon as they were done, Sinclair stood up and told Scarlet that he’ll have to go to the study and do a bit of work. Scarlet didn’t mind as she quickly went up to her room.296Please respect copyright.PENANAzmGVCBXGM4
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He slowly walked out of the dining room and into the living room while he watched his daughter go up the stairs. It will only be a few minutes till the help comes to take away the dishes in the dining room, so he pulled out his phone to make a call.296Please respect copyright.PENANAwVdnrnPxzB
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After pressing the call button, he placed the phone to his ear, making his way to the study.296Please respect copyright.PENANAVOclifFpe4
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As the phone continued to ring, Sinclair got a little impatient. But just as he walked out of the living room, the person on the other end soon picked up.296Please respect copyright.PENANApsECP6CYKK
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"What took you so long to answer?" Sinclair asked, calmly, trying not to speak so loud.296Please respect copyright.PENANAyt1661kX52
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"I am in a dire situation right now that I can’t answer you immediately," came a hoarse breathy voice on the phone.296Please respect copyright.PENANAtUDY7FMSwC
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Sinclair reached his study and went in, closing the door. "What is it? I couldn’t text you since I was having dinner."296Please respect copyright.PENANAkLnCNnVWPi
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"Well, while you were playing house over there, we’ve trouble. Apparently Rhénee and her friends aren’t home where they should be. A situation arose and they decided to take matters into their own hands."296Please respect copyright.PENANAqc2Oc0n9Gt
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"What situation?" Sinclair asked as he stood in the middle of the room.296Please respect copyright.PENANAZatawkHwLN
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***296Please respect copyright.PENANAnpmp6T373p
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As much as Eugene wanted to turn to look at Miss Marie, he had to focus his eyes on the road. He's driving her old, red convertible with the top covering their heads, heading towards the forest. He didn't like the idea of going there at this late hour.296Please respect copyright.PENANAtAKFWArMiP
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Silence stood between them. Eugene wanted so much as to ask where he's taking her, but he knew the answer he's going to get. They were out here to look for Miguel, which is pretty absurd, Eugene thought. He might be walking back to the house and they were here taking a drive.296Please respect copyright.PENANAsOCykr9DkF
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Miss Marie soon started to hum as she looked out her side of the window. Eugene wondered how she could be so calm. For once, he wanted that she would go insane, making it easy for him to turn the car around and take her back home. That's if she wouldn't go mad to the point where she might distract him as he is driving.296Please respect copyright.PENANATPtvccJuax
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On the point of insanity, Eugene wondered whether Miss Marie is sane or not. Why take him out here to find Miguel? Eugene couldn’t help but feel stupid after thinking about it a little. His gut feeling told him that Miss Marie wasn't insane when she told him where to find Miguel nor is she insane right now. A sudden thought soon crossed his mind. What if she's been pretending to everyone this whole time?296Please respect copyright.PENANA1Cyj7CEcQq
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Miss Marie stopped humming. "Make a stop here."296Please respect copyright.PENANAyIf17t3bXg
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Eugene did as he was told and he got a little puzzled. There’s a bridge just up ahead and he thought they were going to reach it. He turned to look at Miss Griselda.296Please respect copyright.PENANAJzJt3gCHzt
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"I thought we would stop by the bridge," he said.296Please respect copyright.PENANA2JgZ2RUQg3
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"I don’t want us to draw attention," she answered. "Park by the side of the road. It’s dangerous to leave a car out here."296Please respect copyright.PENANATyznv9peyi
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Eugene did just that, killed the engine and the headlights. He looked at Miss Marie, whom he could see was smiling at him in the dark.296Please respect copyright.PENANAEAncS8YA3n
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"Let’s go," she said as she opened the car door on her side. "We don’t want to miss out on all the fun."296Please respect copyright.PENANAYCVNMnVCWR
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"Fun?" he wondered what she meant. There’s nothing fun about being out in the forest so late at night.296Please respect copyright.PENANA2pyVCG16mi
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He also stepped out of the car and made sure to lock behind him. He found Miss Marie going ahead and he had to quickly catch up to her.296Please respect copyright.PENANAMUp1XQk83K
