Chapter 50: Chapter 50

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"Green eyes, short brown hair, around six-foot-five, really fit, and uh... He's got a small scar on his left eyebrow."

"Married to a tall brunette?"

"Yeah. His wife's just stunning," Jessi replied to her friend on the other line. "Her name's  Evonne Jablonsky Roiz. Ring a bell?"

"Yeah." Kel sighed. "It's him. I know of her."

"Really?"

"Her nickname's Evie. They almost got divorced, I heard."

"Yeah. He told me that, too."  Jessi covered her mouth and got up from her bed, her breathing and heartbeat racing.

It was just a hunch. Just a crazy idea that sprung up when she got home after that eventful funeral service for Jenson's mother. Not so crazy, apparently.

Jessi took a deep, calming breath.  She just didn't expect Kel would confirm it herself:  that Jenson's uncle and boss was actually her hard-to-find brother.  "In some angles, you and him look alike. No bullshit."

"Shit." Kel muttered something on the other end, her hushed voice quite breathy.  "That's insane. Like, what're the odds?"

"Yeah. It's just...  I couldn't sleep last night.  But, I also feel kinda stupid that I didn't figure it out sooner."

"No. Don't.  I'm sure Jenson tried to keep you out of it, 'cause, obviously they like to keep their family issues top secret."

"Yeah. He and his uncle like to keep things very private." Jessi clasped her hair. She paced around her bed in her dim room, her phone still pressed onto her ear. "And I don't know if, I should tell you this, but, he made me sign an NDA."

"What?" Kel practically shouted over the phone. "NDA? Why?"

"I'm not sure."

"Magnus made you sign one?"

"Yeah. I dunno..." Jessi scoffed. "Maybe he thinks I'll tell on his precious 'investments'."

It was practically how the man worded his relationships with Jenson and Darren. As cold and selfish as it sounded, she understood the reasons why.  People like Magnus Roiz enjoyed money and power more than anything else in the world.  He liked to own people, too, apparently.

"Tell on Jenson and Darren? Why? What's the NDA for? What does he think you know?"

"About that girl..." Jessi muttered. Well, she trusted Kel enough—although they only met about a year ago.

Kel was a real friend, and, to be fair, her being related to Magnus sort of gave her a right to know about his affairs. "What girl?"

"That blonde girl Darren was seeing," Jessi sighed.

"Why? What about it?"

As she stood next to the windows, she hesitated to say more and checked the street below her apartment. Busy like always. But nothing unusual.

"Hold on. I thought Darren's single?" Kel sounded more confused now.

"He is, but, he was seeing this girl.  From Phoenix. Then the accident happened and..."

"Accident?"

"She died of overdose. Months ago."

"Okay...  Does he have anything to do with her death?  Hence the NDA?"

"I'm not sure." Jessi massaged her temple.  Although she tried hard not to overthink everything, the anxiety just left her stomach agitated.  Sleep had also been an issue last night.  "Jenson didn't say, but they had a fight about it. Maybe Darren...  I dunno. Maybe Darren was there when the girl overdosed."

"Magnus also found out?"

"Yeah. They're pretty close."  She glanced down at the busy street again.  "I mean, he and Jenson talk on the phone quite often."

"What else did the NDA say?" Kel asked.

"It was pretty general."

"He forced you to sign it? Magnus?"

"Not really. I just...  I felt like I should."

"Look, Jess," Kel muttered with a long sigh.  "I don't mean to intrude or anything, but...  Do you trust Jenson?"

Jessi frowned.  "What do you mean?"

"I know you're good friends and all. But, do you trust him that much?"

She bit on her lip to stifle a sigh, unsure and just sweating profusely under her shirt.  Did she trust her boss?  Yeah. Most of the time. But some things about his recent behavior just bothered her. Lately she just felt like he was hiding a lot of secrets—maybe even dark secrets she shouldn't know about.

"Hey. Did something happen?"

"What d'you mean?" she asked Kel.

"Just recently, or during your quarantine?"

"I'm not sure if..." Jessi bit on her lip and sat on the floor. "Just don't tell anyone. Okay? Please. I've never told anyone about this—not even Mom."

"Sure."

