Chapter 62

I thought drowning myself with drugs and ruining my family’s trust would be the ugliest, worst, and most regretful thing I’ve ever done. It was also probably the guiltiest thing, too. But I was more wrong than that. This time... I screwed up my life big time. I faced the same grey wall when I first came here in New York, back when Stefano brought me here. I remember how he studied me first and waited for the right moment to pounce on me. And he did it perfectly when he used my parents against me. Somehow he was able to know that they were my weakness. I have come to know not to mess with Stefano Ranallo- the most powerful ruthless billionaire. Oh, how I’ve come so far to despise him and now ended up being addicted to each other. How will he react when he knows this? My best friend freaked out, cried and scared for my sake. I had to lie to her just to calm her down. She’s pregnant. I couldn’t let her worry and suffer the consequences. So I told her that I will call Stefano and he will help me. Considering the guy have all the power in the world, he wouldn’t let me into trouble. I wouldn’t probably go behind those bars because he would do everything in his power not to. Sierra, in no doubt, believed me. The other police officers escorted her home. She was calm now and relaxed. To my relief, the officers helped with the lie. I had requested them to do so and told them her situation. But deep down, I knew I screwed up. And there’s no excuse nor save for this. No getting back at what I did. The door opened and came the cop who took care of me the last time I was here. He was pretty nice and kind to me. Him here made me relaxed a bit. I mean I almost dug a hole here while my feet kept kissing the ground back and forth. Lieutenant Brooks stood before me with his hands on his hips. Yes, it seems like a lot of lieutenants are fond of me. "Miss White..." My head rose from staring too much at the handcuffs on my wrist on the table. I wonder why they love letting me wait for hours and hours here. I can’t help but be anxious about it. I did the worst thing that could possibly be and they just let me sit and wait. As far as I know I should be in those rotten cells. "Someone is here to see you." My heart jumped at an incredible speed. ****! Please not my parents. Not my parents. I can’t handle them. Tears formed in my eyes. My heart rate worsened and picked up its rate. I feel like I’m going to be deaf from how loud and fast it was. The door opened and to my relief it wasn’t my parents but someone that made me shock. I immediately stood from my sit. The chair almost fell from the strength I exerted. My eyes widened when I see him and I stood here frozen and in disbelief. "I’ll handle this, Pierce." He said to Lt Brooks. "Of course, uncle. I’ll leave you be." He nodded to him. Shit. He’s his uncle? Is that why he’s here? General Briggs shifted his eyes to me. I don’t know where he came from but he still wore his uniform with the badges and stars. I was still in agape, stunned at his presence. "Oh, don’t give me that look, dear. Please take your seat." I slowly sat down. I stared at him still wondering why he was here. I was completely and utterly dumbstruck. "You’re wondering why I’m here, aren’t you?" I just stare at him. I was blank, still shocked. And the fact that I still have to face whatever the consequences. I don’t know what to feel anymore. "Well you rejected my offer. I have never been rejected before, and I’m a General at that. So I took a note inside my head that I will come after you, Miss White." I frowned at what he said. My silence drove him to continue talking. "I know I could easily find you. I have a lot of connections but I didn’t know it was this easy. Pierce, Lieutenant Brooks as you have known, told me  months ago that there was a woman who dared to cause trouble with a certain powerful businessman. She almost broke his bodyguard’s nose and even threatened his personal assistant." I scoffed. "That’s exaggerated." He smiled. "I can’t help but took an interest to this lady. To my surprise, she was the girl I was looking for." He leaned to the table and intertwined his fingers." You’re talented, Miss White. I just didn’t know why you would reject my offer." I frowned. "And I’m pretty sure you know my reputation, sir. The whole school knew my... predicament. And the fact that there were a lot of students who protested my position." I shook my head. "I don’t deserve your offer." "Is that what you think? Cause I think that’s a bit shallow. So I heard about your reputation and I’ve heard you’re doing better. Atoning for the sins. Is that the term? Cause if you’re making up for things you did wrong, you would have accepted my offer." "I don’t deserve it cause I don’t want it. That would be unfair for people who truly wanted it. I’m sorry, sir but I thought we already discuss about this. My reasons might be shallow for you but that’s what I truly feel." He sighed heavily. "Okay. I understand." He leaned back towards his chair. "I’m not here to force you into joining me. I’m here to help you but this help would still lead you..." He then trailed off. "Miss White, do you know what you’ve done?" My heart clenched achingly. I was back to staring at the cuffs on my wrists. "I know." "Well, do you know what’s happening to that kid right now?" I shook my head in dismay. "No one told me about it." He sighed fot the umpteenth time. "Pierce said you refused to take a call for assistance. You have one call to sort this out, Miss White." I’m not going to call anyone for this. I don’t want to see anyone’s reactions on their faces. They will be devastated when they hear about this. I can’t relive those days when people looked at me like I’m some kind of monster. It had killed me millions of times over and over. Briggs noticed I’m not going to talk. I don’t even know why he’s trying to help me. My rejection insulted him as far as I could see. "Listen, Miss White. The kid is in a coma right now. He lost a lot of blood and you almost punctured his vital organ. He could’ve died." I winced at his statement. I can’t blame him being blunt. I needed to hear this facts. I was lost thinking whether the kid died or lived. But I was thinking more on the side that he indeed died and that I’m willing to face my sentence. "It goes back to why I’m here. Pierce already knew you were the student who rejected my offer. At that time, I couldn’t come here and reopen the offer. I was busy and I had lot of places to be. Coincidentally... Pierce called me last night. I was two hours away in plane. I flew here right away when I heard the news." He took a long pause and continued. "Like I said, I’m not going to force you, Miss White. I’m going to give you a choice. I’m pretty sure you know how much you’re in a dip shit right now. Excuse my language. But that’s how I can describe it. No matter how much you’ll defend yourself for this, the fact that you almost killed a sixteen-year-old kid, a minor, can be hard to overlook. His uncle even hates you. He’s willing to fight this case for his nephew." "That man, his uncle, hurt my friend. He and his friend harassed her. I taught him a lesson not to mess with a woman. I didn’t think he’s up for revenge. I didn’t even purposely throw a knife at the kid and hit his back which made him bleed to death. I was just trying to stop him from getting Sierra. They are going to hurt her and I can’t afford letting that happen when I’m clearly there watching it unfold!" I exclaimed. My voice rose higher and higher every word that got out from my mouth. "Like I said, no matter what you say or how you defend yourself, fact is his nephew is a minor. And if ever he doesn’t wake up..." He shook his head. "Isn’t that why you’re willing to stay here? Because you know the situation you’re in to." I relaxed back at my seat. He’s right. I have been so compliant all this time. I screwed up and there’s no way out. "I could save you, you know, if you just listen to what I have to say." He sounded sincere and that made me want to listen to whatever proposition he’s going to make. I sighed. "Tell me. How can you help me? Just so you know, I’m not going to use connections. That would just ruin me more. I’m not gonna put another mistake on top of this shit I’m in." He shook his head. "Trust me on this, Miss White. I won’t do anything that would ruin you even more." He stood from his chair and started to walk around me but it didn’t feel like he was intimidating like a predator to his prey. "I’m going to give you a choice, Miss White. Either you’re going to face the court and be locked away for god knows how long or..." He stopped behind me. The long pause felt like he was giving me a hint where this was going. I was still silent waiting for him to continue. I did not want to think about anything. I don’t want to expect. I waited for hours and hours here anxious at the situation I’m in and in some miracle an offer of way out came to me in a silver platter. "... you’re going to join the army."