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"Are you sure Miguel is at the bridge?" he asked.296Please respect copyright.PENANAe0ggHgz4ZP
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"If you keep asking the same question, you’ll run mad," she said. She had her hands in the pocket of a brown, fluffy coat that she managed to grab before leaving, wearing it over her sleeping gown. Eugene felt he should’ve gotten something warm himself. The night air around the forest is a lot chillier than he had thought.296Please respect copyright.PENANAlIvHZQpuVr
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They continued to walk and it's then that Eugene realised that they still had quite a way to go before they reach the bridge. As the leaves gently rustled above them in the trees, he realised just how dark it is, despite the full moon shining brightly above them.296Please respect copyright.PENANA1E8YaiysuS
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He was just about to pull out his phone from his pocket when all of a sudden, Miss Marie held his hand, stopping him from doing so. He turned to look at her, surprised at her quick reflexes.296Please respect copyright.PENANAY6PQJbSTyc
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"If you want to pull out your phone to turn on your torch, I advise not to," she said, without looking at him. "The last thing you want to do is draw attention when all we’ve come to do is watch a spectacle."296Please respect copyright.PENANACziUpHtp4i
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Eugene is confused. Now he can’t use his phone and they were just here to spectate? He had a funny feeling that Miss Marie might be dragging him into something he never even imagined.296Please respect copyright.PENANAJHQFrXJUGt
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"Before we go," he said, "you don’t want us to get caught. Why is that? Is Miguel involved in something? Like a gang, perhaps?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAqaN3Tcpm3h
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Miss Marie turned to smile at him. "You’re quite right," she said.296Please respect copyright.PENANAgWlnVb829i
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She started to go on ahead, leaving Eugene standing there. Miguel, his childhood best friend, is in some kind of gang? Is Miss Marie telling the truth? Somehow, he knew that she is, but then he didn’t want to accept it at all.296Please respect copyright.PENANAaYM5ZQhFhY
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"We better hurry up," Miss Marie called out to him. "We don’t want to miss anything."296Please respect copyright.PENANAw7azE2Glsu
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Eugene took a deep breath, trying to bring himself back to reality. He quickly caught up to her, and for a while, the two of them walked in silence.296Please respect copyright.PENANAGr5Uvb3YNA
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"Why did you decide to bring me here, Miss Marie?" he asked. "If I never came over to your house tonight, were you going to come here alone?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAsp0RiGnNHU
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"Yes," she answered without looking at him. "The only reason why I carried you along is because for once, I can finally show you who Miguel really is."296Please respect copyright.PENANA2SmFyYXebx
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He scoffed. "What kind of group is he in? Do they deal with drugs or guns?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAuS4YIhoMvz
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"If I told you that they deal with both and even more than you can ever imagine, would you believe me?" Miss Marie now turned to look at him even when he can’t see her face clearly in the dark.296Please respect copyright.PENANAxEWFKIbHm7
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Eugene swallowed. Deep down, he didn’t want it to be true. Maybe she’s acting delusional and what he’ll see will probably be nothing. Yes, he thought to himself. She must have gone bonkers and isn’t thinking straight. But he has to know whether she is or not.296Please respect copyright.PENANA1joprc303n
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"Wait," he said, holding her by the shoulders. "Are you serious of such an accusation? He’s your grandson."296Please respect copyright.PENANAmThHdaiqQE
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"Grandson or not, I can’t hide from you what he truly is," Miss Marie answered as she looked at him. "You’re a good man, Eugene. Associating with such people isn’t right for you who is trying to build a reputation as a lawyer. Then there’s your father too. God knows just how many sins he has committed for him to be dying in his hospital bed right now."296Please respect copyright.PENANAimsiaMtNAb
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Eugene is shocked to know Miss Marie knew about his father's condition, but he brushed that aside. "I know my father does some shady things, but why do you’ve to tell me this about Miguel? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAgn6PgthWpW
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"I’ll answer that question with one of my own." Miss Marie sounded serious. "Have you and I ever stayed in the same room whenever you came to visit and had a serious conversation?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAm1LEYet4Au
