Afton Random Books

Celebrity AU: Blackmail [Accusation Part 2]

William half ran down the corridor where the right and left sides were filled with iron bars. From the information he got, he was placed at the very end. News had appeared about these matters, went viral overnight, everyone was talking about it everywhere. Some were shocked, some couldn't believe it, some tried to deny it, but some also cursed. He couldn't even read or watch the news in any media, something was wrong and he was so sure.

He was sure Vincent wasn't that kind of person.

What really happened? Was this just a diversion or is someone trying to bring down the Morgan's career? He wrote a lot of bad news about him indeed, lots of rumors going around, but he wouldn't write something like this. It was usually just a trivial rumor, but this could be defamation if the whole thing wasn't true.

He saw two people standing in front of the prison at the end of corridor—he knew them both; Lilith Carter and her personal assistant, Sebastian.

They turned in the direction he had come, Lilith looked so worried. William wondered whether Lilith had continued to be here since the news appeared or not, but one thing for sure he could understand Lilith's concern. Her best friend was put in jail for baseless accusations, there must have been some gossip mongers who fueled this accusation and someone reported it.

"Hey," William greeted briefly, he shook hands for a few moments with Sebastian and let Lilith hug him tightly before letting go and looking forward again.

William stared in the same direction and found Vincent sitting on a bench staring at the ceiling of the prison room blankly, no expression at all on his face. William knit his brows together, he felt worried, he felt that this was unfair. He didn't really like the celebrity, but time had passed and his feelings had changed, this was totally outrageous.

Vincent's platinum eye glanced at him, he straightened up a bit. "William," Vincent said, a faint smile plastered on his handsome face.

He didn't understand why Vincent seemed so calm. He drew closer to the bars. "Are you okay?"

"No." Vincent's forehead furrowed. "They put me in the worst prison in town, damn it. I don't even want to eat the lowly peasant food that's in here. Everything is trash, even the bed. You see my eye bags? I didn't sleep for two days and planned to sleep until the police came to my penthouse and brought me here. What a bastard. At least they can take me to the prison in the northern town, where they provide air conditioner."

He didn't understand Vincent's thoughts even more—how this annoying jerk ever rant in such a thing? William sweatdropped for a while, before narrowing his eyes sharply as he turned to Lilith and Sebastian. "How did you know where he is? I think they must have confiscated his phone as well."

"Oh ... the police station called me," Lilith answered quietly. "Vincent gave them my number to notify those closest to them. I came here straight away, Noah caught up with me after that but we were told to go home. I came again with Basti just now, then you came."

"Thanks for telling me where he was stationed," William replied after that, Lilith and Sebastian just nodded. He turned to Vincent again. "What are you going to do now?"

Vincent shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I was never been in jail for illegal drugs smuggling and using narcotics."

"I can put you on bail—"

"No." Lilith's words were cut off by Vincent quickly, Vincent narrowed his eyes sharply at Lilith. "Don't bail me out. Never ever. I don't want people to think badly of you for helping an addict. Don't make your name bad."

"But this isn't true!" Lilith exclaimed. "You're not an addict!" She knit his eyebrows together, then pursed her lips. "Right?"

Vincent snorted. "I may have grown up in an environment that depressed me until now but I would never do that. Are you getting affected by the news?"

"Miss Lilith didn't mean it like that, Mr. Morgan." Sebastian calmly spoke. "But if that's not true, shouldn't you immediately clear your name? For that, you have to get out of this place first and Miss Lilith offers your ransom. After that, you can clarify this defamation."

"The media and the public are horrible people, Sebastian." Vincent leaned his back against the prison wall. "Just a clarification won't solve this and I don't want to drag you all into it." He glanced at William briefly, astonishing William for a moment. "For sure, once I get out of here," Vincent's eyebrows dropped as he gritted his teeth in wrath, "I will sue this bastard through the law and let him rot in the worst prison ever."

---

William walked down the sidewalk with completely visible concerned face, visiting hour was over and they had to get out of there quickly. He didn't want to leave Vincent at the venue, but he couldn't do anything about it considering Vincent refused them to pay his bail. He stared at the phone screen and saw a lot of emails asking him to write an article about this matter.

Then he opened another email—the first paragraph had succeeded in making him widened his eyes;

Dear; Dave Miller, or William Afton?

I know who you are. You work as a reporter but also a newspaper writer, isn't that a bit of a violation of journalistic ethics? Or is that now a legal thing to do? I don't think so. You could get in trouble if the public finds out, right?

Don't worry, I won't expose it, both of your careers are safe with me if you write news about current Vincent Morgan's case, that he is indeed an addict.

Post the news, and you won't get in trouble. Destroy Vincent Morgan.

This wasn't right, was it? He thought. This couldn't be true. William felt his heart beating rapidly, fear began to overtake him—what should he do now? He didn't want to do it, write a completely false story about Vincent. Was this just a bluff? But this person knew his pseudonym as a newspaper article writer, no one knows about it except his three children, Vincent and the two Carters also Henry.

He was silent, unable to say anything. This made him even dizzier, he couldn't risk his career and reputation. It could bring down Michael's career as well. He couldn't waste Michael's effort and sacrifice to this point.

However, that felt like betraying Vincent ...

He didn't know what to do, he was desperate.

Someone accidentally bumped into his shoulder, startled him and his phone slipped from his hand. William was about to reach for his dropped phone, but the man picked it up first. Then they stared at each other, William seemed to gape at the man—no, it wasn't Vincent.

William knew him, he was Vincent's twin, Victor Morgan.

He saw Victor looking at his phone screen, as if reading something—William immediately remembered the email and how he hadn't closed it when his cellphone was dropped. William was in a frenzy, he snatched his phone from Victor's hand quickly; now it was possible that Victor knows the secret too. Damn it.

Victor seemed to be taken aback by that, but returned to his calm look. "So you're William Afton, or Dave Miller, or William Miller I don't know." Victor shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "My brother often tells me about you, come with me now."

Victor walked past him, William stared at him in disbelief.

What shit did he have to face today?