Shadows of deceit : The Augustus secret

Chapter two

Stefan

"Are you even listening to what I'm saying?" Jackson, the family lawyer, cut in harshly after a lengthy stream of words from him, most of which had to do with the negative effect this was going to have on the family business and the need for me to make a statement.

I simply sat back in my chair, I gripped a glass of whiskey in one hand, slowly sipping from it as I remained unfazed by Jackson's ranting. The dark liquid of the whiskey was cold and comforting, its taste and aroma filling the room. Unbothered by the lawyer's warnings and frustrations, with a steady and cold expression on my face. My complete indifference seemed to add to Jackson's growing exasperation.

"Stefan, the police are suspecting you. Can you at least pretend to be aware of that fact?" he continued in a more serious tone, and I slowly glanced over at him, taking a long drag from my cigarette as I spoke.

"I've been listening to you describe how bad the situation is, as if I don't already know." I replied as I exhaled smoke slowly through my nose. "What I'm waiting to hear is a solution to it. And a simple statement is nowhere near good enough."

I took another long drag on my cigarette, the smoke filling the room and coating my lips as I exhaled slowly. My eyes met with Jackson's as he looked up at me, expecting a reaction of some kind. But I remained calm in the face of the lawyer's concern.

"Tell me," I said in a calm voice, "What solution can you suggest, cause I'm growing more tired of your nagging." I took one last drag of my cigarette before gently placing it on the table next to me, my eyes still set on Jackson the entire time.

"Here's what you can do," Jackson explained, his tone suddenly shifting from stern to a more analytical manner. "You have an alibi for the time the bodies were reported. There were no signs of forced entry in the home, so it's clear that whoever killed them had access to the house. If we can get a journalist to write a piece on you and your family with the right angle, we could steer the police in another direction and raise some doubts about your involvement in this whole situation."

He let out a long, steady breath and adjusted his glasses before continuing. "We need to take control of the narrative and spin it in your favor."

I slowly traced the edges of my whiskey glass with my index finger as I listened to Jackson's proposal, my gaze remaining on him the entire time.

I sighed and slowly turned my head back to Jackson, listening intently as he continued to lay out his plan. I couldn't deny his logic, but my mind continued to wander as he spoke.

The idea of appearing before the public as a caring, loving, and committed family man seemed absurd and pointless to me. After all, how could I possibly convince others of my love for my family when I didn't even believe it myself?

It felt like a pointless and vain endeavor to put up a fake image for the public, when inside I felt nothing but resentment and disdain for my family and the image they wanted me to present. I was tired of the lies and the deception. Just tired.

...

Ashley

I jabbed the fork violently into my pancake, my expression contorted with anger and frustration. "Ugh... I can't believe I've managed to get nothing!" I muttered to myself, feeling a stabbing frustration at my lack of progress. With a heavy sigh, I continued to dig into the pancake, my appetite no longer appealing to me in the slightest.

The pancake itself lay on the plate, covered in the remnants of syrup and butter, its appearance less appealing and inviting than before. I could feel my stomach turn at the sight of the food, no longer in the mood for eating.