5

Barrister Noah slowly knelt in front of Jaxon’s wheelchair, eyes full of pity. Even without knowing the full story, he could see it in Jaxon’s eyes...pain, injustice, and cruelty that had broken him. He’d seen many cases like this in his line of work, but something about this young man felt different. The injustice here cut deeper.

He gently reached out, placing a hand over Jaxon’s, resting limp on his lap. At that, Jaxon lifted his tired, sunken eyes to meet Noah’s.

"Let it out, Jaxon," Noah said quietly. "Cry if you have to. Sometimes it’s the only way to ease the pain."

Jaxon let out a dry, bitter smile. “Barrister, it’s been four years now...four years living in agony, obsessed with revenge. I didn’t just come here out of the blue. I spent two full years tracking their every move.”

He paused, his words hanging heavily in the air.

Noah adjusted his posture, leaning in. “Jaxon, who are these people? Who did they kill? And what happened to you...how did you end up in this chair?”

Jaxon stared up at the sky like he wouldn’t answer. For a moment, Noah believed he wouldn’t.

But then Jaxon reached behind his wheelchair, pulled out a small crumble paper tucked into a compartment, and started unfolding it.

Noah watched, stunned, as Jaxon carefully unwrapped a crumpled newspaper clipping.

“Do you recognize these faces?” Jaxon asked, holding up the photo for him to see.

Noah’s eyes widened. He adjusted his position again to get a closer look. He knew those faces. He remembered exactly when the photo had been taken...it was the wedding day of his boss, Sam, captured by reporters alongside his closest friends.

His chest tightened. He couldn’t speak.

“You know them, don’t you?” Jaxon asked, voice low and serious.

Still silent, Noah stared at the photo.

“These are the ‘Three Faces’....the ones I’m going to take down. You're telling me you know them?”

“Answer me,” Jaxon said, voice sharp. “Do you know them?”

Noah nodded slowly, heart pounding. “I know them very well. That picture was taken on Sam’s wedding day. The press was all over it, asking about his happiness and friendship.”

Jaxon’s chest heaved with restrained fury.

Suddenly, he grabbed Noah by the collar, dragging him closer. “Tell me everything. I mean every single thing you know about them.”

Noah looked up at Jaxon’s reddened face and struggled to breathe. “Let me go…”

“No. Not until you talk. Or I’ll crush you right here.”

“You’ve got to let me go if you want answers!” Noah gasped.

Jaxon finally released his grip, but the look in his eyes was lethal.

Noah sat back against the wall, massaging his throat, his gaze locked on Jaxon’s cold expression.

Then he began slowly, “Sam... Adrian... Lucian…” He looked at Jaxon, whose fury only grew as he nodded.

“The three bastards,” Jaxon muttered. “Tell me. Who are you to them?”

Noah swallowed hard. “I’m one of the attorneys for Smooth Group, the company Sam inherited from his late father. That’s how I’m connected. But I’m shocked to hear they’re the cause of your pain. As far as I know, they’ve always maintained a positive reputation.”

Jaxon let out a bitter chuckle. “On the surface, maybe. But underneath, they’re worse than vipers. Today, you’ll learn who they really are. You’ve been working for demons without even knowing it.”

Noah adjusted his posture, now sitting cross-legged on the floor. Jaxon raised his head toward the sky and began to speak.

*****

Mount Pleasant

She couldn’t push the door open. Her stomach churned with fear, not hunger. Bella had given her a mouth watering breakfast that morning, yet she still felt sick.

She stood outside, nerves rattling, knowing she was in for it. They were going to tear her apart. There was no way Willow would let this go.

“Please God… please don’t let her beat me today,” Dahlia whispered, eyes welling with tears.

Just as she was about to step inside, she stopped, frozen by the sound of Willow yelling at her husband like a storm had rolled in.

Willow was on a tear, accusing and shouting like she’d caught her own child doing wrong...though her husband never said a word, never raised a voice against her. It was always whatever Willow said that went.

