𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝙻𝚒𝚏𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 ✓ (𝟷𝟾+)

And the foundations crumble

Roger

A few days ago, we came to know of Brandon's lawsuit. We anticipated his move to tarnish my image and he played right into it. I was the collateral anyways. But what I didn't understand was the other documents which he seemed to have filed too. Arin had our lawyers check on the claims Brandon was naming against me. As of now, all records were sealed. They would only be opened on the day of the trial.

"How am I supposed to calm down?" Charles's voice floated across.

He had been losing his patience every time his phone rang. He was roped in on the plan by Arin. Although heartbroken about his brother's betrayal, Charles put up a brave face for her. After all, a father's love triumphed a brother's. Moreover, it wasn't even a loyal brother, to begin with.

Arin sat with me at the Oswalds' while Charles got the last of his pawns moved as we instructed. Looking up from his phone screen, he sighed. "It's done, kids. Hope this works."

Arin pressed onto my knuckles, her way of expressing her love and support. She rose from the chair, seemingly calmer than usual. Holding her father's hand, she seemed to exude the same calm as she did a few seconds back for me. Having seen her nervous and scared, I was taken aback by her new avatar.

"Let's get this over with dad. Come, Roger." She lent her left hand for me, Charles was holding her right. Tucked between us was the stronger one amongst all of us.

Moving out of his office, we walked behind him, slow in steps to the board room. With Charles speeding up, anticipating the meeting, he left us both behind. I held Arin closer to me, pulling her aside while the crowd of people streaming towards the board room increased.

"This is your last chance. Are you sure, you want to do it, babydoll?"

Her lips curled up, displaying her widened smile. There was not a pinch of doubt on her face, not even to the slightest. Arin Oswald Rafferty exuded confidence as if she was the stream emanating from the mountain with it. The original source.

"Am I sure of what? Roger Murphy, don't tell me you are having doubts," she chuckled.

I nodded, telling the correctness of her assumption. "Of course I am having doubts. I was, since the time Brandon filed his first lawsuit against me and you got involved."

There were no more words left to confess that I was scared. Not only for Murphy enterprises but also for my loved ones, especially Arin. She already had been through enough, last year with her mother's loss and then Stella's act of selling her information to the tabloids. I wasn't willing to tag her alone to the grave journey, I was undertaking.

Seemed like Arin understood my apprehension. Tiptoeing, she kissed my cheek, rubbing her cold nose on my stubble. "There is no way for us other than to dive and emerge on the other end." Before I could counter, she placed her finger on my lips. "No more running away, Roger. Let's face that fucker once and for all and get it over with."

Although her confidence was comforting, I still had my apprehension. "I am sure if we go after him," my finger danced between us, trying to get her to register what I meant. "We, being the word to grasp, he would not only try to take me out but anything and anyone who supports me."

Arin swung her head back, uttering a loud laugh. "Then it's a good thing that your fiancé is made of rock. Brandon would break his skull before he could penetrate the tough exteriors of Oswald and Murphy combo."

There was no way to convince Arin of the repercussions and she seemed to have made up her mind. The strong woman that she was, convincing her, felt wrong. A part of me was glad, elated even. She was sticking with me even after knowing the impending consequences.