Ch 102 - Paying the Price

It began to rain.

"Keep going," Alex said, flipping through the pages of Debbie's diary.

"Yes," Lou replied, his voice trembling. He knew that what he was about to say would probably infuriate Alex.

Alex had opened the diary to May 25th, the day Debbie went to Chicago.

May 25th. As soon as I got off the plane, I started thinking about Alex. I'm pathetic. If he knew what I was thinking, he'd laugh. We had a video chat, and I still insisted that he stay in New York, but deep down, I really wanted him to come and be with me.

May 26th. I was really jealous when I saw that Melissa and the others had boyfriends coming to pick them up after rehearsals. It's really lonely on the bus every night.

May 29th. I haven't called Alex for several days. I'm afraid that if I see him, I won't be able to stop crying. It would be too embarrassing to have him see me like this. I can't be a burden to him.

May 30th. It's really wet and cold in Chicago right now. I got soaked coming back to the hotel, and I'm still very cold now, even in my bed. The window in my room faces northwest, the direction of New York. I stared out that window for ages, missing Alex and wishing he would come to Chicago to be with me. I wish he could hear me calling to him.

Alex stared at Debbie's delicate handwriting, and he could almost feel her loneliness coming through the words on the page. He regretted that he had chosen to remain in New York. If he hadn't, Debbie wouldn't have been so lonely in Chicago.

Finally, he found the last entry of the diary. He hoped to find some clues in it, but the contents completely exceeded his expectations.

June 4th. It's cloudy today. Yesterday, I participated in the Sky's the Limit talent show. I never expected Melissa to set me up. She poured something into my water, and I was in so much pain during our performance. Every time I moved, it felt like I was being stabbed… Melissa framed me for poisoning Angelina's dog, and Angelina slapped me twice, really hard… Only Janice and Rita stood up for me. The dog rushed at me, and my stomach hurt so much that I could barely move. But I had to run, and every step felt as if someone was stabbing me.

Alex's eyes shone with tears. He clenched his fists tighter and tighter, completely unaware that he was damaging the diary.

When I was in the icy cold water, the dog bit me. I felt that I was better off dead. Every second in this world just brought more suffering, and eventually, I chose to give up… It was so quiet in the water. But then I saw the diamond necklace and thought of Alex. And I knew I couldn't leave this world without saying goodbye to him. I didn't blame him at all. I only hoped that he would live a happy life without me.

Tears slid down Alex's face and his hands began to tremble. He couldn't imagine how much Debbie had suffered that day.

Then Justin saved me. I called Alex, but he didn't answer. He just texted me to say his friend would pick me up. It's time for me to go back to New York. I'll do my best to keep what happened in Chicago from Alex. I don't want him to feel bad.

After reading Debbie's diary, Alex kneeled on the ground and cried out in grief. Debbie's beautiful handwriting was captivating, and sorrow pierced his heart. When Debbie had been in danger, and when she had needed him the most, he had been happily drinking and chatting. His heartfelt like it was being torn apart, and there was nobody he hated more than himself.

He slapped his face twice, and then dropped his hands onto the ground, crying sorrowfully.

"Mr. Ambrose," Ken said, frowning as he squatted to help him up. Alex's behaviour was making everyone nervous.

Alex burst into tears. He looked at Lou, who was still being held down, and asked, "What did you do to Debbie after you took her to the hotel? Where is she now?"

Lou was so scared that his legs gave way, and he dropped to the ground. His wife was also scared as she kneeled beside him, and their hearts were pounding.

"After I took her to the hotel… Well, I meant to… I wanted to… you know… with her…" Lou babbled, trying to stand up.

Alex kicked him back to the ground. "Bastard!" he roared.

He stomped on Lou's face a few times. Lou wrapped his arms around his head and curled his body, not daring to resist.

When Alex stopped, Lou threw himself onto the ground in front of him. "I'm sorry, Mr. Ambrose," he snivelled. "I'm a bastard, and I deserve to die. I'm just a filthy animal."

"What happened next?" Alex demanded as he glared at Lou. He was a little afraid of what Lou might say next.

"I didn't—" Lou started. He wanted to explain that he hadn't touched Debbie, hoping it would lessen Alex's anger, but then he heard a woman's voice coming from outside the courtyard.

"Who are you people? Let go of me." It was Melissa's voice.

A couple of men arrived, dragging Melissa with them.