“She’s out there playing games with me!” Willow raged. “She better tell me whose house she spent the night in! That sneaky little brat! She’s out here sleeping in some guy’s room and doesn’t bring me a dime....then has the nerve to act like some innocent angel!”

She waved a cooking spoon threateningly in her husband’s face. “And you! You act like I’m the one corrupting her! Well, guess what? You better tell me where she’s been, or I’ll find out my damn self!”

Suddenly, the front gate flew open without warning. In stormed Leo and his boys, a puff of smoke trailing from his lips.

“Markus! Todd!” he shouted to his crew. “Search every damn corner....bring her out!”

Willow froze in fear, her body trembling as she rushed to meet Leo.

“What the hell, Leo?! What’s this about? Dahlia didn’t spend the night with you?” she asked, voice cracking.

The slap came out of nowhere.

Leo’s hand crashed against her face, silencing her.

“You think you can scam me and walk away?” Leo growled. “We had a deal...I was supposed to meet her near the school. Turns out your daughter’s a damn goat with no manners. She hit my friend Todd in the head with her school bag! He’s limping! Then she disappeared like a damn ghost after disrespecting us in public!”

He yanked Willow by the collar. “You owe me! Either bring her out or I’ll take it from your hide!”

Panicked, Willow dashed behind her husband, screaming. “Please, someone help! They’re going to hurt us! Dahlia....you’ve ruined me!”

At that moment, Mason and his wife Bella burst in with a few neighbors.

Bella's eyes brimmed with tears as she stood stunned, never imagining Willow, could be so heartless. Mason just shook his head in disbelief, struggling to understand how some people could treat the responsibility of raising a child with such disregard. Letting Dahlia remain in the hands of that cruel woman was too dangerous. He needed to act....if it came to it, he was willing to take the matter to the Village Head or even escalate it legally. He knew Dahlia had family on her mother’s side and would see to it she was placed there if needed.

It took effort, but they finally managed to drive Leo and his group out of the house.Willow collapsed to the floor, breath heaving, clutching her scarf. Today had shaken her deeply.

Bella shook her head, frustration laced in her voice. “Willow, your tears are for show, but anyone with sense knows better. And let me be clear...Dahlia hasn’t spent a single night in some random man’s room. She stays in mine. Your scheming could’ve easily backfired on you. Don’t you fear any consequences? Just because you didn’t birth her doesn’t mean she wasn’t entrusted to you. That child ended up in your care for a reason. You think turning your back on that is how you repay your blessings?

You better reflect on yourself, Willow, and change before it’s too late. I’ll keep saying it...every child deserves to be treated with respect, not used for your selfish games. You have no idea who this girl might grow into, or what fate God has placed in her hands.”

Willow shot her a hateful glare throughout the speech. Then, rising to her feet with a snort and waving her scarf, she snapped, “Well aren’t you the noble one? Want me to bow to you because you gave birth to me? You’re always acting like you’re some saint. You pick on me and protect that girl like she’s your own daughter, all in the name of your fake virtue. Tell me...have you ever spent a dime on Dahlia’s clothes or food? No? Then don’t come preaching to me in my own home. I’m done with you.”

She yanked Dahlia by the arm. “Let go of her! She’s not your child! You think you’re some savior? You gave birth to a child to leave you alone, so spare me your lectures. At least I never had kids. You had one and he grew up to runaway, leaving you behind!”

Dahlia cried out, trying to pull away, and Willow dragged her harder, shouting, “This is your home and you’re not leaving it. Like it or not, this is where you belong!”

“I want to go with Aunt Bella! I don’t want to stay in this house anymore!” Dahlia sobbed, thrashing in resistance.

“You hear that?” Willow psneered. “Ungrateful brat. Just like your tramp of a mother.”

Bella lunged to pull Dahlia away, but Mason caught her, shaking his head gently.

