Christopher Collins' Point Of View

I shifted on the soft bed, feeling my body heavier than normal. The sunlight coming from the gap offered by the curtain was exactly over my face, making me huff impatiently. I tilted my body to the side, feeling my wife's body touch mine. I opened my eyes with certain difficulty, my eyelids seemed to weigh more than normal, almost preventing me from waking up. I saw my wife lying next to me, with a serene expression, as if she was having one of the best nights of sleep of her life. I brought my hands to my face as I grunted about the tiredness that I was feeling. Recently that was getting worse, I had the feeling that the more I slept, the more tired I became. Would it be possible?

I looked at the clock on the nightstand, and it indicated that it was past my time to get up. I sat up on the mattress as I grabbed my phone from the table. I frowned as soon as I saw eighteen missed calls. Some from Brandon, others from John. For a split-second I felt that a bomb would blow up inside my head, like a sort of foreboding. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, to then look at my beautiful wife who was sleeping beside me on our bed. I dialed Brandon's number, and after a few seconds, I heard his fearful voice on the other side of the line.

"Good Morning, Christopher."

"Good Morning, Commissioner. Something wrong?"

He was silent for a few moments that made my heart race. I put on the slippers that were on the floor on my side of the bed, and headed in slow steps to the balcony in my bedroom. The day was cloudy, the sky dark due to the thick layers of dark clouds. A storm was coming.

"You need to come to the police station. Something has happened."

"What happened?"

"Christopher..."

"Just tell me, Brandon!" I exclaimed nervously.

"Collins Enterprise was hacked again. And this time we have a more delicate situation. Please, I need you to come here."

I didn't give him a chance to keep talking. I lowered the phone slowly, feeling my fingers ache around the device, which was being squeezed with as much force as I possessed in that instant.

"Fucking shit..."

I could hear the low sound of the Commissioner's voice calling my name on the phone, until the call came to an end. My whole body was vibrating with anger, or rather, hatred. The thefts wouldn't stop until I was left in misery, I felt that. It was like having a cursed fortune that would never be completely mine. They'd never leave me alone. Assholes! It was hard to believe that Heitor would be so clever to that extent, he was just a mere pawn in a heavy game. Hacking a system as good as mine wasn't a task for a simple beginner, let alone an amateur. Whoever it was, the person wasn't willing to play, and I could no longer control that situation, things were getting out of hand. I'd play hard, I'd find out who really was behind this goddamn hell that has become my life.

"Shit!" I slammed my hand hard on the balcony's jamb. "You can do it, Collins. You can. I didn't do all that to fall down like this." I whispered to myself as I took a deep breath.

"Christopher? Is everything alright, honey?"

I heard my wife's serene voice coming from the bedroom. I turned away from the balcony and went inside, seeing Camila still in bed. She looked tranquil, rested.

"Get dressed, we're going to the police station."

"What happened?" She asked curiously.

"I was hacked again. And apparently, this time wasn't so simple."

Camila's expression changed, her calm countenance disappeared, giving way to a nervous woman.

"We were robbed again, Camila." The words came out of my mouth in a disbelieved way. "Again, someone had the audacity to do it again!" I yelled before throwing the phone as hard as I could against the mirror, shattering it into a million pieces.

The brunette widened her eyes in a frightened way.

"Christopher..." She got up from the bed and approached slowly. "Calm down. Let's see what happened."

"How do you want me to calm down? Someone's clearly playing me for a complete idiot! They were playing with me initially, but now they want to destroy me!" I exclaimed with hatred.

"We'll fix this. The police can help."

A laugh laden with sarcasm left my lips.

"The police didn't do absolutely anything! That damn useless cop couldn't do shit, she only made things worse. But she'll pay for it."

"What are you going to do?"

"Get dressed, we're going there now."

My breath was heavy, totally breathless. Effects of my damn anxiety. I just nodded, being guided by my wife to the bathroom.

-----

Carlos parked the car in front of the New York police department. We exited the car quickly, and headed inside of the building, being greeted initially by an officer who led us to the Commissioner's office. The precinct seemed more busy than usual.

