Jason, Franklin, Amelia, and even Victoria all had wide victorious smiles on their faces when they heard the news. They had to hold back screams of joy.On the other hand, Roland and Kent seethed. If looks could kill, then Kent’s glare would’ve sent Franklin six feet under. Kent dug his nails so deeply into his palms that he drew blood. “Now you’re going to rot in hell forever, imbecile,” Kent murmured. “Excuse me,” he said, then walked out, Roland following after him.Everyone watched them leave, but they didn’t focus on that. Immediately, they all began to extend their congratulations to Jason.“Congratulations Jason… I… I know I didn’t vote for you, but you have no idea how happy I am that you won,” Victoria said. Jason couldn’t detect a trace of insincerity in her tone or in her eyes as she spoke.“It’s okay, Victoria; I’m sure I was your second choice." Jason joked.Victoria laughed; it was the first time Jason had ever seen her so carefree. "Yes, you definitely were.”Franklin’s

“Amelia, Jason” Franklin paused, bracing himself for what he was about to admit: “Kent is my family. He’s my brother, to be more specific.”Amelia and Jason looked at each other with wide eyes, then back at Franklin. They stayed quiet, trying to process what they had just heard.Jason was the first to speak. “Your brother? Same mother and father?” he blurted out.Franklin shook his head from left to right. "No, he’s my half-sibling. Listen, just let me explain everything and what I did to get in here,” Franklin said.“Please go ahead," Amelia said her tone was laced with astonishment at the revelation that Kent and, frankly, we’re brothers.“Thank you” Franklin cleared his throat and began, “When I was young, I didn’t care about finance, business, or anything else. I was rebellious and irresponsible, the opposite of my father, who was the president of our family company in Connecticut.”Franklin’s eyes grew distant as he told them about past events. “There was even a period of time wh

“Of course, I will, Victoria,” Franklin replied, his gaze softening.“Thank you,” Victoria said. She anxiously fiddled with the hem of her skirt and took a deep breath, composing herself. Then she began, “Do you remember Joshua Graham?".Franklin furrowed his brow, his eyes narrowing slightly as he cast his mind back, searching through his memory for any trace of the name.He snapped his fingers when he recalled the name: "Yes, I remember him. He was that investment banker. Wasn’t he the one who used to hang out with Roland?”Victoria nodded. "Yes, that’s him.”“He and Roland were good friends. When I started at the Elysian Syndicate, Roland and I were working on a project together, so naturally we spent a lot of time together. Joshua spent a lot of time with Roland, so he spent a lot of time with me too.”“At first, I didn’t mind that Joshua was spending time with us; he was a charming guy and he was funny too, but then things started to get…strange.”“It started with the messages. H

Amelia and Jason had been in front of Franklin’s grandmother's for ten minutes, waiting for a taxi. Amelia was standing with her arms folded, while Jason sat with his jaw clenched.As the minutes passed, they grew more anxious and impatient. Their eyes stayed glued to the road and their minds on Franklin, but a single taxi hadn’t passed; in fact, barely any cars had passed by. Amelia’s gaze frequently darted from the road to Jason. She thought back to his outburst and her eyes became sympathetic.Jason’s hands were trembling slightly, and his face was pale, with eyes that were distant and unfocused. She knew that his altercation with Clara was still weighing on him and that there was something bigger that troubled him. "Jason, it doesn’t look like any taxis are going to pass by here.” Amelia’s voice came out in a soft but audible tone to get his attention.When Amelia’s voice reached Jason’s ears, he blinked and stared at her for a few seconds before replying, "Yeah, you're right."

As soon as the thought crossed Jason’s mind, he dismissed it. He shook his head and finally responded to Amelia."Well, I hope she’s okay,” he said in a monotonous voice.Amelia found his behaviour strange, but she didn’t comment on it.“I do too,” she simply said, then turned her gaze to the window once again.The rest of the ride to the airport was silent until the sound of Jason’s phone notification went off. He opened his phone to see what the message said.Unknown Number: Good afternoon, Jason. This is Victoria. Franklin’s bail hearing is in three hours, and he wants you and Amelia to be in attendance. I’ll text you the address soon.Jason’s heart skipped a beat, and he felt goosebumps form all over his arms, but he cleared his throat in an attempt to compose himself.“Franklin’s bail hearing is today,” he announced.“It is?” Amelia uttered her tone a mixture of surprise and anxiousness.“Yes, Victoria just sent me a message.” As soon as the words left Jason’s lips, his phone buz