Chapter 18
For a moment, we’re all frozen in shock.
Caesar speaks first.
“What did you say?”
“We’ve been trying to get her out of her room since this morning but she’s not responding to our calls. The guards broke into the room a few minutes ago and we found her on the floor, She was foaming from the mouth, too. We believe she poisoned herself.”
Jayla is fully awake now and we both exchange shocked glances.
There’s something seriously wrong with this entire situation. I can feel it in my bones.
Caesar instantly shifts to boss mode. He stalks into the house, making straight for Laila’s room. We have no choice but to follow behind him..
My heartbeat accelerates as we get closer to the broken door. When Caesar steps into the room, he lets out a low, strangled
“Sonofabitch”
Pushed by overwhelming curiosity, I try to peek in and see the body for myself but Jayla holds me back. I turn to her and she shakes her head.
“You get nightmares if you see a body on TV, Amaya. Why are you so keen on seeing a real one?”
She’s right. I should step back, but there’s an invisible force that keeps pulling me into the room.
“I don’t know why, Jayla, but I have to see her for myself.”
I pull my arm from her grip and take one step into the brightly lit space. The moment I set eyes on Laila’s cold, lifeless body, something strange crawls up my spine..
“Have you called a doctor? An autopsy needs to be conducted.” Thear Caesar’s voice in the distance.
No one pays me any attention as I get closer to the corpse until I go on my knees beside Laila’s cold body.
She’s bent at an odd angle. Her head is tilted to the side and both her legs are bent at the knees. It seems she was in a kneeling position whilst she was struggling with the poison in her system.
“Amaya? What are you doing?” Caesar suddenly asks.
Before he can stop me, I press two fingers against Laila’s neck and shut my eyes.
“Amaya! Girl, what are you doing?” Jayla asks urgently.
I let all the background noise fade away and focus on communicating with Laila’s veins. It’s even harder to do this on a dead person.
My heart freezes in my chest when I finally find what I’m looking for. I push away from the body and get to my feet, facing
Cesar.
“Laila’s death is not ordinary.” I deadpan.
The entire
room
falls silent.
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Chapter 18
Cesar’s dark eyes rove over–ruy face, making me even more concious of my rapielly beating heart.
“What do you mean by that, Amaya? What did you find?”
“Her veins. If she was poisoned, I would feel it in her veins. There’s no poison in her blood. Her death is supernatural”
Jayla hurries to my side and pulls me away from the corpse.
“Pumpkin, you shouldn’t be getting involved in this.” She whispers to me.
Just then, Elle walks to Caesar and takes his arm;
“Caesar, honey, wouldn’t it be more preferable for a professional to perform an autopsy before we jump to conclusions? I mean, Amaya might have an idea of what is going on, but she’s only half witch. I don’t think we can trust her judgment.”
She casts a disgusted look in my direction, igniting my annoyance even further.
The atmosphere is stiff and silent as we await Caesar’s opinion.
Finally, he pushes Elle away and pins me in place with his signature dark stare.
“Elle is right. A professional doctor will have to perform an autopsy first.”
Those words are like a fist to my heart, and Elle’s smug expression doesn’t help one bit. He chose her over me, again. But then, w
did I expect?
+
clear my throat.
“Okay, then.”
Three seconds later, Henry hurries into the room. He’s been doing a lot of hurrying lately.
“Sir, we found Jackson. The guards are with him at the lounge right now.”
Caesar nods and turns to Elle.
“It’s time for questioning. And you’re coming with me.”
Elle has literally been on Caesar’s throat ever since he announced that she’d equally be questioned about that night.
“Tesoro mio, you know I didn’t do anything wrong. I cannot even hurt a fly!”
When we knees, surrounded by guards who look like they would blow his
rive at the lounge, Jackson is already on I brains out at the slightest wrong move.
The young man looks scared as hell. I almost feel sorry for him.
Caesar calmly takes his seat on the throne–like chair that was already positioned for him in front of Jackson.
When he speaks, his voice commands an authority that I feel straight to my bones.
Jackson, I hired you to covey Miss Amaya safely to the hotel that night, but you made very grievous mistakes
“I’m really sorry, sir.” Jackson pleads, his voice shaking with fear. Please don’t kill me.”
1 freeze. How many men have Caesar killed in the past?
12:55 Tue, Dec
C
hapter 18
Caesar lifts a finger and Jackson falls silent.
~
“Who gave you the permission to give Elle a lift in my car?
“No one, sir.” He sobs. “I tried to explain to Miss Elle that she wasn’t allowed to come along but she refused to listen to me. I’m so sorry, sir.”
Caesar’s fingers tighten to fists.
“Why didn’t you call me then? Why didn’t you ask for permission?”
Jackson lowers his head. “Miss Elle told me that there was no need for that because she’d already called you.”
Caesar shoots Elle a murderous glare and she literally withers.
