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The Rightful Heir CHAPTER 32
Liam's POVAt last the man nodded with a sighed. “Fine. But I’m coming with you. If the other guard sees us I’ll be in trouble.”I nodded. “Thank you. I really mean it.”We walked the halls with our footsteps echoing in the dark hallways. He led me to the main building and unlocked the door.“Where first?” he asked.“His locker. And classrooms he was in.” I replied.We searched carefully but Joel wasn’t there. His locker was empty and his things gone! Classrooms were dark and still.“Maybe we should check the gym?” I asked hopefully.“The gym’s locked. No one goes in after hours.”I was starting to panic. Where could he be?“One more person might know.” the guard said. “Mr. Grimsby. The janitor. He’s always here late.”We found Mr. Grimsby in the cafeteria where he was mopping the floor. He was an older man bur kind and gentle.“Mr. Grimsby.” the guard said. “This young man’s looking for a Joel McHale. Have you seen him?”Mr. Grimsby stopped. “Joel? Joel? Little boy who bumped into
The Rightful Heir CHAPTER 33
Liam's POV“That's enough! Stop it!” the guard finally intervened. He looked at Ryan nervously then looked at me. “Carter, you're done for today. Go home. Now.”He then turned to Ryan. “Ryan, are you okay? Did he hurt you?”Ryan, always trying to act cool, smiled and brushed off his jacket. “I'm fine. Just a little mix-up. Liam was just… happy to see me.” He smirked sarcastically.I wanted to wipe that smile off his face. But I got what I wanted. The bug was hidden in his jacket ready to send out everything. I just had to leave before Ryan got suspicious.I nodded to the guard. .“Alright, I'm going.”“Make sure you do.” the guard said in relief. He was scared of Ryan Blackwood and even more scared of what William Blackwood might do if anyone hurt his son. I didn’t blame him. Everyone feared the Blackwoods.I turned and walked away without looking back. I could feel Ryan watching me. He probably thought he’d won, that he scared me. He was wrong. This was just the beginning.As I le
The Rightful Heir CHAPTER 34
Ryan's POV“Excuse me?” I couldn’t believe what I just heard.Melissa moved uncomfortably in the car seat while looking away from me. “Liam talked to me a few days ago, Ryan. He asked me to... to put a bug on you.”I suddenly held the steering wheel tighter. I forgot the meeting I was driving to. I forgot everything. This was more important. I turned the wheel sharply and the tires squealed as I pulled the car to the side of the road. I hit the brake hard and Melissa jerked forward a little.“What are you doing Ryan?” she asked in surprise and a little fear.I didn’t answer. I was only thinking about Liam’s proposal. “Tell me everything Melissa. Every word. What did Liam Carter say to you?” My voice was low but the anger it conveyed wasn't unnoticed.She waited while biting her lip. “He... he said you were involved in illegal activities Ryan. He said you were breaking the law. He told me that if I cared I should help him... stop you.”My mouth twitched. I let out a short and bitte
The Rightful Heir CHAPTER 35
LIAM'S POVHans and I looked at each other. I suddenly felt sick with the urge to throw up. What had she done?“She… she turned on us.” Hans whispered in disbelief.I shook my head slowly. “I didn’t think… I didn’t believe she would.” I stuttered.I thought back to all my talks with Melissa trying to remember if she ever gave me a sign. But I had been blind. By what? Hope? Maybe the feelings I still had for her?Hans snapped. He kicked over a pile of magazines sending them flying in his rage. “Damn it! You said she was on our side! You said she wouldn’t do this! Now Ryan knows everything! All our plans!”He walked back and forth with his fists tight. “We’re done Liam! Really done! How are we supposed to know what happened at that meeting now? We had one shot and she ruined it for Blackwood!”He kicked a small table, sending it across the room. I didn’t say anything. I was too lost in my own thoughts. Melissa had chosen Ryan. She had chosen the Blackwoods, the money, and the fame in
The Rightful Heir CHAPTER 36
