Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Just as Cherise decided to check Morris’s ID, a knock on the door stopped her. She looked up to find Morris had already wrapped up his work and powered down his computer.
Cherise shook her head, massaging her temples, and dismissed he notion that Morris could be King. Crow’s description of King as a disheveled individual didn’t match Morris’s polished demeanor at all. Leo walked in and spotted Cherise on the sofa. His respect for her, already considerable due to her part in Phoebe’s recovery, grew even more. “Ms. Leach, you’ve had quite the day he said, nodding to her. Cherise responded with a kind smile and a nod.
Leo, scratching his head, looked a bit bashful. As he turned to Morris, he felt a shiver run through him under the intense scrutiny. “Everything’s been handled, Mr. Chivers,” he reported.
Morris simply hummed in acknowledgment, then turned to Cherise. “Let’s get going. You’ve been waiting long enough. I’ll take you out for a meal
Cherise, picking up on Morris’s preoccupation, said, “You look busy. If there’s more you need to do, I can head home on my own. She reached for her bag, preparing to leave.
Morris strolled over to Cherise and caught her hand as she reached for her bag. “My schedule is clear; all the loose ends are sorted. You’re not going home alone, not while I’m around. Leo and the team can finish up here,” he assured her. Leo, holding back a sigh at the thought of his own piled-up tasks that left little room for personal life, chimed in, “Ms. Leach, your part is done here. Enjoy a relaxing dinner with Mr. Chivers We’ve got everything covered.” Morris sent Leo a look of affirmation.
Cherise, observing the interaction, gently freed her hand from Morris’s grip and slung her hag over her shoulder. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s roll”
As she let go of his hand to fix her bag, Morris felt a brief sense of loss.
After a light dinner following their snacks at the Chivers residence, Morris ensured Cherise made it home safely.
Upon arrival, Cherise made quick work of freshening up before collapsing into bed, utterly exhausted.
With a determined stride, Morris re-entered the Chivers residence, his earlier tenderness with Cherise now replaced by a resolute focus. He had a task to complete.
Down in the historic home’s basement, two burly men in dark suits stood vigilant. Inside, Ruth, a long-time servant of Phoebe, knelt with a shattered spirit.
When she was brought to the basement, a deep sense of despair enveloped her; she grasped the dire implications.
Morris’s authoritative presence dominated the room as he questioned Ruth. “Ruth, how have the Chivers treated you? How has my grandmother treated you?” His tone was resolute and insistent. “Very well,” Ruth replied, her voice barely audible. “I’ve betrayed her past kindness to me.”
“Joseph forced you into this, right?” Morris asked, his tone calm yet intense.
Ruth’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise. “You’re aware? But I can’t say anything. They’re holding my son. If they find out I’ve revealed anything, they’ll kill him.” She broke down into sobs as she spoke. Morris’s fury was evident as he confronted Ruth. “That doesn’t justify you putting drugs in my grandma’s medicine,” he
88%
bellowed.
His tone dripping with disdain, he said, “The surveillance shows you every night, placing those substances by my grandma’s side. She trusted you, and you’ve let her down.”
As he spoke, he threw a vial at Ruth, causing it to break on the floor and release a strong, pungent odor into the room. “If you’d told me Joseph was coercing you, I could’ve found a way to help. But you’ve forced my hand” Overwhelmed by guilt, Ruth begged, “Tve made a grave mistake, Mr. Chivers. I beg for your mercy. My son… you must help him.” Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she moved towards Morris on her knees.
Morris’s expression turned even darker, and with a vicious kick. He sent Ruth sprawling, a trickle of blood oozing from her mouth.
“That was for Grandma. Whether you live or die is up to her now he stated, then turned and walked away without a backward glance.
As Morris left the room, he was greeted by Leo and a stern-looking man with a passing resemblance to Leo. Hugh Sanchez, another of Morris’s assistants, seemed even more imposing without the glasses that Leo typically wore. “We’ve brought Joseph here,” Hugh reported with a nod.
“Cut off his hand and tell Harold to come pick him up” Morris ordered, his gaze as deep and impenetrable as the abyss, Hugh acknowledged with a brisk “Understood, and promptly departed to carry out the directive. Soon after, a sharp, anguished scream broke the silence.