"Christopher." I heard the older man's voice as soon as I crossed the hallway. "Mrs. Collins."

Camila greeted him politely before we were led into his office. Brandon didn't have a very good expression on his face, his facial lines indicated how serious the problem might be. As soon as we walked into the office, I could see the presence of two police officers, one of them was Lauren.

"Have a seat." The gray-haired man said. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Can you go straight to the point? I didn't come here to have a drink!"

The atmosphere in the room got heavy. Agent Jauregui stared at me without any emotion, she seemed numbed.

"How much did they steal from me, Brandon?"

The Commissioner swallowed hard, and sat down, making a goddamn suspense that made me even more angry.

"Christopher, your account lost a significant amount of money. But it wasn't characterized as robbery."

"What? What do you mean?"

"100 billion dollars were withdrawn from your account last night, with your login."

In that instant I felt as if all the blood in my body had stopped circulating in my veins. I took a few steps back and sat down on the chair that was there. Camila gasped in surprise, but approached me as soon as she noticed my state.

"Oh, God. Someone get him a glass of water, please." I heard Camila's voice somewhat nervous.

I lowered my head, feeling everything spin. I took a very deep breath, feeling my chest inflate rapidly.

"Don't touch me right now." I mumbled to Camila who looked at me worriedly.

"Do you want me to call a nurse?" I heard Brandon's voice in the background.

I balled my hands into fists, and got up from the armchair I was sitting on.

"I want you to fucking do something to get this money back!" I exclaimed loudly. "You know very well that it wasn't me who took this absurd amount. I've been home all night sleeping with my wife!"

"Are you sure about that, Mr. Collins?" Lauren asked accusingly.

"Are you insinuating something?" I seethed as I stood in front of her.

I stared into the agent's green eyes, they looked furious and at the same time mocking. She stood firm, staring at me with an almost defiant expression. I swear that I felt my whole blood boil in her presence.

"No, I'm just trying to gather accurate information."

"You can interrogate all my employees. I've been at my house all night. You all know that I wouldn't do this!" I shouted.

"Honey, calm down..." I heard Camila whisper.

"I know, Collins. But we can't rule out the entry made with your login. This all matters to justice." Brandon murmured nervously.

"Someone used it against me! Hell!" I paced back and forth while my head seemed to run a thousand miles per second. "100 billion dollars... Do you have any idea how much that means? Oh, fuck. My companies will stop completely!"

"Try to calm down."

"You can't stay calm when half of your capital was stolen! The production will stop, everything will go down the drain." I whispered.

"Oh my God..." Camila touched my shoulders gently.

"It's all your fault..." I whispered. "You're to blame!" I shouted as I faced Lauren.

"What?" She exclaimed in surprise.

"You!" I shouted right in front of her face.

I saw the Agent's nostrils inflate with an expression of anger.

"You were useless! An incompetent! You didn't do absolutely anything! You let me get massacred! Fucking amateur!"

"You'd better shut up. I can arrest you for disrespecting an officer." The woman said without turning her gaze away from mine. "And you won't want more items in your criminal record."

"Do you really think I took this money? You dumb idiot!" I charged towards her, when I felt Camila's hands gripping my arm. "Do you really think I would sabotage myself?!"

"Christopher, you're too nervous. Please, stop!" Camila exclaimed.

"Let go, Camila!"

"You better call your lawyer." Brandon pushed me, pulling me away from that woman.

"This can't be happening! I was fucking robbed, dammit!" I said as I slapped Brandon's hands away. "And yet I'll be indicted?"

"I believe you! But we must prove it!"

"Right! Okay! I'll call John to come here. But Commissioner, I want you to file a suit to remove Lauren Jauregui from this case."

Brandon stayed silent for a few moments, and then said:

"That's already being done."

"What?" Lauren exclaimed loudly in pure surprise.

"Christopher..." Camila whispered as she stared at me.

"You can't do this! You can't!"

Even in the midst of all that chaos, seeing the desperation of Agent Jauregui was gratifying. It was no secret, from the beginning Lauren bothered me, I never had enough motives to push her away, but her lack of evidence and progress in that case allowed such possibility. For a woman on the rise in her police career, that would be a mercy shot, given by me.

