The perfect compromise

Once in the elevator, Anthony finally noticed the sheer panic in Rebecca's eyes, and he grabbed her shoulders as he turned her to face him. He asked, "What is wrong? Why are you looking like you are about to face your death?" Rebecca immediately cracked and said in a somewhat dramatic voice, "That is because I am. Why did you have to reserve a single room? What in the past couple of days made you think I would be able to share a room with you!? I panicked when you made me sit next to you. Do you think that my panicking will become less when you tell me to sleep next to you?? You know I can't handle that. My heart would explode. I know you and I are engaged, but you can't treat this like a normal engagement. I told you before that I need things to go slowly or otherwise my fight or flight will kick in, and I might just run away from it altogether, and I don't want that."

By now tears had started to form in Rebecca's, but Anthony remained his patient and kind self. He smiled at Rebecca in a gentle, loving manner, as he wiped away the traces of tears in her eyes. He then said in his warm, soothing voice, "Is that what got you all worked up like this until you are on the verge of tears. I might be clueless, but I am not stupid. Yes, we do share a room together. But I asked for two separate beds. That way you can learn to adjust to my presence, but know that there is still space between us. It seemed like the perfect compromise between what you want and what I want."

These words seemed to have calmed Rebecca down a bit, and she started to rethink the situation with this new information. Although it still didn't make her feel fully at ease, she indeed saw how this would be a chance to move forward in their relationship, without asking too much of herself and without having to spoil the evening. So, she asked in soft voice, "Really? There are two separate beds?" Anthony nodded and put his arms around her as he pulled her in for a hug, before placing a kiss on top of her head. Rebecca reciprocated his hug, and felt a bit ashamed over her outburst, so she pulled him in tighter as she buried her face in his chest. Anthony chuckled at this hamster-like behaviour, finding it incredibly endearing, and proceeded to place yet another kiss on top of her head. Waiting for the day where Rebecca would be ready for a kiss somewhere else.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few towns over, another person was going to have to learn to adjust to her new situation. Although it probably wouldn't go down without a fight. That person was none other than Olivia. She had no idea that in a few moments her house would be raided by officers and she would be taken in for aiding a known fugitive, money laundering and being an accomplice to several crimes, including an attempted murder. Joe had managed to get the balls rolling for Olivia's arrest pretty quickly. With her case being tied to Harold's, as well as having done some preliminary work when he heard about the initial discoveries from Anthony, it wasn't difficult to get a warrant this soon after filing for one.

With his attitude at his holding cell, Harold hadn't exactly managed to make friends out of the officers there. This in turn made the officers more than happy to make Olivia's arrest as unpleasant as possible when Joe asked them to, considering she was Harold's accomplice. Hence her midnight arrest, the storming in when they could have just rang the doorbell during the next day, and coming in with guns drawn, despite her being in bed and unarmed most likely.

You see, Harold was still highly convinced that he would walk out of the police station a free man. Not even considering the possibility that he might be found guilty. Despite all the evidence stacked against him. Just as he was still highly convinced that they wouldn't find his warehouse where the real evidence of his crimes were. This caused him to act like his arrogant and condescending self. Threatening with suing the precinct over this 'injustice'. Telling them they would never be able to prove anything and that it was all just a witch hunt. That they were trying to frame him because of past prejudices against him. Every reason you could think of, he had thrown against the poor officers working in that precinct. If they didn't know the truth, you would almost start to believe him. That is with how much conviction Harold would say the things he said.

But the officers did know better, they did not care for Harold's ranting, and anything they could do to take down another one of his 'men' or to strengthen the case against him, they would gladly do. Despite the extra resources it would cost them. Especially considering that Noah had offered to make a donation to compensate them for those costs, if they should agree to it.

So, now, just like he had planned, Olivia's rug would be pulled from under her at a moment she least expected it. And he was allowed to watch it happen once the arrest was over, when they would give him access to their body-cam recordings. For that part of the day, he wanted to be home. To allow Laila to watch it with him, as she deserved it just as much as he did. If not more. She had been the one who had to deal with her the most. She had been the one to find out that Olivia was scheming something and she had been the one to make the wiretaps and cameras inside Olivia's home possible. Giving them the intel they needed, and much of what they would be using in Olivia's trial.