“You see what she’s doing to her?” Bella cried, tears streaming. “Mason, I love that child…”

Mason turned toward Dahlia’s father, dropped to one knee, and said, “Please...I’m begging you. Let me take her.”

Dahlia’s father, eyes brimming with tears, gave a slow, solemn nod.

Emboldened, Mason continued, “I’m not asking you to give her to me permanently. Just let her live with me and my wife. Let us care for her.”

Before he could finish, Willow snapped. She hurled insults and shoved Dahlia back into the room, ignoring her screams. “You filthy hypocrites. Trying to steal a child that doesn’t belong to you. What’s next? You want to marry her, hoping she’ll give you the child your own wife couldn’t? You think you can creep around at night with a young girl? Dream on. She’s not going anywhere!”

Just as Bella raised her hand to slap Willow, Mason grabbed her arm. He knew then....shame wasn’t something Willow understood. They had to take a different route.

“You should’ve let me hit her,” Bella fumed. “She’d have learned who she was messing with. Get out of this house before I lose all patience!”

Willow baked.

As Mason and Bella walked away, they could still hear Dahlia’s sobs, her voice desperate: “Aunty, please don’t leave me! Uncle, take me with you! Please!”

Outside, Bella wept uncontrollably, her heart breaking. “Mason, we’re just leaving her like that? We can’t just walk away... please tell me we can do something.”

Mason sighed. “Bella, I promise....we will get her out of there. We’ll expose every lie that woman spins. Trust me. Just give me a little time.”

She nodded, tears still falling silently down her face.

Mean while...

Jaxon continued, “Like I told you, we’re originally from Mexico. Both of our parents were born and raised there. They only had the two of us...me and my younger sister, Aurora. When we moved to the U.S., I was about eight, and Aurora was just a baby, maybe a year old. There’s nearly a seven-year gap between us. My dad found work with a small company in New York City, and he threw himself into it with everything he had.

Things were tough at first, but gradually we settled in. Life wasn’t perfect, but we had what we needed.”

Jaxon paused, smiling faintly at the memory. “At that company, my dad worked under a man who had a daughter named Lily. She was two or three years younger than me. We went to the same school, did everything together. Lily and I became incredibly close. If I wasn’t at her place, she was at ours. We were inseparable.

He chuckled at the memory. “If Mom made us food and we had to share a plate, there was always a fight over it. But once we finished eating, it was back to being best friends. I’m telling you, it was like we were bound together. Even after Lily’s family moved to a different neighborhood, she still visited often. I did too. Our families got closer, and eventually, they even promised us to each other. Of course, back then, we didn’t fully understand what that meant. I was maybe 19 or 20. Aurora was just 12.”

He fell silent, eyes glistening with tears.

Quietly, he continued, “One day, our parents traveled back to Mexico for a visit. They left us in the care of Marie, our housekeeper, because Aurora and I were in the middle of school.

They never came back. The last time I saw them was at the airport. Their plane crashed on the return trip. No one survived.”

Jaxon’s voice cracked, tears falling freely. Barrister Noah reached over, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Jaxon cried until the pain eased, offering prayers for his parents as Barrister echoed “Amen.” Then he composed himself.

“Losing our parents broke us. Neither Aurora nor I knew what to do. But Lily’s dad took me aside and reminded me that I was the oldest. I had to be strong, for my sister. Marie stepped up....she became like a mother to us. And Lily… Lily never left our side. She was there constantly, helping us through it all.”

He wiped his face and continued.

“Eventually, Lily’s dad asked me to join his investment firm. He saw something in me....dedication, maybe potential. He and my dad had been close. I started working while I was still in college. Lily and I became even closer. Our relationship grew into something deeper, more serious. Everyone knew we were in love.

Then the firm hit a rough patch....almost collapsed. That’s when Lily officially joined the company. We worked side by side, trying to save her father’s legacy.

And that’s when she met Sam....the CEO of Smooth Group…”

To be continue......