Unsettling Calmness And Intruding Gaze

TPV

As soon as Maddison and Mason's car entered the trinity square, it fell in the middle of the flood of people, mostly the media. The cameras flashed, trying to capture them through the tinted windows.

The knocks on the windows were enough to make anyone scared for their life but not Madison Sanders. She was used to the camera. She had lived at the centre of public attention since her teenage. Those ghosts didn't scare her anymore.

She pulled out her large dark shades from her bag and put them on. They covered her eyes and half of her face. Mason gulped before he wore his.

"Don't stop until we are inside the gates." She instructed the driver.

He was honking the horn continuously while driving the car piercing through the thick crowd. Madison saw the fleet of men and women, more confident and in charge, dressed in uniform with their caps on their heads.

At some distance, an ambulance stood with its doors open, waiting for the dead body to be put in.

The officers caught the shiny black car coming their way. They stopped the car before it entered the gates.

"Mam... the police..." The driver looked nervously at Madison through the front mirror.

She pursed her lips before muttering.

"Get ready."

Two officers came to knock on her side of window. She pressed the button near her hand to roll down the window.

Putting up her best face, she said in a professional voice. "Good morning officers!"

"There is nothing good about this morning, Mrs Sanders. I think you should get out of the car and answer a few of our questions."

Madison's eyes narrowed behind her shades. She read the name of the officer.

J.S. William.

"Officer William. I am here to cooperate you in the investigation. We can have a chat over coffee in my office. I will answer all of your questions."

The man didn't look quite impressed with her suggestion.

"This is a murder case, Mrs Sanders. I don't think a 'chat over a coffee' is going to help us in solving it. It's better if you step out right now and walk with me to the dead body. Please! I insist." He added the last words only out of formality, and there was no sincerity in them.

She pursed her lips before tipping her head once. She rolled up the window again and ordered Mason before opening the door.

"Check on him and make sure he doesn't get to operate on this case."

Madison stepped out of the car, and if the previous chaos was not enough, then now people were almost roaring. The media people tried to break through the human chain made by the police armed with their cameras and mikes.

Aware of the hundreds of pictures that would be covered by all newspapers, magazines and tabloids, Madison waited for Mason to come to stand beside her.

"Stay calm and let me handle this." She said as discreetly as she could while smoothening the folds of her dress with her palms.

"This way, Mrs Sanders, Mr Burke." Officer William guided them to the sealed area where the black bag remained to the side, and Carson's body was taken out of it.

Its face must have been ruined badly because it was covered by a white sheet.

Officer William signalled them to stop before he ordered his assistant to show the face of the dead man. Madison sucked a quick breath as her insides churned at the sight. Watching its blurred version on the TV was another thing but watching it closely was more painful than she thought.

She quickly looked away, unable to see it anymore but Mason remained unwavered by the sight. If not for his Shades, one could have guessed that he had something to do with Carson, by the way, he glared at his dead body.

Officer William instructed his assistant to cover the face again before asking the forensic team if they were done with collecting the shreds of evidence and taking the photographs.

Once receiving a nod from them, he ordered them to take the dead body.

Turning to face Madison, he said, "Shall we get in your offfice and discuss the further things over a coffee mam?"

Madison didn't say anything. Clenching her fists to her side, she stormed inside the office building ignoring the questions thrown her way.

*

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ELENA

The more I looked at him, the more my anger rose. And his untimely wittiness was not working in his favour at all.

"Mr Sanders, I would like it if you just stick to the business and answer my questions. What the hell were you trying to do here by caging these workers inside the gates?

And why the hell that crocodile was guarding your manor? If anything you owe me the money for the damage to my car! If your man had opened the gate, then I wouldn't have needed to take so much effort to get in." I was fuming with anger, to say the least.

And the way his eyes lingered on the tip of my nose, I knew it must have turned red like every time.

But what irked me was his unsettling calmness as if he had faced worse than this, or maybe more of such situations.

But he should realise soon that there is only one Elena Bell and she would never let him win!

I saw his PA, what was her name? Yeah... Christine dug her long painted nails in his arm, and for a second... only a fraction of a second, I pitied the man.

He finally took out his hand from his pocket, and when I thought he would push her away, he surprised me by patting her hand assuringly.

"It's okay. I am safe. Calm down, Christine!" He whispered softly as if he... cared?

At least there was someone he cared for!

The woman slowly let go of him before stepping out from behind him.

I straightened up my back again when his attention turned back to me.

"I have already answered your question, Miss Bell. I am trying to get my factory run here. I haven't caged anyone. They all are here on their will. I didn't go to their homes to drag them by their legs.

And about the security... I have all rights of guarding my property by any means. And about your car... how about I offer you a new one, any model of your choice than just giving little compensation?"

His grey eyes took in the state of my car, and for some reason, I felt a bit embarrassed.

"You are trying to bribe me? Are you serious?" I couldn't believe him!

He was trying to lure me with his money in front of hundreds of people! What a dick!

"Please, Miss Bell. Don't insult my generosity by branding it as something unlawful like a bribe!"

But his face didn't mirror his 'generous words' at all.

I took a threatening step in his way.

"Stop playing your vicious game, Mr Sanders. You can fool the whole world but not me! I know you and your kind better than them. I know the lengths you can go to hide your mistakes and how you mercilessly use the helpless ones for your benefit."

He blinked, tilting his head to the left. His gaze changed. It became more intense, intruding even as he tried to peek inside my head... or maybe my soul.

And for once, I felt threatened, vulnerable... defenceless.

"You have no right to deploy your security here because this land is not yours! You have taken this land on a lease of ninety-nine years. It doesn't make you the owner of this property!" I said, getting a hold of myself.

He sighed, giving me a sympathetic look.

"I think you are not well informed, Miss Bell. Aren't your assistants, updated on the recent happenings?" He glanced at Joanna and Steve.

And for some reason, his mocking gaze caught an edge when it trained on Steve for a long moment.

"Mr Smith?" He called, and the short man came running in his way.

Standing beside him, he asked, "Yes sir?"

"Show Miss Bell the papers."

Smith had a folder ready in his hand. Taking out a bunch of papers, he placed them in my hands. With another glare at the cold cucumber, I began reading the papers and what I saw just blew my mind.

"What the... but..." I couldn't find the right words to say. Showing the papers, I demanded, "How can you buy this property overnight, Mr sanders? Would you please explain?"

Joanna and Steve gasped behind me.

"Miss Bell... I heard so much about your intellect and sharpness. I was actually looking forward to collaborating with you on this project but seems like those were only overhyped rumours.

Please read the date."

Ignoring that insult, I checked the date, and that left me speechless.

That moron had it all planned. The date on those papers was one day before he arrived in Swindon.

"But... but this land is registered under the Swindon's trust. How can you buy it?" I was confused.

He shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing. "I just contacted the family who left their land with the town's trust when they migrated to the city. I offered them a price, and they liked it.

Deal done! As simple as that!"