Chapter 9

The cold concrete floor beneath Ria’s knees felt like needles as she knelt down in the cell after Mr Garcia exited the police station. Her cries eventually die down to an exhausted sigh as she sniffs and looks up hopelessly at the ceiling of her cell. Her head slumped forward, her face streaked with tears and desperation. She didn’t know how long she remained kneeling on the cell floor; all she could think about was the court hearing tomorrow and what awaited her at court.

The Next Morning

Just as the morning light begins to filter into Ria’s cell, the station doors swing open. A tall man walks, aided with a clutch on his right arm, and accompanied by an aide, into the police station.

Inspector James looks up to see Mr Woods walking into the police station with Mr Paul. His eyes immediately widened in surprise with a hint of excitement and awe. He stands from his Chair to greet Mr Woods.

“Good morning, Mr Woods,, the police says with utter respect for the said man. “Mr Woods doesn’t really answer his greeting before the police inspector, Mr James, catches himself and offers Liam a seat “Please have a seat, Mr Woods”, Inspector James says to Liam with excitement. Mr Paul pulls out the seat for Liam to sit before taking a seat in a chair beside Liam. Inspector James takes his own seat with a grin on his face “How can I help you this morning, Mr Woods?” Inspector James asks Liam. “I would like to have a word with one of your detainees, Miss Choudhary”, Liam says, and the Inspector seems surprised “And why would you want an audience with Miss Woods?” Inspector James asks Liam, who raises a questioning eyebrow at Inspector James, who laughs awkwardly before clearing his throat, “Well, you may see her then, Mr Woods” Inspector James replies to Liam’s request. “Sergeant Smith, open up Ria Choudhary’s cell so that she can have a word with Mr Woods”, Inspector James says “No, I will go to her cell to speak with her. That place is better for our discussion,” Liam says “Very well then, take Mr Woods to Ria Choudhary’s cell”, Inspector James says to Sergeant Smith. “Come with me”, Sergeant Smith says to Liam, and Mr Paul helps him up while he and Mr Paul follow the sergeant to Ria’s cell.

Ria sits dejectedly on the floor of the cell, not caring about how hygienic the cell floor is. “Ria Choudhary, someone is here to see you”, Sergeant Smith says before leaving. Ria looks with Surprise and hope, only for all her hope to die once again once she sees Liam’s face. “Mr Paul, would you excuse me and Miss Choudhary?” Liam says to Mr Paul, “Sure, sir” Mr Paul says before stepping some distance away from Ria’s cell, where Liam is standing. “Mr Woods, why are you here? And… how do you know I am here?” Ria asks Liam, who smirks, “You still have a smart mouth, I see, even after spending a night in a cell” Liam says, and Ria sighs “Look, Mr Woods, I don’t have the time to have an altercation with you. I’m tired, frustrated, and exhausted, so please, if you’re here to insult me… you might as well leave” Ria says before turning around to sit back on the cell floor when Liam stops her “i know you’re innocent and you didn’t assault Mr Garcia” he says to her and she pauses in her tracks before turning around to look at Liam with a hint of surprise on her face before it turns to curiosity. “How do you know that? how did you even know I was locked up?” she says to Liam with keen eyes. Liam smirks. “I own magic city, does that ring a bell?” he says and Ria’s eyes widen more in shock “what?!,” she says “but…but i thought you’re a kick boxer. How?...” she says “you have no idea who i am do you Ria?” he says with a glint of arrogance in his pretty ice blue eyes before his expression become stoic again. “I am Liam Woods, I own the state of California, and the rest of my family runs the remaining states in the United States and even the entire government of this country”, he says, and Ria still looks confused and shocked. “Don’t worry darling, you’ll know who i am in due time” he says “i will cut to the chase, i can save you from this and you won’t have to go to prison” he says to her and Ria wants to say something before Liam cuts her off “if you can agree to my condition, you would not only escape going to jail for something you didn’t do, your family house mortgage, student loans, your mother’s hospital bills and her surgery bill will all be gone like a bad dream” he says to her “how do you know about my mother?” Ria asks Liam shocked at how much he knows about her “don’t you dare hurt my mother you creepy psychopath” she says sneering at him and he looks at her with a blank expression before responding to her rant her “tsk, tsk, tsk” he says before cleaning his right ear with his right pinky finger and then rubbing his right temple like he’s having a headache he finally sighs. “Anyway, my condition is thus, you’ll marry me for two years and i’ll clear every single debt you owe, you wouldn’t go to jail and you get to live a good life for two years as your repayment for my benevolence to you and your hopeless mother” he says to her and Ria sees red “what?!” she exclaims as the pitch of her voice is almost like a scream “i decline!, I would never agree to your insane and stupid proposal,” she yells “You must be insane? Do you think this is a Wattpad book? How can you toy with my life and that of my mother like this?” she asks him, and he looks at her with a blank expression. “Very well then, have it your way”, he says to her as she fumes from behind the cell bars “get sentenced, and have your mother critical in the hospital while the bank comes to reclaim your family loan and the interests on your college loans keep piling up” he says to her.