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Eugene's eyes widened. "You’ve been pretending to be delusional this whole time?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAuX5nb7gUV4
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"A woman like me has to play her cards right in order to survive in this wretched town. If I hadn’t Miguel would’ve put a bullet in my head a long time ago."296Please respect copyright.PENANAOqkyypryEY
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"He can never do that. He cares about you a lot, yet you go ahead and just lie to him?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAPiuL6JtQOs
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"For a lawyer, you clearly didn’t listen to what I said just now. I would be dead by now if I didn’t keep up with the farce. And as for Miguel, he might look like he cares, but he really doesn’t. I’m telling you this now because if he ever knew that I brought you here, I'll be dead and no one will find my corpse for a long time. You will probably be dead too."296Please respect copyright.PENANAkx9yijkByL
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Eugene slumped his shoulders and looked upwards at the dark, night sky. He went back to look at her. "I’ll believe you if I see him myself."296Please respect copyright.PENANA5fjg7JJrTZ
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"It will be dark. But I know you’ll see him."296Please respect copyright.PENANAF373WyDQEM
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Miss Marie went back to leading the way and Eugene had the option of running back to the car and leaving her. But he felt his mind wander off, and it’s like he had no control over his body as he followed her.296Please respect copyright.PENANAj4lGgNvGxg
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The road went up a small hill and Eugene knew they were almost there. As they reached the summit, they had a clear view of the bridge below. Eugene hoped they would find nothing there, yet the sight of a few cars parked on the side of the road near the bridge and a few dark figures that he made to be people, made his heart ache.296Please respect copyright.PENANARG2xEndZnh
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"See, I told you something's about to go down," said Miss Marie.296Please respect copyright.PENANAJm4G2KuM8q
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"I can’t see the people very well," said Eugene. "Maybe you’re wrong and Miguel isn’t down there."296Please respect copyright.PENANAcDpCN0dVm4
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"Let’s hide behind those trees. They might not see us from afar, but it’s best to not leave anything to chance."296Please respect copyright.PENANAt5udpDPujL
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Eugene followed Miss Marie and partly entered into the forest where they still had a clear view of the bridge. As they waited, Eugene couldn’t help but pray that what Miss Marie said isn’t true about Miguel being one of the people down there. Even if he tried to, he realised that it’s already too late.296Please respect copyright.PENANAoTAH9GZNen
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***296Please respect copyright.PENANABvRgVCavrK
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Rhénee leaned against the tall tree and bent her neck to peek at what's in front of her. She and the others were now within reach of the people near the bridge, but still using the forest as cover. She looked to her left. Greta hid behind a tree, also peeking. To Rhenee’s right was Malcom also keeping a lookout. Kevin, knowing the area very well, had left to scout it a few minutes ago.296Please respect copyright.PENANAmlxZbtcdMW
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He soon came back in the direction Malcom was standing. Rhénee and Greta quietly went to join them.296Please respect copyright.PENANAeOKVZtNO8x
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"Okay," he whispered. "There are four cars. Three SUVs and the other is Mr Cowell’s. The car closest to the bridge to the right has two people sitting inside and two people guarding it. I’m guessing that’s where they’re holding Miss Griselda."296Please respect copyright.PENANAMbWDB4TeZO
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"How many people are there?" Rhénee asked.296Please respect copyright.PENANA9dcQMDUFUy
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"I counted fifteen people, including those in the car. Though I can't be too sure."296Please respect copyright.PENANAKr6ItYWjIf
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"That’s still a lot of people," Greta complained.296Please respect copyright.PENANAvOjXDVuvb5
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"Meaning we’ve to be strategic in how we’re going to do this," Malcom whispered. "I think I know how we might capture their attention."296Please respect copyright.PENANApiHeqWzwr2
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"Always the strategist," Greta smiled at her brother. "Tell us, how will we do it?"296Please respect copyright.PENANAT5Jf00kJm2
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Rhénee could feel Malcom’s eyes fall on her. "I figured we could use Rhénee."296Please respect copyright.PENANAQE2u2ISDdI
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"Me? Why?" Rhénee asked.296Please respect copyright.PENANA4l4mzztK9g