Liam's POV I turned away from Ryan pretending to be a sad classmate. Every word he said and every fake look of care felt like an insult. He was making fun of Joel and of me who knew what really happened. I clenched my fists trying not to punch the proud look off his face. “Excuse me?”I turned quickly. A young police officer with a notepad was walking toward me. “Liam Carter right? One of your mates pointed you out. We need to ask you some questions about Joel McHale.”I made my voice calm not to show what I felt inside. “Sure Officer. What do you want to know?” I said.He opened his notepad. “You are in Joel’s class right? How well did you know him?”“We had some lessons together. But we weren’t close. More like classmates who spoke sometimes.” I had to be careful. I couldn’t let them know I was looking into things myself.“When did you last see him?” the officer asked.“I… I don’t really remember. Maybe a few days ago in the hall or cafeteria. I honestly don’t know the exact t
The Rightful Heir CHAPTER 37
Liam's POVThe group of students moved aside as I walked through with my curiosity mounting higher and huge with each passing minute. What I saw didn’t surprise me. Cole was holding a pair of glasses high up. A small girl with her hair in a tight bun was jumping and trying to grab them. The other students as usual were laughing.This was like everyone's favourite game at Crestwood, to watch Ryan or his goons bully the lesser students.“Come on four-eyes get them if you can!” Cole teased while throwing the glasses to another smiling kid. The girl reached for them with her fingers touching the frame but they were taken away again before she could take proper hold of her glasses.My stomach felt sick. It was always the same. Ryan’s sidekicks picking on someone weaker, someone who wouldn’t fight back and making their life horrible.“Hey!” I shouted with my voice loud over the laughter. “Give her glasses back to Cole.”The laughing stopped and was quickly replaced by quiet whispers. Eve
The Rightful Heir CHAPTER 38
Liam's POV The doors of Carter Enterprises opened as I pushed myself out onto the sidewalk. Another day and another few hours spent trying to figure out the Blackwood mystery. I fished for my car keys from my pocket as I walked toward my Mazda 6.“Liam,m wait up!”I turned and saw Charles coming toward me. His tie was askew loose and he looked worried.“Going home Charles.” I said while trying not to show much emotion. God I was too tired for a long talk.He soon caught up to me. “How’s the Blackwood case going? Found anything important?” He asked.I shrugged and unlocked my car. “Not really. Just a few wrong turns and guesses.” The less he knew the better. I couldn’t trust anyone, not even him.Charles narrowed his eyes a little. “You’re not telling me everything. I can tell.” He said.I leaned against my car pretending to be relaxed. “Maybe. Why do you care so much?”“Care? I’m involved Liam. I care about you and.. finding the truth.” He paused and looked at me closely. “So w
The Rightful Heir CHAPTER 39
Liam's POVThe room was the definition of technology. Computer screens flashed with strange codes I had never seen with circuit boards were spread all over a table. It didn’t feel like a bedroom. It felt more like a control room or a tech fortress of some kind.“Wow.” I said as I looked around. “So this is your hideout.”Sarah smiled proudly. “I call it my command center. But ‘lair’ sounds kind of cool too.”“Cool is an understatement.” I said while still looking. “Are you like… a secret agent? Do you have hidden gadgets like a rope gun or a quiet pistol?” I joked.She laughed loudly in a weird manner. “If I were a secret agent Liam you wouldn’t even know. That’s the whole point.”“Good point.” I was impressed. “Still, this is… a lot. Where did you get all this stuff?”She shrugged and stepped deeper into the room like she wanted me to look more. “Most of it is old stuff from others or things I fixed. My dad was a computer guy. He really knew his stuff.” Her voice broke a little i
Latest Chapter
CHAPTER 42
