New Characters :

Robinson Clarke

- Leader of the opposition party.

- Shrewd and cunning.

- Corrupted official.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"AAH! A family reunion. How sweet!" Robinson comments, with a small smirk on her face. Patricia calmly sits on her chair, with a solemn look on her face.

"I was waiting for you. I underestimated you and thought you would negotiate first."

"I love it when the great Patricia Williamson is confused and defeated. It is like my kink." She chuckles and sits in front of Patricia. "Now, should we negotiate? In private?"

Patricia signals Alphie to take Nina and Fabian out. Nina protests but is shoved out of the room. Jerome sits down, dejected, confused, and defeated. He does have the energy to argue with Patricia anymore.

"You took a big risk." Patricia starts, trying to sound intimidating but her confidence was already low. Robinson was quick to notice that.

"To see you in this state, I would take a hundred more risks like this." She smirks. Patricia hates this. Patricia hates it when people think she is weak. And she wasn't going to let Robinson be that person.

She stands up with full confidence, walks up to Robinson and whispers in a threatening tone, "You know I have something on you, don't you?"

"What's the fun in playing the game when the other one doesn't have anything on you? I am eager to see what it is." Robinson said, liking the way she is playing the game.

"Aren't you scared about what I might have?" Patricia asks, her hand dangerously playing with the remote.

Robinson gulps at that. No! She can't have the tapes from Iran. She made sure no one knows about it. She gathers up her courage and says, "But your secret seemed spicier. I don't know what you have on me, but I sure can turn it around. Just like you did today." Robinson now stands up and meets Patricia's eye.

"If your catfight is over, can we please see the tape?" Jerome asks uninterestedly.

Both Robinson and Patricia glare at him and then look at the screen. As the video comes on the screen, Patricia watches her expressions carefully. They change from that of cockiness to pure shock and devastation.

"The audio is even better." It was now Patricia's turn to smirk. "You want to hear it?"

"I....can....can.....turn this ......around....." Robinson is stuttering and Patricia is loving it.

"You can't turn this around. You see this guy?" she shoves a picture of Fabian from his training days in ISF. "This guy will definitely kill you if the court doesn't punish you. Before you ask, no, no I haven't told him anything. He is standing right outside. Do you want me to call him inside?"

Robinson is silent for some time, trying to think of ways to get out of this. Jerome and Patricia take a sigh of relief, thinking they have won this round. But Robinson gets up suddenly and whispers into Patricia's ears.

"I have a better option."

Patricia's mind was stuck on the word 'better' but she did not want to discuss anything further, with Jerome in the same room. Jerome, on the other hand, saw the change of expression on Patricia's face and understood that Robinson might have offered her something and he was going to be pushed out of the room.

"Jerome, you can now leave us. I have other details to talk about with Robinson here." Patricia opens the door for him. Jerome did as he told but not before 'accidentally' leaving his phone on the sofa with the recorder on.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Nina, Fabian, and Alphie were back at the villa. Nina was still trying to cope up with her father betraying everyone's trust. Mara is still trying to comprehend what she has to do. She knows that their dad did not do this with his will. But she can't tell that to Nina. They both think Fabian and Nina should have some alone time and leave them in her room.

"You can go and sleep, Fabian. I am fine." Nina sits on her bed and curls in a corner. Somehow, Fabian staying close to her was a relief. Her words said she was fine but her eyes; her eyes never fail to express her inner emotions.

"No, you are not fine. I am staying with you." He says as he takes a blanket to sleep on the floor. Nina gets up to look at him but her voice doesn't come out.

"You can sleep on the bed." She says with her head down, almost inaudible.

"What?" Fabian asks as he takes some water to drink. He seemed to not hear anything.

"I said you can sleep on the bed." Nina says a little loudly. Fabian chokes on his water and looks at her with wide eyes.

"On the....same...bed? Like....beside you...?" he still can't believe his ears.

"Yes." She shifts a little to make space for him. Well if you would call it space. Since it was a single bed, it was difficult to accommodate two full-grown people and with someone like Fabian, muscular and tall, it was almost impossible. But maybe that is what Nina wanted. Some closeness with someone she loves.

Fabian tries his best not to touch Nina anywhere resulting in sleeping in a stiff position. Even if it was uncomfortable, he could stay like that the whole night just for Nina. Nina, on the other hand, wanted to hug Fabian tightly and never let him go. She could feel her hand slowly moving towards his but retracts it.

After a few minutes she finally speaks up, "Fabian..." she turns to face him, "I don't think I can take this anymore." She tries her hard to stop her tears, but one eventually flows down.

"I am not sure what my father has become. I am not even sure if I remember who the killer is. I am not sure why Mara is acting like this. I am not sure that my mom will ever get her justice. I don't know who to trust anymore." She had difficulty to form words between her sobs, but Fabian understood her. He always understands.

Fabian gently caresses her cheek with his own eyes glossy with tears. He could feel her pain. He could feel her pain in his own heart.

"I don't know what to say to make you feel better Nina. But I promise I promise to stay with you. I will not let you break down." He holds her hands tightly letting her know he meant every word.

Nina leans in to kiss him which takes him by shock. But he can't seem to push her back. Nina realizes what she has done and pulls away, trying to get off the bed, and almost falling. But Fabian holds her by her waist, their eyes meet for the first time. Where Nina thought she would see pity, was love. Pure love.

Fabian kisses her, not rushing in but an intimate kiss, savoring the moment. He pulls away only to kiss her forehead.

"I like you too Nina. But I don't want to do anything when you are in your most vulnerable situation. It will feel like I am taking advantage." He lets go of her waist and gets up from the bed. Nina holds his arm, begging with her eyes not to leave her.

"If I stay I don't think I can control myself." He kisses her one more time and tucks her into bed. There were no more words exchanged between them, only emotions and feelings.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"A package addressed to Mr. Alphie Lewis." The delivery boy shoves a notepad to Alphie for him to sign. It was 3 'o'clock in the night and Alphie was back in his apartment. He was ready to bash on the delivery guy but as he saw the name by whom it was sent, he rushed in his room, shutting the door on the boy's face.

"The phone recording between Patricia and Robinson. I don't know how much I could get but I hope it's enough. I don't think they are planning something good." Alphie reads the text from Jerome and hurriedly opens up the package.

His eyes became wide with shock as he listens through the audio.

Better options huh?