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"You’re their target and if you bring yourself forward, they’ll be caught off-guard. Besides, they won’t kill you. I’ve a feeling they want you alive for some reason. Moreover, we might be able to pull this off."296Please respect copyright.PENANArKP94yOzPr
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Rhénee sighed. As much as she wanted to oppose, she knew Malcom made a good point. He continued to lay down the plan for them and when he was done, he asked if all was in order.296Please respect copyright.PENANAoYR94RYWRS
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"Seems fine to me," said Kevin. "But this will be difficult, so we all need to be careful."296Please respect copyright.PENANAySs6LUcyns
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"We’ll try," Greta and Rhénee answered at the same.296Please respect copyright.PENANArx7m0DNh1V
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The four of them all broke away from each other going into position.296Please respect copyright.PENANAzudPOvq4aG
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***296Please respect copyright.PENANAYTadiOHdN2
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Miguel looked at the car beside him and for a minute, he felt drowsy. He now regretted smoking before coming to guard the car. He wanted so much as to trade places with someone, but they would know that something is wrong. It won’t be the first time he ever smoked before coming in to work.296Please respect copyright.PENANAZ70kSej48C
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He shook his head, trying to get himself together. He cannot slack off now. The boss will get angry with him and who knows what he will do. His boss may have given Miguel a few chances in the past, but this time, he might not be so lucky.296Please respect copyright.PENANAdKeXyCDbTW
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He turned to see his comrade guarding the other side of the car through the passenger side window. He hasn’t noticed that Miguel isn’t himself just yet. Miguel has to hang on a little while longer. However, things are moving quite slow. Their other comrade hasn’t arrived with Rhénee yet. What could be holding him up, Miguel wondered.296Please respect copyright.PENANALArehGUBMt
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He felt the mood around him become hectic. And he thought he had seen the boss ahead of him, leaning against one of the cars with the phone in his hand trying to call. At some point, Miguel had heard Mr. Cowell suggest to the boss that he should go back to his house and see what’s holding the other guy up. The boss shouted at him, telling him to shut up and go away. Something’s wrong, and everybody knew it.296Please respect copyright.PENANAi7mGulCNgn
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A good twenty minutes had passed and a loud shout rang across the forest. The source? The boss man. Everyone stood silent, looking at him under the partial darkness. Miguel gulped. When his boss is mad or frustrated, he does like to give a loud roar like a mad lion. Someone has to calm him down. The funny thing is, nobody is willing to go and do so.296Please respect copyright.PENANAMaTkSuFBOf
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The car door Miguel is guarding flew open on the other side and their female comrade came out. She quickly approached the boss, holding his shoulder so that she could turn and look at him.296Please respect copyright.PENANAJuCimuyKil
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"Now isn’t the time to start losing control," she told him. "Pull yourself together or else you might just ruin the whole plan."296Please respect copyright.PENANA6Ui84OWwLb
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"I take it that I’m late for the party?" came another female voice as loud as a blow horn.296Please respect copyright.PENANA22QHvQ9NeQ
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Everyone turned to where the voice came from and there stood a figure of a female at a distance that someone had to turn one of the car's lights on. There stood Rhénee Johnson. Miguel is among the few that murmured in surprise. How is she here alone? And where is their comrade?296Please respect copyright.PENANAm25gP6aC89
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His boss scoffed and slowly made his approach towards her, stopping at a reasonable distance.296Please respect copyright.PENANAcilQuhYHmW
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"How are you here alone?" he asked her.296Please respect copyright.PENANAIDH4VvjUcM
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"That doesn’t matter," Rhénee told him. "I want Miss Griselda back."296Please respect copyright.PENANAkpgGg5JKxm
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Miguel’s boss scoffed. "It will not be easy and you know it."296Please respect copyright.PENANADECJ6qaTFy
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"Good, because I don't intend to negotiate."296Please respect copyright.PENANAazoFAC9Jpv
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Before anyone knew it, an explosion occurred near the centre of the ring of cars, sending the men into a frenzy. The man, considered as the boss, turned to see the confusion. Before he could do anything, Rhénee quickly hit the back of his head hard with the handle of the gun and he fell to the ground out-cold. Rhénee passed his unconscious body, cocking her gun as she raised it to aim and fire.