"That night, before he drove me to the hospital, he came back to the office around dawn. Jenson was upset and just—  I was hiding in the other room. I waited for him to fall asleep. He was sleeping on the couch. Then I checked the things in his bag, the one he took with him. I-I think, I saw blood on his shirt. But he wasn't injured anywhere, so I was like...  What was that?"

"Blood?" Kel whispered.  "Wait— Did it smell like blood?"

"I dunno. I couldn't smell anymore by that time. It rained hard that night, and he didn't say where he was before that. I asked, but he didn't say much. I just had a really bad feeling about it."

Those odd words Jenson mentioned hours before also triggered some suspicions. He sounded like he was on the phone ordering a hit on someone.

"Y'know, Jess..." Kel sighed louder on the other line, her tone quite reluctant. "He may be nice to you all the time, acting like he's a friend and all...  But don't get too attached to him. Okay?"

"How d'you mean?"

"Magnus is, um...  Even Enzo knows that he's got lots of money and connections, and in high places.  And Ilya, his father—I mean, my biological father, too—is actually a big-time drug lord. In Serbia and Russia. But I'm not saying Magnus got his money from, y'know, drug dealing and all that. But, just be careful."

"What?" Jessi held her breath.

Magnus—a drug lord's son? Did Darren and Jenson know?

Shit. Most likely.

"I don't know if they're on speaking terms again, 'cause I heard, Magnus and Ilya have had a falling out years ago."

"Why?"

"Money issues. Inheritance. That sort of thing," Kel murmured, scoffing as if annoyed all of a sudden.  "I don't really care."

"You think, Jenson knows about it? About Ilya?"

"Oh, he definitely knows. He called me a lot of times."

"What? Jenson?"

"Last month and the month before that. Enzo was getting annoyed, too, so I blocked all of Jenson's numbers. I guess he used your phone without you knowing, then found my number."

"What? He called you?" Jessi almost choked the words out.

Jenson actually called Kel multiple times?

"Yeah. Sorry I didn't tell you.   Enzo and Miles wanted to make sure that it was actually Jenson or someone working for Magnus.  After I told Enzo, he called Miles. Then they concluded that, um...   Magnus told Jenson to contact me and look for me."

"Shit." Jessi pressed her palm on her mouth. "Why didn't you text me?"

"Sorry. Enzo wanted to be sure first."

"How did they confirm it was Jenson?"

"Two of his security staff reported that, someone was lurking around his house a couple weeks ago. Was Jenson here in New York recently?"

"Yeah." Jessi got up to glance out the window again, feeling quite paranoid now. "He said he had to take care of some business over there."

"Confirmed, then."

"Hold up." She gripped her phone. "Why would Magnus tell Jenson to find you?"

"He said, Magnus wants to bring me to Serbia. To talk to Ilya in person."

"Why not just call you? Ilya, I mean." Jessi made a face. "So, it's really Ilya, your father, who wants to see you in person?"

"Yeah." Kel clicked her tongue.  "To talk about the will. And meet my other brothers and all that."

"You never agreed? You don't wanna meet up with Magnus? Or see your dad?"

"Enzo doesn't want me to, even though he knows Ilya's sick. He could still be in the hospital. Or maybe he hired his own medical staff so he could stay home."

Before Jessi could think of a reply, her shrill message alert tone interrupted their conversation.  It was a new text from the last person she wanted to talk to today.

Ugh. Why did he have to see her again? What for? Wasn't he supposed to be hanging out or having dinner with Charmaine?

"Hey, loves. Talk to you later."

"Okay..." Kel replied. "You need to finish packing?"

"Yeah, and he's downstairs."

"Who? Jenson?" Her usually soft, calming voice sounded much louder now.

"Yeah. He just texted me."

"Downstairs? Why's he there? At your apartment?"

"Don't know. Maybe he just wants to ask about my flight. I mean, after Magnus talked to me, I just left the cemetery. Jenson tried to call, but I ignored it." Jessi scowled and deleted the new message. "Maybe he just wants to talk about some work thing before I leave tomorrow."

"Remember what I said. Okay?" Concern softened Kel's voice again.  "Record your conversation if you have to."

"Why?"

Did she think Jenson would try to harm her or something?

"Just in case."

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