8 vii

I sat quietly as I looked at the CCTV monitor. After what happened on my suite, I walked straight to the panic room and took a bath.

Dakota and the rest we're sitting at a Baughman curved sofa at a different executive suite. They evacuated right after the commotion at hand.

I glanced at another monitor and saw a familiar figure walking few blocks away, she's heading here.

I got up and walked out the door, I headed to the elevator and out of the building.

I lighted my cigarette and started smoking at a remote and cold alley.

I almost had an heart attack when, out of nowhere, I saw Megan being held captive by a man infront of me.

I threw my cigarette on the floor, stomped on it and threw it at a near garbage bin.

" You shouldn't do that while I'm on watch, " I said in a hoarse voice.

The man's hold on Megan loosened, she grabs that chance to kick him hard down 'there'. The knife fell off his hands while he shrieked in pain.

Megan pulled herself away from him but he tried to get to her. Bad luck for him because I kicked him hard. He, downright, lost his consciousness.

Megan gone hysterical when she saw blood on her hands.

" Megan, " I said, taming her.

" Griffin, " she said, she's shaking uncontrollably.

" Yes, it's Griffin. And please stop talking or it'll cause more bleeding, "

" You did this," she said more like a conclusion, it is low enraging yet terrifying voice.

I was taken aback upon hearing her say those words.

" Y-you did this!!!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. The bleeding on her throat shrieked, she lost consciousness, forthwith.

The police call in after that. I gave my pronto statement and never stop looking after the investigation.

The man was Mrs. Turner's secret ex affair's illegitimate son before he met Megan's stepfather and married in 2009. The case went darker as I dig in.

It was after that of Lea's incident that I decided to stop the media on airing it all to the public mostly on Megan's expense.

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Author (O. View)

After the Cool Studio happened, Erika sent Megan home to the St. August Dormitory.

Megan walked out the shotgun door and said thanks to Erika by the window.

The latter nodded and started driving off.

She glanced at the side mirror not long after she left, she can see her standing from where she left her.

She was about to make a right turn when she saw her sat on a nearby bench.

She stopped the engine and stared at her for a minute.

Suddenly, her shoulders started to move and her palms are on her face.

She seems like she's sobbing hard.

Erika ran her fingers through her hair. She's going completely insane!

She drove her car back to it's track and pulled over in front of her.

" I can take you to her, " she said as soon as she went out the car and approached her.

Megan looked at her with teary eyes.

Suddenly, a heavy rain fell from the sky making them, downright, drenched.

" Why should I trust you !? " Megan shouted in between the loud bang of a thunderstorm.

" I'm your last resort! " Erika shouted back just enough for her to hear what she's trying to say.

Megan started crying again. She was shaking her head, not believing whatever Erika's trying to say.

She was about to walked out the scene when...

" Strawberries," Erika said. It was her and her dad's magic password " Lea told me to say those words unless you don' t come, " she added.

She looked at her in the eyes amidst the big droplets of the rain crashing through her sight.

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Megan (O.View)

HAPPY SMILES MENTAL INSTITUTION

FLASHBACK

" What 'chu gonna say if a stranger or say someone knocks on the door or come to you and told you to come with them because daddy told them so?" daddy asked. I was sitting on his lap.

" What is the magic password? " I answered in a small voice.

" What? I can't hear you, babygirl! " he asked in a jolly tone.

" What is the magic password? " I answered back in a bit high pitched tone.

" Yes! " he exclaimed and tickles me from behind, I laughed my baby heart out.

" Here you go!" he said and lent me some 'strawberries'.

END OF FLASHBACK

Author (O.View)

Erika drove them out of the university's perimeter in the middle of the heavy rain.

There's silence throughout the short ride except Erika's constant sneezing.

After a few minutes, there was Tif and a man in his most stern and stiff suite waiting for them as they pulled over on a parking lot at the far and rear corner of an unfamiliar building.

" Check her in on one of the presidential suites, " Erika commanded Tif as soon as she got out of the car.

The latter nodded and approached Megan who is standing beside the shotgun door, wondering where she is.

"Goodevening Ma'am, this way please," she greeted. They both walked inside the elevator.

Suddenly, Megan turned around and walked back to her tracks leaving Tif alone.