"Don't do this..." Camila was scared, nervous. "Please."

I stared into my wife's brown eyes, they were fearful, almost surprised. Camila in a short time in the company of her private security guard had created bonds, which soon I'd have to cut.

"I don't want her involved in this. Can't you understand that I'm being accused of robbing my own company? And you still want this woman in charge of this investigation?"

"We can all put our differences aside and find a way to work together to solve this, honey."

"Are you really going to remove me from this case because he's asking?" Lauren asked Brandon in a nervous way. The defiant pose of minutes ago came crumbling down.

"It's not because he's asking, Lauren. The time of the inquiry is ending, and we didn't have any progress. You won't be fired, you'll only be transferred to another department."

"You know how bad this is for an officer's career, Brandon. Please."

"I'm so sorry, Jauregui. You're out of the Collins case."

Lauren closed her eyes for a few instants, which made me smile. Camila was whispering for me to do something, but I just watched that scene, which would probably be the only satisfying thing of my day.

"Fine." That was the only word that came out of her mouth.

She turned away from the Commissioner's desk, and turned her eyes to me. If Lauren could kill me with a single look, it would be with that one. She took a deep breath, causing her chest to rise and fall quickly.

"Lauren..." My wife whispered.

"Leave her." I murmured to Camila in rebuke.

"You have not heard the last of this!" The Agent said.

"Are you threatening me, Lauren?" I took a step forward, stopping right in front of the woman again.

"If you want to take it as a threat..." She shrugged and looked at me, and then at Camila in a serious way, almost furious.

"Get out of my way." I said.

"Not yet, Collins. Not yet." Lauren retorted angrily before leaving the office.

The door was slammed shut, causing its glass window to shake. Silence filled that room, in a heavier than normal atmosphere. I stared at Brandon's fearful gaze, and then at Camila's disappointed expression. The brunette took a few steps back and sat down on the couch that was in the corner of the room, barely believing what had just happened.

"I don't want that woman meddling in this case."

"I'll take care of removal as quick as possible. Don't worry, she won't be handling anything from the case."

"Brandon, pay attention. I didn't do this, there's someone who wants to end me. We can't let that happen."

"I know! I'll put someone more pliable in charge of the case. But I'll stay close and keep an eye on the investigation. I already have someone in sight."

"We need someone who's on my side, and not against me."

"I'll handle it, Collins. Don't worry."

Camila stayed the whole time in silence, she seemed upset, somewhat distracted. It annoyed me to see how the woman worried about the Agent, apparently even more than she did me.

"I'll call John now."

"Do that, I'm going to sort some things out now. Stay in my office."

The Commissioner glanced at me and then left the room. I still felt nervous, somewhat flustered. A few drops of sweat ran down my temples, while I felt my body cold. All that stress was making me feel sick.

"Are you going to stay quiet?"

"I have nothing to say."

"Why do you care so much about this woman, Camila?"

I walked towards her slowly, as I put my cold hands in the pockets of my pants.

"That's not the point, I just thought you overreacted. I don't like injustice." She said without even looking at me.

"Injustice is what they're doing to me! And she did absolutely nothing to stop it!"

Camila turned her face, letting me stare into her brown eyes that now had an enigmatic glow.

"You know that you've crossed a lot of people, honey. Do you really think it's unfair?" She got up and walked over to me, stopping right in front of me. "It is said that what goes around comes around."

"What are you talking about?"

She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"There are so many men who felt betrayed by your old partnership. Heitor is one of them! I bet he's the one who's doing this." She touched my shoulders.

"Heitor wouldn't be that clever. He was stupid enough to put everything in my name, and when he had the opportunity to do something worthy, he turned against me." I let out thoughtfully.

"Don't underestimate people, baby." Camila whispered with her eyes fixed on mine as she slid the tip of her thumb over my lips. "They can carry a lot of secrets."

"Doesn't matter. I'm going to find out who's behind this, and I'm going to handle it my way."

"I really hope you can do it. Living in this hell is becoming more and more unbearable. I'm reaching my limit!"

"Everything will be alright, my love." I said as I pulled her into a hug.