Liam's POVI clenched my fists. Part of me wanted to walk away, just leave school and never come back. Let the gossip die on its own. But another small part of me knew that running wouldn’t help.It would only make people believe the rumors were true. I’d get kicked out right before graduation. I couldn’t face the school board again.I changed direction and I slowly walked toward Anderson’s office. My thoughts raced trying to get ready for whatever trouble he had planned.Of course my bad luck didn’t end there. As I turned the corner I bumped right into Ryan and his usual group of followers. They looked way too excited to see me.“Well well.” Ryan stood in my way. “If it isn’t Romeo. Heard you’re quite the poet,l Carter.” He winked. “I’m sure Alice Hawthorne loved you…” he paused thinking of a rude word, “…flowery writing.”His friends laughed, all agreeing with him.“Yeah Carter.” one of them said, “did you use a thesaurus to write those sweet messages? They sounded kind of…pro.”Ano
CHAPTER 41
Liam's POV The photo on the front page seemed to blur in front of my eyes. It showed a screenshot of a chat. My name was big and bold on one side. On the other side, it said “Alice Hawthorne.” I suddenly felt nauseous.“No…” I said quietly gripping holding the paper tighter. It was real. The date and time were from the day I had agreed to meet Ms. Hawthorne. It was just a simple chat message to confirm the place we'd hangout. But the way the newspaper showed it… made it look wrong.The headline read,“TEACHER-STUDENT SCANDAL AT CRESTWOOD HIGH! ARE LIAM CARTER AND ALICE HAWTHORNE HIDING A SECRET RELATIONSHIP?”Below the picture they showed parts of our chat taken out of context. Like, “Looking forward to spending the night at your place.” next to, “Excited to meet you there.”Then came the worst part. A fake interview with quotes they claimed were from me printed at the bottom.“Anonymous Source Claims 'Liam Admits Standing Up Teacher, Says It Was a Mistake...or a Cover-Up?'“I r
CHAPTER 40
Liam's POV I sat leaned forward staring at the screen while Sarah typed with insane speed. She typed like crazy with codes flashing by that I didn’t really understand but I couldn’t stop watching.“So Crestwood’s security system… it’s as old as the teachers.” she said mostly to herself. “You’d think they’d fix it since students keep disappearing.”“Any luck?” I asked hopefully.Sarah sighed and moved some hair from her face. “I’ve checked every camera in the school. Classrooms hallways cafeteria gym… nothing. Nothing weird. No Joel, no strange stuff, nothing.”My shoulders dropped. I felt cold and hopeless. Another dead end. “Damn it.” I said quietly. “I thought we had a lead.”“Wait.” Sarah said, suddenly stopping her typing. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Hold on.”I looked up quickly. A bit of hope came back. “What? What is it?”“Okay so all the cameras show when they were last cleaned or fixed. Most haven’t been touched in months or even years. Normal school stuff right?”“Y
CHAPTER 39
Liam's POVThe room was the definition of technology. Computer screens flashed with strange codes I had never seen with circuit boards were spread all over a table. It didn’t feel like a bedroom. It felt more like a control room or a tech fortress of some kind.“Wow.” I said as I looked around. “So this is your hideout.”Sarah smiled proudly. “I call it my command center. But ‘lair’ sounds kind of cool too.”“Cool is an understatement.” I said while still looking. “Are you like… a secret agent? Do you have hidden gadgets like a rope gun or a quiet pistol?” I joked.She laughed loudly in a weird manner. “If I were a secret agent Liam you wouldn’t even know. That’s the whole point.”“Good point.” I was impressed. “Still, this is… a lot. Where did you get all this stuff?”She shrugged and stepped deeper into the room like she wanted me to look more. “Most of it is old stuff from others or things I fixed. My dad was a computer guy. He really knew his stuff.” Her voice broke a little i
CHAPTER 38
Liam's POV The doors of Carter Enterprises opened as I pushed myself out onto the sidewalk. Another day and another few hours spent trying to figure out the Blackwood mystery. I fished for my car keys from my pocket as I walked toward my Mazda 6.“Liam,m wait up!”I turned and saw Charles coming toward me. His tie was askew loose and he looked worried.“Going home Charles.” I said while trying not to show much emotion. God I was too tired for a long talk.He soon caught up to me. “How’s the Blackwood case going? Found anything important?” He asked.I shrugged and unlocked my car. “Not really. Just a few wrong turns and guesses.” The less he knew the better. I couldn’t trust anyone, not even him.Charles narrowed his eyes a little. “You’re not telling me everything. I can tell.” He said.I leaned against my car pretending to be relaxed. “Maybe. Why do you care so much?”“Care? I’m involved Liam. I care about you and.. finding the truth.” He paused and looked at me closely. “So w
