Innocent Love

Chapter 11

"DANIEL" screamed Jasmine seeing Daniel's lifeless body.

Lea wakes up sweating profoundly and looks around the dimly lit room she was in. She places her hand on her chest to soothe her heart from busting out of her chest.

Jasmine's scream has been haunting Lea for the past few weeks since Daniel was found dead. He was shot dead and no one knew who did it. Ezra denied it and Lea had no access to a gun.

Lea sits up on the couch in the outhouse in Arturo's room, she had been staying since last week.  Lea looks up and is startled to see Arturo seated on his bed with his legs down, staring at her.
"How long have you been staring at me?" Asks Lea.
"Since you disturbed my sleep. You are the worst roommate ever. Period" says Arturo.
"I had another nightmare," she says and walks to Arturo and sits beside him.
"You could have told me that from the couch you are uninvitedly sleeping on," says Arturo.
Lea ignores Arturo's comments and places her head on his shoulder and says "Jasmine's screams haunt me"
"Painful screams are hard to forget. I still remember Ezra's scream for his mother" says Arturo with a sad face.
"You think I am cursed?" Asks Lea.
"We all are cursed. Cursed by God to live through life and to witness death. Happiness and sorrow. Love and hate" says Arturo.
Lea hugs Arturo and says "Thank you. If I knew my father, I bet he too would stay up late to see if I was ok, like you" cries Lea.
"Don't ruin my nightshirt with your tears" says Arturo and Lea rubs her face on his shirt, wiping her face.
Arturo pushes her away and says "Get lost"
Lea smiles and says "Thank you"

Lea walks to her couch and sleeps on it. She sees Arturo do the same. After a few minutes, Arturo asks "You think I am your father?"
Lea smiles and says "I hope not cause I like your son"
Arturo smirks and asks "You like him like a brother?"
Lea narrows her eyes and says "Shut up" and turns away to cover her face with the pillow but she could hear his laugh.

Ezra was in his office with Musa when his secretary announces Fransis's arrival.
"He is never late to collect his check" comments Musa.
Francis enters the office with a wide smile and takes a seat in front of Ezra.
"I heard Daniel is dead. Looks like Lea's charm is working. But I am disappointed it worked on the wrong person" laughs Francis.
"It will work on you, just wait," says Musa.
"You too," says Fransis, and before Musa would reply, he continues to say "So, heard he was shot. Any idea who did it?"
"How did you know that?" Asks Musa.
"I have my sources," says Francis leaning back in his chair.
"The same sources who is been slowly poisoning Arturo?" Asks Musa.
"Please, I want him dead. What joy would I get from slowly painfully seeing him suffer and beg to die?" Asks Francis and tilts his head to continue "Maybe someone who is dying himself and want to induce the same pain to Arturo"
"Who would that be?" Asks Ezra.
"I don't know, someone who lost everything 'cause his greedy boss wanted it all," says Francis smirking at Musa. He looks away at Ezra and says "Did you know your mother, father, and Musa were very good friends"

Musa who always had a cool persona fists Fransis's shirt, picks him up and with anger says "Dare you to manipulate Ezra against his dead mother? Lucia loved Arturo and was faithful to him till the day she died"
"But you loved her," says Francis.
Musa lets go of him and says "Love is never enough".

Musa looks at Ezra who had not spoken a word but only observing them. Ezra finally stands up, pulls out a check, and hands it over to Francis.
"We are done here," says Ezra.
"I wanted to talk to you," says Francis.
"We can speak when you honor and respect the dead," says Ezra, and Francis with grinding teeth walks out of the office, snatching the check from Ezra's hand.

Musa takes a seat and looks at Ezra who was watching him.
"Your silence scares me," says Musa and continues "When you are silent, it means you are thinking or worse planning"
"You know me too well," says Ezra.
"I have seen you grow up and you know I have always treated you like my own son," says Musa.

Ezra leans back in his chair and asks "So what was Francis talking about?"
Musa lets out an exhausted breath and says "You were 5 when I joined Arturo in his business. Lucia was friendly too and we all got together just fine. Of course, I loved Lucia as she had become my best friend in a very short time. Arturo offered me to stay in the mansion and I accepted. Francis used to stay in the mansion too with Arturo. He started spreading rumors of Lucia getting too friendly with me but I didn't want to create any misunderstanding and spoke it out to Arturo. Arturo believed me and for spreading foul rumors, Francis was thrown out of the mansion. We continued to be good friends till the day she died and Francis had always been angry that I was the reason he was thrown out of the mansion"
"When did you move out?" Asks Ezra.
"After your mother's death. The whole mansion felt dead and haunting" says Musa.
"Hm.." says Ezra and gets back to work. But out of the blue, Musa asks "What are your intentions with Lea?"

Ezra tries to process the question and very carefully answers "We have crossed paths a few times"
"Nothing else?" Asks Musa.
"Why would you care? She is only a caretaker" says Ezra watching Musa, trying to study him.
"She is an innocent girl like her mother. I don't want Lea to have the same faith her mother had" says Musa.
"You seem to know everything. Any idea who her father is?" Asks Ezra.
"Whoever he is, he seems to keep an eye on her," says Musa.
"Why do you say that?" Asks Ezra.
"Daniel's death. It looks like Daniel paid for dishonoring Lea" says Musa.

A rush of realisation hit Ezra and without another thought, he asks "Are you her father? Did you kill Daniel?" Ask Ezra and waits in anticipation for Musa's answer.