“Caesar…” she whines. “I’m sorry for lying. I knew you wouldn’t let me come if I called you. Besides, your family was happy
to see me.
“That’s enough!” Caesar snaps so suddenly, I almost jump out of my skin. “You were not an invited guest, Elle. Have some self respect for goodness’s sake.”
Elle lowers hier head in shame..
“Jackson, go on. What happened to Miss Amaya?”
“Well, M–miss Amaya was not f–feeling well.” He stutters. “I remember that she was very thirsty, but she still didn’t get any better even after Miss Elle offered her some water to drink.
Miss Elle had to call an Uber to take her back to the penthouse.”
Wait, what?
I turn to Jackson, eyes wide.
“What did you say?” I whisper in disbelief.
“That’s the truth, sir.” He insists, pointedly avoiding my eyes. “The Uber was supposed to take Miss Amaya back home. I don’t know what happened after that.”
“You’re lying.” I say as calmly as I can. “Even though I wasn’t feeling well, I remember vividly that a white car came to pick me up and there were two people already seated at the backseat One of them was Jayla”
“Caesar, do you see why I said we cannot trust her judgment?” Elle interrupts me, eyes blazing.
“What Jackson said is the truth. I called an Uber to take Amaya back home. She wasn’t even conscious of her surroundings that night and I hear the cake that was given to her caused her to hallucinate.
Jayla was not in that car. It was only Amaya and the Uber driver.
My chest constricts with anger as I watch the entire scene unfold as if in small motion.
I already know how this will turn out. It’s my word against theirs and Caesar will never believe me.
Jayla suddenly steps in front of me protectively.
“I believe my best friend. These two are lying, especially this airheaded bitch!” She sneers, pointing a finger at Elle.
If Amaya says that that car wasn’t an Uber. I believe her.”
Chapter 18
While Jayla is talking. He is fiddling with her phone. Suddenly, he steps towards Caesar and shoves the screen in his face
“Look at this. This is evidence that I booked an Uber for Amaya ook at the time, seven forty–five, I even indicated that the ride was not for me and that it was for Amaya.
Her name is clearly written there. What other evidence do we need?
I understand that Amaya was hurt that night, but everything she remembers are memories that she hallucinated. None of it is real.”
An anger that I cannot seem to explain currently brews inside of me, threatening to break free any moment from now.
- 1.
But how would backlash help me? Elle has evidence to prove he claims. All I have are blurry memories that I’m even starting to doubt myself.
Caesar turns to his guards;
“Release him. Lower your guns.”
Jackson breathes a visible sigh of relief as the guards obey.
“You’re free to go, Jackson, but you will no longer be working for me. You’re fired. An investigation will still be conducted concerning this matter. In the meantime, you have to be available for questioning anytime the police or Pack Heads come around.”
He delivers each instruction with such cold, refined precision.
Then without uttering another word, he gets to his feet and leaves the room.
“That stupid, conniving bitch!” Jayla screeches the moment we have some privacy.
She pinches her thumb and forefinger together.
“I swear to the goddess, I was this close to introducing her hair to the powerful grip of my fingers.”
I roll my eyes. “How you still manage to sound like you’re a cast member on the Bridgerton series even when you’re raving mad, I will never understand.”
She lifts a brow at me.
*Pumpkin, what’s your point exactly? We need to teach that bitch a lesson. We need to expose her…”
“Don’t you think I’ve thought about all of that already? I sigh, sinking into the nearest sofa. “I know what I saw that night, but we cannot base our actions only on heresy. We need evidence to prove that Elle actually spiked that water and shoved me into a car with strangers. Without evidence, no one will believe us.”
“Wow, I never knew you were this intelligent, Amaya. Bravo!”
Jayla and I turn towards the door, and our eyes narrow in sync as we watch Elle sashay into the roof.
Jayla wrinkles her nose.
“I smell bitch.”
“It’s probably that cheap perfume you gave on, but okay.” Elle claps back.
I’m already fuming. “I suggest you speak to my best friend with respect
12:55 Tue, Dec 3 Gti B.
Chapter 18
Elle frowns. “I will only give respect to whom respect is due, and you, dear Amaya, are someone who might just be worthy of my respect
I frown What is she playing at now?
A corner of Elle’s lips lifts in a smile.
“You were right. You and your superhero wannabe best friend will never be able to turn Caesar against me… because you have no proof. I’m not even worried about that.”
Her smile disappears, replaced by an ice cold frown.
“However, he might still harbour intentions of marrying you, which is why I’m here with a proposition
Tell Caesar that you’re no longer interested in getting married to him and I’ll give you twenty million dollars in cash.”
My blood boils as she looks at me with a hint of mockery.
“You know you need the money, sweetheart. I heard your husband abandoned you with two children. What a pity. How else will you cater for your babies if you don’t take my money?
So, what do you say…
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