Adrian!" Ethan, his brother-in law, called loudly again.
He quickly made his way to Ethan's room and he could hear the clinking glasses and low chatter. Ethan would always do this. He would spend his days partying and ulping down alcohol. His father Gregory had grown tired of his carefree behaviour and wished he had been gifted with a more sensible son, not this buffoon. Adrian took a deep breath before stepping into the room. There was a high chance he could get an undeserved beating. He found Ethan sitting on a leather sofa with his friend Dave, both of them half-drunk The smell of alcohol hung in the air, and a whiskey bottle could be seen on the table, almost empty. "There you are," Ethan said with a lazy grin. "We need you to drive us somewhere." Adrian frowned. "I can't, Ethan. I have to drive Mr. Gregory somewhere later today. It's important." Ethan's grin was gone in an instant, replaced by a dangerous glint in his eyes. "What did you just say?" Adrian took a prudent step back. "I am saying, I have to— Before he could get the sentence out, Ethan launched himself to his feet and came at him fast. Grabbing Adrian by his collar, he smashed him against the wall so the wind was knocked out of him. "You think you can defy me?" Ethan snarled, his face inches from Adrian's. "Who do you think you are? When I tell you to do something, you do it. No questions asked.” Adrian held himself back. "I'll drive you," he said reluctantly. “Just let me go." Ethan held him there a moment longer. His grip tightened further before finally releasing. Adrian hunched forward, straightening his shirt as Ethan motioned toward the door. "Good," Ethan said with a sneer. "Let's go." Adrian sighed internally and took the car keys. As they moved towards the driveway, Dave followed behind, snickering as if it was all funny. "You know, I never understood why Jane married a nobody like you," he said with disdain. "She could've had anyone; she could've had me. Instead, she chose some pathetic driver." Adrian said nothing, gulping down his anger, and there was no point in arguing since he had heard such talk a number of times. They got into the car, Adrian behind the wheel. He turned the ignition and drove off, his eyes on the road ahead while Ethan and Dave continued with their slurred speech in the back seat. The morning sun had barely begun to rise over the horizon, casting long shadows down the silent streets. "Drive faster," Ethan said suddenly, his tone sharp. Adrian peered in the rearview mirror. "I'm already driving at the speed limit, Ethan. I don't want to get pulled over." "I said drive faster!" Ethan shouted, his face purple with anger. It was obvious that it was the alcohol talking. Adrian kept his foot firm on the gas pedal, refusing to give the car more gas. But that only seemed to enrage Ethan the more. "Pull over," Ethan growled. "What?" "Pull over and get out of the driver's seat," Ethan repeated, his voice cold. Adrian took a moment before reluctantly pulling to the side of the road. Ethan was already shoving the door open, and stumbling out of the car "I'll drive. you're too fucking slow” Ethan muttered, pushing Adrian. the passenger's side. Before Adrian could say anything, Ethan was already behind the wheel. He barely had time to buckle his seatbelt when Ethan took off, accelerating the car to maximum speed. Then it happened. A flash of movement. The sound of screeching tires, and a loud thud. Ethan ran a red light and hit a man who was crossing the road. Adrian's heart clutched. He peered through the windshield in horror as a man's body crumbled to the ground. "Stop the car, Ethan!" Adrian yelled in panic. But Ethan didn't stop. Throwing his foot on the gas instead, he drove away from the scene, leaving a man to die on the road behind them. “Ethan! We have to call an ambulance!” Adrian pleaded. “Shut up!” Ethan shouted, still speeding away from the scene of the crime. Adrian's mind was racing. They just hit a man and they were running away. What if he died? He felt sick to his stomach, and felt like throwing up. Finally, after a while Ethan finally pulled over in a secluded area. He turned off the car and sat there in silence, his face pale and sweaty. "Dude. We…. we can't just leave him there," Dave whispered, his voice shaking. Ethan whirled on him, his face cold. "Shut up. You didn't see anything. None of this happened." Adrian stared at him in dismay. "But—" "None of this happened," Ethan snarled low. "You got it?Adrian nodded, still in shock of what had just happened. “Now get out of the car.” Ethan ordered, leaving Adrian on the side of the road before him and Dave drove off.By the time Adrian returned to the mansion, he was still shaking, his hands quivering.The image of that man's body—inside his head—wouldn't go away, and Ethan's cold command echoed in his ears. He had to say something—to someone—but who would believe him? A nobody in this family, a lowly pawn used whenever it suited them? How could Ethan just walk away from what he had done? The thought chilled him to the bone. Adrian pushed the heavy oak door of the Sinclair mansion open and was immediately met by Evelyn. She stood in the foyer, arms crossed across her chest, her foot tapping impatiently upon the marble floor. "Where's Ethan? Why didn't you bring him back with the car? "I—he took the car," Adrian said, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I…I don't know where he went after that." You could hear the
"They are saying Ethan ran someone over and never stopped," Evelyn turned to her father. "What?!” Gregory was in disbelief. His foolish son had finally gotten himself into serious trouble. “Make sure you don't say anything until the lawyer arrives” Evelyn said firmly to Ethan as he was taken away. Immediately he was out of the house, she turned her attention to Adrian. “Didn’t you drive them, Adrian?” an accusatory look was drawn all over her face. “Yes I did but--” Adrian was interrupted by a phone call. It was Dr. Harris, the doctor in-charge of his mother’s case. "Hello?” he answered anxiously. He had recently taken his mother for some more tests and was waiting for the results. "I am calling about your mother's condition. We need to talk, immediately." The doctor’s tone implied that it was something serious. "I-I'll be right there," Adrian stuttered, hanging up the phone. He glanced at Evelyn’s piercing stare, sensing no room for explanations now. “I have to
“What?.....how do you know my mother needs surgery?” the shock was evident on his face. Evelyn took a step towards him. “How I know doesn't matter. What matters is that I can help you….that is if you do what I say” “I'll be back in an hour. I want your answer by then” she said coldly before leaving his room. Adrian paced back and forth. What was he to do? if he agreed to do what Evelyn asked, he could save his mother. But at what cost? If he admitted to the crime, he would be punished dearly. The thought of having to spend years behind bars made him shiver. If he chose not do it, there was no guarantee that Evelyn wouldn’t still try to pin it on him. The air suddenly felt thick and choking as Adrian tried to make a decision. An hour later, Evelyn returned. Her face was cold and confident, her eyes locking onto his as if she knew exactly what he was going to say. Adrian's heart sank realizing what he had to do. She'd already won, and they both knew it. "Well?"