"Mr. Ambrose, Mr. Stokes, we checked Lou's phone and discovered that Miss Stonehill was sent a message claiming a friend of Mr. Ambrose would pick her up," one of the men said, his expression serious. "The message was sent by this woman."

Alex glared at Melissa, feeling nothing but hatred. He should have guessed that she was behind this, but after spending the night with her, his attitude toward her had softened a little.

The coldness in Alex's gaze made Melissa tremble. Two of Alex's men pushed her to her knees in front of him.

"Go on," Alex said, turning back to Lou. "What happened next?"

"Me and her…" Lou stole a glance at Melissa and found her staring at him. Her eyes narrowed, and he gulped with fear. He was convinced that Melissa's family was really powerful, and his survival depended on her goodwill.

From Lou's point of view, he had no choice but to do what Melissa had ordered.

"I'm sorry, Sir," he said. "I couldn't help myself. I slept with her. I'm so sorry."

Alex's mind went blank, and he staggered back, almost falling.

"You put your hands on Debbie?" he asked. When Ken saw his reaction, he ordered his men to beat up Lou, but Alex stopped him. "What happened next?"

"Then my wife arrived, and I was afraid that she would find out, so I hung Debbie out the window," Lou said. "But then my wife came in, and she…" He stopped, too scared to continue.

"What?" Alex shouted. "Speak!"

"My wife opened the window," Lou said, cowering. "And Debbie fell." When he finished speaking, he lowered his head and said, "Mr. Ambrose, I'm sorry. I deserve to die."

Alex's heart ached. "Where is she now?"

"My wife and I ran downstairs, but Debbie had already disappeared," Lou said. "I don't know where she went. Maybe someone took her to the hospital."

Lou's wife looked shocked.

"Round everyone up and send them around all the hospitals in New York," Ken said. One of his men left the room to carry out the order.

Lou trembled as he lay on the ground, sneaking glances at Melissa. He had done what she had told him to do, and he hoped she would keep her promise.

Melissa gave Lou a look of reassurance.

Alex closed his eyes and tears streamed down his face. His heart was filled with sorrow, and he truly hated himself.

The thunder grew louder, and the rain came down even harder.

Alex roared in rage. He kicked fiercely at Lou's stomach while the man lay huddled on the ground, moaning in pain and spitting out blood.

Then Alex kicked Lou's wife to the ground. He didn't care that she was a woman.

"Alex, are you planning to beat them to death?" Melissa asked, still kneeling on the ground. "Calm down! Debbie has been assaulted, but what's done is done." She had to protect Lou. Otherwise, he might change his story and tell Alex the truth. If that happened, then all her efforts would be for nothing.

"Shut up!" Alex cursed angrily at her.

"I was just telling the truth," she said. "Think about it. Debbie has already been ruined by another man. You're an important member of a powerful family, so could you really accept a woman who wasn't pure? No, I didn't think so. Vent your anger on them and then let them go. If you beat them to death, you'll be arrested."

Alex stared at Melissa and walked toward her, one step at a time.

"So, it doesn't really matter where Debbie is now, does it?" she said. "But it's okay. I can give you anything that she could." She panicked as she noticed Alex's expression. "Alex, please. I'm just trying to help."

Alex slapped her, knocking her flat on the ground. Blood flowed from the corner of her mouth.

"Give me a gun!" Alex bellowed as he looked over to where Lou and his wife were still lying prone. He stretched his hand out toward Ken and waited.

"Yes, Sir," Ken responded, shocked. Alex had never been this violent before. Ken asked his men for a gun and then handed it over to Alex.

"Mr. Ambrose, please have mercy," Lou begged. "Please don't kill me. I'll do anything. I'll be your slave… anything!"

"Mr. Ambrose, please let me go," Lou's wife joined in. "I wasn't really involved. I didn't know—"

"Debbie is my woman," Alex yelled. "No one else can touch her, especially not you." He pointed the gun at Lou.

"No, Mr. Ambrose, please," Lou pleaded, desperate to explain that he hadn't really slept with Debbie, and he had only been repeating what Melissa had told him to say. "Wait! Listen to me. I swear I didn't—"

[Bam!]

[Bam!]

Two consecutive shots rang out, and Lou never got to finish speaking. He and his wife had both been shot in the head, thick blood flowing from their wounds. Their bodies crumpled, and a pool of blood gradually formed around them.