“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
"Jason, don’t tell me you’re thinking of seeing her." Franklin said, his tone full of disbelief, “What do you want to do? Convince her to drop the charges.”“It’s not a bad idea, Franklin. Our only other option is to prove Kent’s guilt, and that would take a long time,” Amelia defended."No, you two don’t know my grandmother. She’s ruthless; once she puts her mind to something, no one can change it, and she swore on my grandfather’s grave that she would put the person responsible for the failure of the company behind bars,” Kent explained. “When I went to see her and tell her everything that happened, she didn’t have a shred of sympathy for me. She even said I was lying about Kent’s involvement. She looked at me with pure hatred.”“It wouldn’t hurt to give it a try,” Jason said“What’s the harm in trying?” Amelia seconded.Franklin groaned, “You two won’t take no for an answer, will you?”"No, we won't,” Amelia replied immediately.Franklin contemplated it. They had a point; technical
“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
Jason and Amelia had Connor drive them to the airport once they left the jail, and they took the first flight to Saranac Lake.The two-hour flight went by quickly, and soon they were in a taxi on their way to Franklin’s grandmother's house.As the taxi drove around Serene City, Jason gazed out the window, feeling an odd sense of nostalgia. He remembered the last time that he came here and the house that his mother grew up in. His chest tightened slightly.With everything that had happened, he hadn’t thought much of his mother, but being in the place where she grew up made thoughts of her resurface in his mind.He thought of how she probably walked the streets that they drove on and ate at the restaurants that they passed by."Jason,” Amelia called out, boring through his reverie."Yeah,” he mumbled.“We’re here,” she said.“Oh, sorry,” Jason said, running a hand around his hair. He paid the taxi driver and got out of the taxi, with Amelia following after him.Franklin’s grandmother’s
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."
The taxi arrived in front of Franklin’s grandmother’s house, and once Jason saw it, he felt relief wash over him.“The taxi is here; I’ll call you once we get back to New York,” Jason informed, his phone pressing to his ear. “Thanks for listening to my problems again. I’m sorry if I sound like a broken record.”“Okay, fly safe, and remember, in my opinion, it’s best you leave your grandfather in the past,” Connor said on the other end. “You just became the president of the biggest company in the country and one of the biggest on the continent; we should go out for drinks and celebrate tonight.”Jason’s lips curled up into a small smile. “I’ll think about it and let you know,” he said with a small chuckle.“Okay, goodbye, Mr. President,” Connor said in a playful tone before hanging up.After he hung up, Jason stood up from his seated position and began to walk towards the taxi. Before he got into the vehicle, he turned back to take one last look at Franklin’s grandmother’s house.Throu
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
"After reviewing the arguments and the nature of the charges, I have decided that bail is denied. The defendant will remain in custody until the trial."The judge’s words hit like a hammer. Franklin let out the breath he had been holding in since he walked into the courtroom and slumped his shoulders, which seemed to weigh much more than before.Victoria's hand flew to her mouth, stifling a gasp. Amelia's eyes began to sting, and she gripped Jason's hand tightly. “Damn it,” Jason hissed under his breath, his tone a mix of frustration and disbelief.The judge dismissed them, and the guards began to escort Franklin out of the courtroom. Almost immediately, Jason, Amelia, and Victoria followed them outside.As they led Franklin out, he turned back to see his colleagues staring at him with eyes full of empathy and devastation.Franklin turned to the guards, his eyes desperate. "Please let me speak to them," he begged the guards. "Just let me talk to my friends for a moment."The guards e