Adrian sat in the courtroom, his hands cuffed and his body tense. Today was the day that he would know his fate. Everyone’s gaze was focused on him. He hardly heard the murmurs of the people around him or the rustling of paper from the legal teams. All he could concentrate on was the gnawing feeling in his chest. Evelyn didn’t even bother to get him a lawyer, and he had to make do with a public defender. The judge, an older man with a stoic face sat on the high table in front of the room and read over the case details. “Mr. Adrian, you stand accused of vehicular assault and obstruction of justice. How do you plead?” Adrian swallowed hard. His eyes glanced to the back of the courtroom where Evelyn sat, her face looking cold and detached. She had done this to him, yet she sat there not looking affected at all. "I. I plead guilty," Adrian managed to speak. There was a collective shift in the room, a low murmur of voices as the judge nodded and scribbled down something. Guilty. It
“My name is Javier.” The man said as he helped Adrian up. Javier would come to be one of his trusted friends in prison. The coming weeks were difficult for Adrian as he tried to adapt to prison life. Each day seemed like hell, but he consoled himself that he was at least able to save his mother. But he hadn’t heard anything about his mother since he got into prison. No one from the Sinclair family had bothered to visit him, not even if his wife Jane. He was finally relieved when one of the guards called his name and informed him that he had a visitor. On getting to the visiting room, he saw that it was Jane. Of course, no matter how angry she was at him, she would definitely not leave him there without visiting. His wife must still love him. So he thought. He sat across her as she looked at him with a blank expression on her face. “Jane…I knew you’d come to see me.” Jane’s gaze swept over him. She could tell that prison life was already taking a toll on him, and part
Chapter 9 Adrian dropped the phone as his hands trembled. He couldn’t believe his ears. His mother, his whole world was gone. Everything he had done was all for nothing. Evelyn had lied to him. This couldn’t be true. His mother couldn’t be gone. He picked back the prison phone and dialed Evelyn. “What happened to my mother!” his voice sounded violent. “You should mind the tone you use with me.” Evelyn said coldly on the other end of the line. “You lied to me. I went to prison for nothing!” “You went to prison for a crime you admitted to commiting. How is that my fault?” she laughed over the phone causing Adrian to wonder how a person could be so heartless. “Did you really think I’d spend my money on that mother of yours? You are really a bigger fool than I thought. I hope you enjoy your vacation in prison.” With that she ended the call leaving Adrian in tears. He would go on to spend 7 years in prison, but that night was the worst night of his life. His chest felt tight and h
“If what you are saying is true, and you did work for my father, I don't care.” Adrian replied with a dismissive tone. “He was never there for me and my mother so I don't give a damn about him!” He thundered before walking away. The man let out a sigh. “If you ever change your mind and you want to find out more about your father, here's my card. I promise i can explain everything” He said, handing Adrian his business card. Adrian barely glanced at the card and put it into his jacket pocket. He got on to a bus going to a Niklon, a neighbourhood in Oakcity. he was going to see an old friend who had got out of prison two years before him-Javier. Adrian trusted him, and now that he did have a plan after seven long years, he needed Javier's help. Javier had been the only one he told about how the Sinclairs had wronged him. The bus ride was quiet, the soft hum of the engine the only sound as Adrian stared out the window. On getting to Niklon, Adrian went to a dingy bar Javie
The Sinclair mansion stood tall, casting long shadows in the late afternoon light. Indoors, the air was filled with a silent tension that had become usual ever since Evelyn became CEO. Ethan sat in the living room, with a glass of whiskey in his hand. he swirled the amber coloured liquid in the glass. The past few months had left him extremely discontent. As the first son, he was supposed to be the CEO but things hadn’t gone the way they should have, and now he was forced to play the supportive brother while she took the limelight. No one knew why he had stepped back even when he was rightly supposed to be CEO, and he preferred to keep it that way. The sound of clicking heels interrupted his thoughts. He didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. “Ethan” Evelyn’s sharp voice came through. “Have you seen the latest projections from the finance team?” He took a slow sip of his whiskey, holding off on the answer just long enough to annoy her. "I've looked them over." "And?"