"I know it will. I feel that this war will come to an end." She said as she hugged me.

We stayed in that embrace for a few minutes, when I felt that indisposition increase. My vision began to blur out of nowhere, and a weird weakness took over me. Suddenly, my legs seemed to lose their strength.

"Camila..." I whispered somewhat lost before blacking out.

-----

I don't know for how long I was passed out, but I woke up inside a fucking white room, smelling of cheap disinfectant. I grunted a few times as I tried to sit up; unsuccessfully. I looked around, it was a hospital room, after passing out it couldn't be anywhere else. I felt the bedsheet until I found the small remote that would allow me to alert a nurse, but as soon as I was about to press the button, the door of the room was opened.

"Finally awake, Mr. Collins."

Ashton Morgan entered the room in his white coat, and a patient smile on his face. He's been my doctor for years, and always took care of my health.

"Do you know where my wife is?"

"I sent her home. She said she needed a shower and a change of clothes. But she said she wouldn't be long."

"Alright, that's okay. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Well, Christopher, we did some tests. And gathered some information from your wife. We know that you've been under too much stress, and that may have caused a minor pressure problem. But all is well now, without any risk." The doctor said serenely.

"Stress is the only thing that I've been through the past few days. I imagine you heard what happened."

"Yes, I heard about it, it's a real absurdity. And I hope you can solve this problem."

"I will, doctor."

The doctor was silent for a few seconds as he seemed to analyze some papers in the green clipboard in his hands.

"Collins, I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Have you been taking any medicine lately?"

I frowned and shook my head.

"No, none. Why?"

"Are you sure? We did some tests, and some substances were found in your organism. We're talking about medicine for anxiety, tranquilizers. I know that your life hasn't been easy, but taking this meds in large amounts and without medical prescription isn't advisable."

I stayed in silence for a few instants, while my head was lost in thought. I wasn't consuming medicine, let alone tranquilizers. But there was a large amount in my system, and if it was present, it's because someone was making me take them. Suddenly, my head processed all the moments when I felt extremely tired in the last few months.

"Oh, I ended up forgetting that sometimes I take some to remain calm." I lied.

"Alright. I'll prescribe you a better one, less strong. But don't take it too often, okay?"

"Don't worry, Dr. Morgan."

"You'll stay under observation for a few more hours and then you'll be released."

"Thank you."

Camila Collins' Point Of View

I had my car parked in front of the police department as I waited anxiously for Normani to pick up the phone. It rang at least three times before I heard the woman's voice on the other side of the line.

"Did something happen?" She asked as soon as she noticed who it was.

"No, Mani. I'm here at the front."

"What do you mean? Shouldn't you be in the hospital with Christopher?"

I closed my eyes for a few seconds and shook my head.

"Yes, but he slept for hours. I told the doctor that I was going home to take a shower and get some rest."

"Got it. And is he okay?"

"Unfortunately it was just the pressure, he's as strong as a bull." I huffed angrily.

"I could make a comment about the animal you chose to represent him, but I'll keep quiet." She said with a chuckle, which made me laugh too. "But tell me, why are you here?"

"I need to talk to Lauren."

"Camila..."

"Normani, please. I need to."

"Lauren is on a very bad day. I've never seen her so upset before."

"Dammit..."

Nothing went as I planned. In my plans, Lauren would only have a little setback in the investigation, but not a complete shutdown from the case. It was like taking the greatest opportunity of the woman's police career. Hell. She would hate me for the rest of her life. And as if that wasn't enough, she was still verbally assaulted by that bastard from hell.

"Well, they gave her the day off. Should be home now."

"Alright, thank you for the help. I have to go." I said before ending the call.

This time I had a huge weight on my back, like I had never had before. For years, doing everything that I've done, nothing has upset me that way. It was like feeling like the worst person in the world and not being able to do anything to change that. I slammed my hand hard against the steering wheel, feeling angry at myself for having involved her in this. But it wasn't as if I had a choice. Everything was millimeterly planned from the first instant I laid eyes on that man. Lauren was a big surprise; in the middle of a heavy game, filled with lies and rancor, she infiltrated herself, taking away all the stability I thought I had.