“You’re such an evil man”, she says to him, and he shrugs his shoulders in a nonchalant manner “I’ve been called worse; some people call me the devil’s incarnate. Maybe use that one next time,” he says before turning around and walking away with the support of his clutch on his right armpit, and Mr Paul follows him, but not before nodding to Ria as a form of greeting. Ria watches in anger and hopelessness as Liam and Mr Paul walk out of the Police station.

Liam’s Pov

As I walk out of the station, I keep my ear alert to hear if Ria will tell me to stop and then she’ll take my offer, but to my surprise, she doesn’t stop me from walking out of the cell. I must say that was really impressive. She’s as stubborn as a mule, not like the other girls I’ve come across, but not unbreakable and untamable. I’m going to have so much fun and satisfaction breaking her until she totally falls at my feet, asking me to help her. He says as he cracks a sinister smile on his extremely handsome face, as his eyes sparkle with excitement.

A few hours later

Ria finds herself standing in the courtroom, still in her worn-out clothes. Mr Garcia’s lawyer twisted the story. Ria was shocked at the fabricated stories Mr Gracia’s lawyer came up with. Her court-appointed attorney could barely get any words out of his mouth in her defence. The judge became impatient and unimpressed, “enough”, the Judge says before writing a few things down. She banged the gavel “Miss Choudhary is hereby sentenced to six months in prison”, the judge says, and Ria suddenly feels the room start to spin as she feels goose bumps all over her body. Two officers come to take her to the police van. Just as she was being led out of the courtroom, a voice called out from behind, “Wait” Everyone turned around to see a well-dressed young man dressed in a three-piece suit looking sophisticated, accompanied by a pair of lawyers behind him. “My name is Dylan Cole, a human rights lawyer. I'm here to post bail for Miss Choudhary and overturn this injustice,” the man says, and the courtroom erupts in whispers. Ria is frozen in one spot as she can’t believe what she just saw and heard.

The judge, confused but intrigued, leans forward “Are you ready to take legal and financial responsibility for this woman?” the judge asks Mr Dylan Cole.

“Yes, honour, I am”, he says confidently.

Within an hour, the paperwork is done, and Ria is escorted out of the courtroom free.

Ria cannot believe it, and she expressed her gratitude to the lawyer who just saved her life. “No, don’t thank me, you should be thanking a friend of mine whom I owe a huge favour to. It’s them you should be thanking” Dylan Cole says and Ria looks confused “Miss Choudhary, i’ll like to have dinner with you this evening, if it’s convenient for you.” he says to Ria who is taking aback “you see after i got a background information of your case, your plight moved me so i want to have further discussions with you. I believe that your story will be inspiring for people and my friend will also want to be of help in seeing to it that you get more assistance and help” Dylan Cole says to her and Ria gulps “what?!, you want to have dinner with me?” Ria says “i don’t believe it” she says “well, if you decide to have dinner with me, here’s my card give me a call” he says to her before leaving with his team of fellow lawyers.

Later that Evening

Ria is dressed in a royal blue sparkly strapless dress as she stands in the elevator taking her up to the 12th floor of Regal Renaissance hotel. She’s excited, and nervous at the same time. She didn;t know what to expect all she knew was that she owed her freedom to Dylan Cole and honouring his invitation to dinner was the least she could do to show her gratitude for his kindness to her.

A waiter welcomes her as she steps out of the elevator and escorts her to a reserved private booth in the penthouse of the hotel. The hotel and ambience of the hotel smelt like money, old money. Ria shivers at the ambience of the private booth. She sees the figure of Dylan sitting in a chair waiting for her and she excitedly hastens her steps only for the figure to turn around and her breath caught in her throat as her eyes widen in utter horror. “Hello, Miss Choudhary,” the voice says with a sinister tone.