CHAPTER 37
Liam's POVThe group of students moved aside as I walked through with my curiosity mounting higher and huge with each passing minute. What I saw didn’t surprise me. Cole was holding a pair of glasses high up. A small girl with her hair in a tight bun was jumping and trying to grab them. The other students as usual were laughing.This was like everyone's favourite game at Crestwood, to watch Ryan or his goons bully the lesser students.“Come on four-eyes get them if you can!” Cole teased while throwing the glasses to another smiling kid. The girl reached for them with her fingers touching the frame but they were taken away again before she could take proper hold of her glasses.My stomach felt sick. It was always the same. Ryan’s sidekicks picking on someone weaker, someone who wouldn’t fight back and making their life horrible.“Hey!” I shouted with my voice loud over the laughter. “Give her glasses back to Cole.”The laughing stopped and was quickly replaced by quiet whispers. Eve
CHAPTER 36
Liam's POV I turned away from Ryan pretending to be a sad classmate. Every word he said and every fake look of care felt like an insult. He was making fun of Joel and of me who knew what really happened. I clenched my fists trying not to punch the proud look off his face. “Excuse me?”I turned quickly. A young police officer with a notepad was walking toward me. “Liam Carter right? One of your mates pointed you out. We need to ask you some questions about Joel McHale.”I made my voice calm not to show what I felt inside. “Sure Officer. What do you want to know?” I said.He opened his notepad. “You are in Joel’s class right? How well did you know him?”“We had some lessons together. But we weren’t close. More like classmates who spoke sometimes.” I had to be careful. I couldn’t let them know I was looking into things myself.“When did you last see him?” the officer asked.“I… I don’t really remember. Maybe a few days ago in the hall or cafeteria. I honestly don’t know the exact t
CHAPTER 35
LIAM'S POVHans and I looked at each other. I suddenly felt sick with the urge to throw up. What had she done?“She… she turned on us.” Hans whispered in disbelief.I shook my head slowly. “I didn’t think… I didn’t believe she would.” I stuttered.I thought back to all my talks with Melissa trying to remember if she ever gave me a sign. But I had been blind. By what? Hope? Maybe the feelings I still had for her?Hans snapped. He kicked over a pile of magazines sending them flying in his rage. “Damn it! You said she was on our side! You said she wouldn’t do this! Now Ryan knows everything! All our plans!”He walked back and forth with his fists tight. “We’re done Liam! Really done! How are we supposed to know what happened at that meeting now? We had one shot and she ruined it for Blackwood!”He kicked a small table, sending it across the room. I didn’t say anything. I was too lost in my own thoughts. Melissa had chosen Ryan. She had chosen the Blackwoods, the money, and the fame in
CHAPTER 34
Ryan's POV“Excuse me?” I couldn’t believe what I just heard.Melissa moved uncomfortably in the car seat while looking away from me. “Liam talked to me a few days ago, Ryan. He asked me to... to put a bug on you.”I suddenly held the steering wheel tighter. I forgot the meeting I was driving to. I forgot everything. This was more important. I turned the wheel sharply and the tires squealed as I pulled the car to the side of the road. I hit the brake hard and Melissa jerked forward a little.“What are you doing Ryan?” she asked in surprise and a little fear.I didn’t answer. I was only thinking about Liam’s proposal. “Tell me everything Melissa. Every word. What did Liam Carter say to you?” My voice was low but the anger it conveyed wasn't unnoticed.She waited while biting her lip. “He... he said you were involved in illegal activities Ryan. He said you were breaking the law. He told me that if I cared I should help him... stop you.”My mouth twitched. I let out a short and bitte