"I shouldn't have fallen in love with you, Lauren." I whispered with my head rested on the steering wheel of my car.

In that instant, a single thought took over my mind:

What if I turned myself in?

Lauren would hate me for everything, and consequently would arrest me. Christopher would be exposed and we'd both be trialled. It wasn't the best course of action, not for me, but for Lauren it could be the best. She didn't deserve to be involved in such a troubled story as this one, she didn't deserve that, right?

"You can't..." I whispered to myself.

For the first time I could do something really good, nor for myself, but for someone I love. I leaned my head against the car seat and stared into my eyes through my reflection in the rearview mirror. Suddenly, everything that I've been through during all those years flashed through my head, every little moment. From my tears, my pain, anger, rancor, even my courage and persistence to get where I got. And in the middle of this was my love for her, a damn woman who became my weakness, my Achilles' heel.

"Everything can be different." I whispered.

I took a deep breath, trying to push away all those thoughts. Before making any decision, I needed to see her, to hear her, and that was exactly what I would do now. I drove down the avenues of New York while my head thought of a way to change that situation, until I finally parked in front of the building where Lauren's apartment was located. The doorman, a very kind man, nodded and smiled as I walked towards the elevator.

"Come on, Camila. Make her feel good at least once." I whispered to myself. "You own the game, change that."

The beep of the elevator indicated that I had reached Lauren's floor. I walked down the hallway until stopping right in front of the deputy's door. I think I stood there for a few minutes, just gathering courage to knock on that door. I shook my head, thinking about how I could be so cowards when it came to Lauren, and so brave when it came to face a plan of revenge. Alright, let's go. I lifted my hand and knocked three times on the wooden door. I waited for a few instants and knocked again. I heard a noise inside the apartment, and immediately thought that the door would open, so I took two steps back, when the door opened.

"Do you want something?"

As soon as I lifted my head, I stared into a pair of eyes, and they weren't Lauren's. Keana stared at me with a neutral expression and a soft smile on her lips. She was wearing a large shirt, with Lauren's last name below the police symbol, and only that. From her lack of clothes and the way she looked, it wasn't hard to figure out what had happened.

"I want to speak to Agent Jauregui." I said seriously.

"She's in the shower. Do you want to leave a message?"

"No, I don't want to leave a message. I'll wait."

"Are you sure? She just..."

"Keana? Who's there?"

I heard Lauren's voice in the back of the apartment, causing a lump to form in my throat. I didn't know how to express what I was feeling, in that moment, my chest was exploding in anger and disappointment. I knew that Lauren and I didn't have a real relationship, I was married, but after everything we've been through, seeing her with another was what I least needed. I took a deep breath and kept the same serious expression, without letting the other officer notice any discomfort. If there was one thing that I knew how to perfectly do, that was to pretend.

"Yes, baby. Mrs. Collins is here." Keana said as she opened the door further.

Lauren stopped dead in her tracks as soon as she looked at me. I remained where I was, just staring at her. The deputy was only wearing a robe, with wet hair and bare feet.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as she averted her eyes from mine.

I pulled as much air as I could into my lungs and held my head high as I walked into her apartment. I walked by the officer who was standing at the door, in a stupid attempt to stop me. She didn't know who she was messing with, did she? The sound of my heels was perfectly heard on the wooden floor of the quiet apartment. I glanced briefly around the apartment, and everything was organized. I guess the party was in the bedroom.

"I came here with the concern that you'd be feeling not so good due to what happened earlier today, but I see that you had no trouble asking for solace." I glanced briefly at Keana who rolled her eyes in the corner of the living room.

Lauren was standing in front of me, with a serious expression, somewhat angry.

"You're the least suited person to worry, don't you think?" The deputy countered.

"Now I see so."

"You shouldn't be here, Camila. You know that."

"I had other plans before I came across this."

"What plans? Play the good Samaritan after your husband removed me from the case?"

"You know damn well that I tried to stop him!"

"You got to be kidding me."

"I'll leave you alone." Keana said as she walked to the bedroom.

"Oh, don't be coy, dear." I said with a mocking tone. "Stay, or do you only know how to stay to sleep with her?"

