Shadows of deceit : The Augustus secret

Chapter nine

Ashley

Jackson crossed the room with a confident stride before he seated himself on the sofa, crossing his legs and letting a small smile dance across his lips.

I took my seat across from him, feeling his eyes on me as his friendly expression eased the tension I felt from his presence. His gaze was calm and welcoming, yet I could feel the intensity of his stare as he watched me.

"How do you like your stay so far?" Jackson asked, his tone friendly as he looked at me with a small smile. He added, "Though I'm pretty sure staying in a place where murder took place is the least of what's considered comfortable," causing me to feel a sense of unease as I pondered his words.

He continued with a slightly playful tone, "Still, I'm sure it's nothing you couldn't handle, being a journalist and all. I'm sure you've seen worse," Jackson said, his last words causing me to feel even more unsettled.

I crossed my arms and shrugged, my tone light as I tried to add some humor to the situation.

"You're right. Though I'm doing fine till now. I'm still alive, aren't I?" I teased, expecting a similar reaction from Jackson. But instead, I found that his smile became flat, and my humor seemed to be lost on him. I felt a moment of awkwardness as I saw his response, and I couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

Jackson placed his hand on his mouth as he raised an eyebrow, creating an air of suspense that left me feeling slightly uncomfortable. He then turned to smile at me, his tone playful as he inquired, "How are things going with Stefan? Have you written some good stuff?" My heart began to race at the last part of his question, but I managed to maintain my composure as I replied.

"Not yet" my tone soft as I remembered my talks with Stefan. "He's hard to talk to. You know?" I added.

"Hard?" Jackson chuckled. his tone amused as he glanced at me. "He is, isn't he?" he agreed as he adjusted his glasses, looking me over.

"But your job is not just to talk to him," Jackson continued, shifting the tone of the conversation once more with his more serious expression. "We hired you to play a part in proving his innocence," he added with a slight smile, his firm gaze pinning me in place as I felt the weight of his words.

"If he's hard to talk to, improvise." Jackson said confidently, his words giving me a sense of urgency as I wondered what he meant by improvising. My mind raced for a moment as I tried to process the situation at hand.

My gaze remained steady as I contemplated Jackson's words, and I gave him a firm look in return before saying, "I understand the situation, but I hope you understand that I'm not willing to lie in my writing."

Jackson raised an eyebrow, his expression giving way to surprise as he took in my words. "So, you currently believe Stefan's innocence is a lie?" he repeated, his tone questioning as he eyed me carefully and waited for my response.

Maybe, I thought. It took me a moment to gather my thoughts before I replied.

"I'm not saying that I believe Stefan to be guilty or innocent, only that I refuse to falsify the story to favor one side or another," I said with a firm expression.

Jackson scratched his chin for a moment, a grin touching his lips before he let out a soft chuckle. "What kind of information do you need to be convinced of his innocence?" he asked, the question giving me pause as I considered the response I should give.

I felt my heart begin to race as I weighed the options in front of me, and I couldn't help but feel that Jackson was trying to influence my reporting.

"The truth," I stated simply, a wave of courage washing over me as I stood by my integrity as a journalist. Jackson looked at me with a smile on his face, his voice suddenly switching to a lower tone "And what would you know of the truth?" he asked, and I felt my heart flutter again as his gaze grew more intense.