The Billionaire Who Saved Me

Farrah fell silent. Her face hardened and remained unmoved as the sad question was directed at her.

“Are you satisfied now?” Kurt stared at Farrah, his face and eyes red. Tears dried on his cheeks. “Are you happy now?” Kurt asked again. “Will you be satisfied only when Ariel is dead?”

Farrah’s breath caught in her chest for a moment. Her chest rumbled. Was Kurt really going to accuse her like that?

“Kurt.”

Kurt’s hand gripped Farrah’s upper arm. He squeezed it with the fury of a father who had lost his son. Anger and sadness collided in his eyes.

“I told you, Farrah. I told you repeatedly. And now you see the consequences of your actions?”

Kurt’s shoulders trembled with painful sobs. Regret quickly filled his heart and mind. If only he could have stopped his wife. If only he had stayed there. If only. If only. If only.

But it was all too late. There was nothing more Kurt could do.

“You killed our son, Farrah. You killed Ariel!”

Farrah blinked. A tear that had been there for who knew how long fell. But she shook her head.

“I didn’t kill Ariel, Dad. It wasn’t me.”

Farrah’s sharp eyes turned to Elice. For everything that had happened to Ariel, in Farrah’s eyes, only Elice was to blame.

“But, Elice.”

Kurt’s hand lost its power. Released from Farrah’s body. This time he didn’t do or say anything when the police ended their tolerance. They took Farrah away and Kurt immediately fell to his knees on the floor.

No one spoke. No one approached Kurt. Everyone stayed where they were. They knew. No words of comfort could ease Kurt’s pain.

Kurt wept. All he could do was pour out his grief in tears.

Even as the mourners began to leave the cemetery, Kurt stayed. No matter how the sky lost its light. Leaving behind a very thick grayness. Until Kurt didn’t know when that thickness would end. Or maybe it was not meant to end. To go on. Always there. Always there to weigh him down with regret.

“Elice.”

Garrett’s voice rang softly in Elice’s ear. She turned and looked at him. She answered the signal in Garrett’s eyes with a short nod.

Garrett invited Elice to leave Ariel’s grave. Even though grief wanted her to stay longer, Elice was still weak. She still needed to rest and avoid pressure.

“Mr. Garrett.”

A voice stopped Garrett’s footsteps. As well as Elice’s.

“Mrs. Elice.”

Ruben stood in front of them. He extended his hand to Garrett. He offered a handshake that was immediately accepted by him.

“I’m Ruben. Mr. Ariel’s personal assistant.”

Garrett blinked once. “A-Ariel?”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Ruben nodded. He took something out of his work bag. He handed it to Elice.

Garrett saw the flashdisk in his wife’s hand. His body immediately tensed.

“There are some pieces of evidence in there that you may need, sir. One of them concerns the cause of Mrs. Daphne’s accident.”

Garrett and Elice were both stunned. They couldn’t believe what Ruben said. How could Ariel’s personal assistant give him such an important item?

Ruben seemed to understand what was going through Garrett and Elice’s minds. Their expressions were completely readable.

Ruben turned to Elice. He took a deep breath and pushed away the grief that enveloped him.

“Mr. Ariel instructed me. If anything happened to him, I was to give this disk to you, Mrs. Elice,” Ruben continued. “Because Mr. Ariel believed that this was the only thing that could protect you from Mrs. Farrah.”

Ruben’s explanation caused Elice to dramatically close her eyes. She clutched the flashdisk to her chest. And she collapsed. Falling into Garrett’s embrace. Letting her face land on his chest.

Garrett strengthened Elice. Holding her, squeezing her upper arms.

“Excuse me.”

Garrett could only nod briefly. He couldn’t say anything. Neither could Elice.

The grayness persisted. I followed Garrett and Elice’s footsteps. Even as they left the cemetery, the somber color didn’t let them go. Instead, it seemed to signal something to them. That it wouldn’t end until it was truly over.

The flashdisk changed hands. Garrett saw its contents. With a torn heart, he tried to hold on.

It was the moment Garrett had been waiting for. He and Carolus sprang into action. Gathering all the evidence and pieces of the tragedy that had been hidden.

This time Farrah couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t escape all the accusations against her. Even if the past murders were overlooked, Farrah was certainly responsible for Daphne’s accident and Ariel’s murder.

But was Farrah’s accountability what Garrett wanted? In fact, there was not a trace of happiness on Garrett’s face when the judge sentenced Farrah and Kurt.

Garrett just stared at Farrah. Who became hysterical again with the life sentence. Much lighter than the death penalty the prosecutor had demanded.

Farrah screamed. Went berserk and rebelled. Staring angrily at Garrett. But he remained unmoved.

Garrett blinked. A tear fell and streamed down his cheek. This was not the fate he wanted. Even if Farrah got her punishment, it clearly wouldn’t be enough to make up for everything. For all the loss and grief Garrett had felt all this time. Harlan, Allan, Daphne and even Ariel.

“Garrett.”

The hand squeezed Garrett’s fingers. He turned around. To find Elice looking just like him. Without any happiness. Without any joy. For the justice they received, Garrett and Elice were really hoping for something else.

If only. If only fate could be changed. Garrett and Elice would both wish that this day had never come.

But the journey they had been on had taught them everything. That above all pleas, there was always a fate that held its power.

In colors that would continue to change. Because gray wouldn’t always stay gray.

*