Chapter 45: Chapter 45

The next day, Val woke up early in the morning only to stare at the white ceiling.

The twilight at dawn still left the world.in darkness, and if it weren't for the artificial lightings that illuminated the room, one would believe it wasn't morning yet.

Val didn't remember the dreams she had, but the worry in her heart spoke well enough of it. She still wasn't over what had happened at work from the previous day. She seemed at a loss as she jumbled in her mind without anchoring on a certain thought.

It wasn't after it was like thirty minutes later that she finally thought to go clean her face and freshen up herself. She couldn't stay emotional about the incident forever, she needed to get her mind off of it someway or the other. That too when she let out a sigh earlier, her breath was kind of foul.

Of course, she had drunk herself to sleep last night, and its stench still permeated the room. A bittersweet stench Val would say...

Once she came back from the washroom, she remembered she still hadn't called work that she would be taking a rest today. She threw her towel into the open closet and went to make herself some coffee.

She soon returned in the room and sat on her bed before reaching to the bedside table to pick up her mobile phone, unplugging it from the charger.

Just as the screen came on, Val noticed a message. It was from Bob!

Val's mood became frivolous, anxious, angry and at the same time relieved. She had been wondering what attorney Chris meant when he said something had happened when she spoke with him the day before, and seeing his message now only put her at ease. If anything, Bob would still be the father of her unborn child regardless if he took responsibility or not.

Val shook her head off the idea, she was overthinking what was only a possibility. She quickly tapped open the message to read its content.

" Hello again, stranger..."

Val's brown eyes danced left to right as she read the message. The frown on her face slowly receded as she covered each line.

" Yours sincerely, stranger..."

' This man is something else' Subconsciously, a smile crept on Val's face as she finished reading the message.

" But then..." Val frowned again remembering a line that had her concerned from the message. Bob had also indicated that something had happened and although he didn't mention it and had only informed that attorney Chris would brief her about it when he returned to San Francisco, Val was still worried. The fact that Bob had said he couldn't leave Seattle because of what had happened was enough reason for Val to be worried.

What could have happened that would make Bob unable to leave Seattle. Without doubt, it had to be something pretty important and likely threatening.

" What could have happened?..." Val muttered to herself in thought. A fire of curiosity sparked in her and she quickly flipped through her phone to find attorney Chris' contact.

She knew he might already be in a flight as Bob related in his message that the attorney had taken the next flight to San Francisco, so she texted a message to him instead.

" Attorney Chris, I received a message from Bob saying to meet with you when you're back in town regarding a brief on what's been going on. He said you'd be back in a day or two. How does meeting on Saturday sound? "

Val put a finger below her lips as she read the message she'd typed over again before sending. She didn't have a casual relation with the attorney so she was quite straight forward with her message. Besides, there was still the issue of last time she met with him at his place. Val wasn't over that yet.

Her gut feelings told her there was more to things than she thought, and she planned to find out.

Val closed the message after it had been sent and seemingly remembering that she still hadn't called work that she'd be taking a day off, she decided to do just that.

...

In the afternoon when attorney Chris boarded off the airplane at the San Francisco international airport,

After having switched from the airplane mode. He smiled bitterly seeing Val's message before typing in a response.

" No problem. Saturday is fine by me. Same place as last time?" Attorney Chris meant that they meet at his place once again.

' This time, things are gonna be different...' He thought with a wry smile.

...

Mark walked out of the police department in slightly rusted shirt with his sleeves rolled up. He held his suit over his shoulder behind him.

It had been more than 24 hours since he'd been arrested and he had been released on bail prior to trial. Coincidentally, the chief security officer- Mr Porter, was released at the same time and the gloomy expression on his face said enough. Mark didn't even try to say anything to him, nor did the chief security officer did the same. They both went their seperate ways, knowing there was no use crying over spilt milk.

Ollie and the other janitor were still in custody, hence, Mark was able to escape the constant nagging from both men.

Contrary to how the chief security officer accepted his fate just as Mark, the others didn't. They blamed Mark for their misfortune. As though Mark had forced them into doing it.

Having nothing to say, Mark had ignored them back in the cell. Even he didn't know what would be his fate. The downside of working in a renowned company is notoriety when there's a misconduct.

In summary, Mark's administrative career was at jeopardy.

Sighting the bustling street outside of the police department, Mark sighed again and stopped a cab to head home first.

He was still dumbfounded by everything that was happening. He'd gotten his phone back, and he'd seen his face on the news. He was now a villain, and a person of scorn. His life was practically in ruin.

To think few days ago he had been on top of his fly. Mark was literally in the best state of life any man could be back then. He had a job that paid handsomely, a home, and several women. Now the only thing he might be left with is his home and life savings. And if he didn't get a job soon, he might lose both as well.

Everything couldn't have gone more wrong now though. His life had now become a total mess.

As he got in his apartment, Mark slammed the door and fastened the lock, uncertain if it was out of habit or fear of being hunted. Mark was losing it.

It was no telling what could be done to him. The fact that he was released from police custody when he was waiting to be taken to court made him skeptical. There had to be a reason for this.

Mark went straight into his room, hung his suit, unbottoned his shirt and took off his pants and shoes as he headed to the bathroom.

Deep in thought, he leaned against the tiled wall in the bath as the shower rained on him.

Mark understood he had been greedy, wicked, cruel and an excuse of a human. It had made it even easier for him to fall in Maggie's plans.

Back in police custody, whilst he contemplated where he'd gone wrong, he suddenly realized that Maggie had put up this plan to ruin his life.

Of course, he knows about Maggie's relationship with the CEO, but he didn't believe she could be so petty. The CEO wouldn't even look his way anymore even if Mark did everything he could, so only a question remained.

' Why?'

Mark still couldn't get the point of Maggie's actions... nor Kaitlyn's. He had a feeling something deep was behind everything, And he sought to find out...

' Kaitlyn...' Mark thought with a melancholic expression on his sculptured face.