chapter 10

Dezze slowly opened her eyes to the sound of phone ring call. Groggily, she glanced around the room, but within seconds, memories of the previous night's events came flooding back. A shy smile spread across her face as she recalled the night's happenings with the fervor of a lovesick individual.

However, her reverie was short-lived, as she suddenly remembered the missed call. Quickly, she reached for her mobile phone, which was nestled beneath the upper pillow, and picked it up.

"Yes, Mr.john."

"Where are you?"

"Oh, At my apartment, but why?so early? Is everything okay?" Mr. John rarely, if ever, called Dezze at such an early hour. So, when she saw his name flashing on her phone screen, Dezze was taken aback, her surprise sparking a flurry of thoughts in her mind.

"I want to talk with you. come your office quickly. " He maintained his usual tone, but with a hint of seriousness.

"Okay."

Dezze embarked on a thorough search for her crimson dress, scouring every nook and cranny until she finally spotted it lying on the ground. She promptly picked it up and slipped it on. Just as she had finished dressing, her phone sprang to life, displaying Mark's name on the screen. Without hesitation, she answered the call.

"Hello, Mark," Dezze answered, her voice firm but laced with a hint of curiosity.

"Where are you?" Mark's voice was laced with a sense of urgency.

"I'm on my way," Dezze replied, her words quick and assured. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Is the meeting starting now?"

"No, no, but..." Mark's voice trailed off, his hesitation palpable.

Dezze's instincts kicked in, her voice tinged with a hint of concern. "Is everything alright?" she asked, her words laced with a hint of trepidation.

Mark's pause was like a thunderclap, heavy with foreboding. "Do you remember Erick? Mr. Andi's friend? He was released from jail yesterday..." Mark's voice was measured, each word dripping with significance.

Dezze's mind was racing, her thoughts tumbling over each other like a raging storm.

Mark's next words dropped like a bombshell. "And on the same day, Ms. Jesse visited the jail to see Andi."

The room seemed to hold its breath as Mark's words hung in the air, heavy with implication.

"We'll discuss the rest in the meeting," Mark continued, his voice low and deliberate. "You need to get here quickly, before Mr. John gets angry."

"Okay," Dezze replied, her voice firm, but her mind reeling with questions.

As she disconnected the call, Jesse walked into the room, her presence like a whispered secret. Dezze's eyes locked onto hers, a thousand unspoken questions hanging in the air.

"Have something to eat before you leave," Jesse said, setting the teacup down on the table. "By the way, you're not exactly dressed for the office. Let me lend you some of my clothes." With that, she promptly retrieved a crisp formal shirt and a pair of tailored trousers from her wardrobe and handed them to Dezze.

"should I change here?"Dezze jokingly asks Jesse with gestures.

"Don't be silly otherwise you will be late."Jesse says with her flirtatious smile.

As Dezze unapologetically began to change into Jesse's clothes, the air was thick with tension. Jesse's eyes remained fixed on Dezze, her gaze piercing and unyielding. The silence between them was oppressive, heavy with unspoken emotions.

Despite her outward composure, Dezze's mind was a jumble of confusion, with many thoughts and emotions that she couldn't quite grasp. With her new attire, she leaving for the office. As she departed, she cast a fleeting glance in Jesse's direction.

Jesse's gaze, however, was inscrutable, its depth and intensity making it impossible for Dezze to decipher her thoughts or emotions.

Following a lengthy discussion and careful deliberation, Dezze promptly departed in the office car, heading solo in a specific direction.

After the doorbell rings five times the door finally opens.

"Ahh, not again ,It's impossible that you've come all this way, driven by a desire to protect me... to shield me from the gathering storm."

"Erick you are on the prime suspect list."

"Oh, so have you come to save me?"in sarcastic Manner.

"Erick, This is no laughing matter. I've come to warn you, and if there's anything going on, anything at all that you need to share, you can tell me right now."

"hold on , hold on , hold on (gesture from his hands), I just came out of jail yesterday morning, at least let me breathe properly."

"I agree that whatever happened to you was not right. But still if you know anything about Andi then you can tell me."

"(Erick smrik) You're all blind, every last one of you! You're still wants justice for that monster, Andi - the same man who brutally assaulted, rape her , his own wife, leaving her for dead. The same man whose cruelty and violence nearly extinguished the life of the woman he vowed to love and protect. He framed me, and as a result, my wife took her own life, along with our unborn child. And now, you want to find his killer? No, no, no, Dezze, wake up! Your justice is nothing but a sham, a hollow concept that exists only in name."

"I'm uncertain if my actions are justified, but one fact remains clear: he is a murderer. And regardless of the circumstances, holding a murderer accountable will always be a matter of justice."

"I don't care at all! Whoever they are, I'll do everything in my power to save them. before I was released from prison, my sole intention was to kill Andi, but now that someone has taken care of that problem for me, I'm willing to go to great lengths to protect this person's life.The further you investigate, the more every shred of evidence will slip through your fingers like sand, leaving you with nothing."

He swiftly slams the door of Dezze's face. Dezze is left standing there, lost in thought, wondering if she did the right thing. But deep down, a nagging feeling starts to creep in, making her realize that perhaps she made a mistake.