"Camila..."

"What? Am I lying? Please, Lauren. Don't you get tired? You always leave the poor girl as your second option." I walked around Lauren, stopping near Keana.

She stared at me challengingly, still in her attempt to intimidate me.

"I kind of admire you, dear." I said ironically and touched Keana's chin before she turned her face away. "You seem so comfortable standing on the sidelines."

"Does your husband know about this?"

"What's it to you? Don't worry about him, and worry about yourself."

"Go away, Camila." Lauren grabbed my arm tightly.

"I love when you grab me like this, Jauregui."

I turned to face her, receiving her murderous glare. Lauren was breathing heavily, perhaps remembering all the anger she was feeling. It wasn't for less, but at the moment, I couldn't feel pity, not at the sight of that pathetic scene between the two women, and think about everything that must have happened.

"Don't play with me, Karla."

Her eyes drifted away from mine and descended to my lips, which expanded into a devilish smile. I saw Lauren take a deep, heavy breath as she tried at all costs to hate me.

"Anymore?"

Lauren clenched her jaw and tightened her fingers even more around my arms.

"You're going to mark me? Because if so, I want it to be in the way only you know how to."

"Get out of here."

"I will. But only because I got tired of witnessing this decadence of yours. Oh, Lauren, she's pretty, but we both know that she can't fuck to save her life." I said as I pulled away.

"Listen here, Karla..." Keana approached.

"I don't have time to listen to you, love." I stared at Keana. "I'm a very busy woman, and it's literally not part of my vocation to stay listening to complaints from the side hobby of what's mine. Enjoy, soon you'll be discarded again."

"You don't..."

Lauren put a hand on Keana's shoulder, and the woman fell silent.

"Get out of here already!" The deputy exclaimed.

"Seeing you this nervous is such a turn on. But anyways, I just want to give you a message, Jauregui."

"What?"

I walked closer to her again, and as soon as I was close enough, I smiled as cynically as I could. I brought my hands to the collar of her robe, which I straightened slowly.

"You may have left the Collins case, but you're still my private security guard. So I want you all tidy in my house before nightfall, are we clear?"

"You're out of your mind, I'm not going back to that house."

"Yes, you will. If you want to have some prestige in your career, you better show up. You don't want to be fired, do you?"

"You're gonna pay for this, you know that right?"

"That's what we'll see. Anyways, enjoy the rest of the day."

I spun on my heel and walked towards the door. I took a deep breath and stopped when I reached it to cast a last glance at both of them.

"Don't be late, Lauren. I hate to wait."

"Wait!" The deputy exclaimed.

I kept walking, heading towards the end of the hallway, where the elevator was.

"Camila, come back here!"

I wouldn't stop, much less go back to listen to her. I took a deep breath and stepped into the elevator, and only then did I turn to the front, seeing the image of Lauren standing in front of the door of her apartment. I stared into her eyes before the doors closed, breaking our eye contact. As soon as I lost all eye contact with that woman, I let all the air out of my lungs. For the first time, that was a situation where I had to muster all my acting skills, because my only urge was to let out everything that I was feeling, but I wouldn't do that. Never.

"You stupid fool, you almost ruined everything." I whispered to myself. "And for what? For her?!"

To consider the possibility of turning myself in in an attempt to save Lauren's career was by far the most foolish and thoughtless idea I had in years. What could I expect? To find her sad and alone in her apartment? That maybe she felt the same way I did? That she would exclude the possibility of sleeping with another because she likes me? Oh, Camila, so many years without emotional involvement, and yet you could be so naïve? No, I couldn't.

"You'll pay for this, Lauren. And I won't hold back this time."

The elevator doors opened, and I brought one of my hands to my face, wiping the single tear that was stubborn enough to make my eyes teary. I wouldn't allow myself to be so weak to this point. It wasn't Lauren and this damn feeling that would make me vulnerable.

-----

NOTE: Well... Shit :/ Christopher knows something ain't right lol And whatever Camila is planning won't be good... And I'm so excited for it jgfghjkjh When Evelin updates the next chapter, I'll translate and post it :)