Erika was so astonished as she glanced at Tif who definitely loses her cool due to the trick this unbelievable woman infront of her had done.

Tif panicked as she had been shut off alone in the elevator probably half way through the presidential suite right now, the presidential suite who is supposedly for this woman right here.

" Where are we?" she asked her as if she didn't just leave the secretary behind her inside the elevator.

Erika looked down at her in amusement.

Megan turned around. She thought she can't get answers out of the womam and this stern black suited man beside her because they were too serious to respond.

She was about to walk out of there when Erika pulled her by her waist and carried her on her shoulders like a sack of rice.

" Put me down!" she exclaimed. She's trying to get off his hold but this woman seems like she's as hard as a rock. She's a bit stronger than she imagined.

They're heading to the elevator.

When the door was totally shut and on an inclination, she finally put her down.

" What is your problem! " she exclaimed,thereafter.

Erika ignored her.

She was about to lash out on her again when she noticed her nose getting red by the minute. She looks like she has a runny nose.

When the elevator door opened up, they were led by a black suited man into one of the doors in the corridor.

Lea's inside that huge room. She's deeply sick and gone terribly anorexic!

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Megan (O.View)

" Megan," a small almost whisper voice was calling to me. It was from her.

I broke down in tears as soon as I heard her say my name.

" Baby," I said in between my sobs. I was shaking uncontrollably as I approach her.

" I'm so sorry," she whispered in between her difficult breathing.

" No.no,It's okay. Everything is gonna be fine," I whispered soulfully.

"Fuck!" I soon cursed hard when I myself can't hold on to my own words.

FLASHBACK

Megan (O.View)

I was alone in our vegetable stand today. Mom can't make it because she's sick so I need to take matters into my own hands.

Fortunately, it's market day so it's gonna be the busiest day of the week. It only means one thing, it'll be a prosperous selling day and I'm ready for it!

I'm almost settled with my display when ,out of nowhere, a car pulled over in front of me.

I stood up straight and prepared my biggest smile but I turned it out into a frown as soon as Alexandria Fiorelli, went out of there and gave me a crocodile smile.

Well, she looks like a crocodile herself.

"Hey, cheapskate!" she said in a jolly tone.

" What do you want?" I said defensively.

" I just want to ask you about something,"

" What is it?"

" How much money do you want me to give you so you'll get out of my freaking sight!" she lashed out like a mad ape in front of me and pushed every displayed vegetables in the table in front of her. She left with her car after that and even run over some of it.

Tears left my eyes as I picked up everything that fell on the ground.

It was a total mess!

" Mom is gonna kill me!" I muttered in between my sobs.

" How much is all of that?" I heard someone said in a low voice.

I looked up and stood straight as soon as I saw her face. She's familiar.

" Oh! I'm so sorry," I exclaimed and wiped my tears with my hands. I was sorry for the mess.

" No, it's fine. It's just that my brother needs biodegradables for his compost pit at home in the garden and I think I can still use those as one," she's referring to those in the ground.

I furrowed my brows.

" Do you think my vegetables are garbage?"

The woman blinked twice. I think she didn't see that coming from me.

" No, that's not what I meant," she emphasized.

I sighed.

" I know, It's fine. I can give you those wrecked ones for your brother's compost pit but these vegetables on the ground... well, I can still sell these," I explained.

I started picking up those wrecked vegetables especially those ones the gorilla, Alexandria, ran over with.

I halted when I saw that familiar woman helped out. She has a trash bag with her.

" Where did you get that?" I asked her. She answered by pointing out a pick up truck nearby.

She looks sassy and picking up things beside the common road is so out of her flair.

I shrugged my shoulders and proceed doing what I'm doing.

It almost took an hour for us to finally settle everything up. I can say she's a really big help.

I was calculating her purchased items when she suddenly put some good amount of lucre beside me.

I furrowed by brows at her, again.

" I'm not good in math but I think biodegradables don't cost that much," I said and solitarily took the right amount and gave her back almost a quarter half of it.

" I wish I could help you or something," she said.

I sighed in defeat.

" Look! I can sell all of these!" she insisted and started gathering customers around. She even did a good job on sales talking.

" Fine," I said amidst her bold moves.

She smiled showing her 'dents du bonheur'.

END OF FLASHBACK

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