A Gift To the People You Love to hate

Chapter 11

The front door creaked as Bella stepped into the comforting warmth of her home. The familiar sound of Victor's voice cut through the silence.

"Hey, you're back already?" Victor called out from the kitchen. Bellas voice had a note of surprise. "I thought you were going to late today."

Victor loosened his troughth and let out a sigh. "I was supposed to be, honey, but they closed the case early," Victor replied, the fatigue clear in his voice.

"Again?" Bella furrowed. "It feels like they're not even doing their job properly."

Victor ran a hand through his hair, his face a picture of disillusionment. "I know," he agreed, "it all just seems so rushed, so haphazard. It doesn't sit right with me."

"Have you tried talking to them about it?" Bella leaned against the doorway, her eyes filled with concern.

"I've tried, believe me, I've tried." Victor's hands clenched involuntarily. "But the last time I brought it up, they gave me a warning. Said if I question their methods one more time, I could lose my job." His voice was tinged with frustration and anger.

Bella's expression softened. She closed the distance between them, reaching out to touch his shoulder gently. "It's not ok, sweetheart. You did your best. That's all anyone can ask for."

As she stepped closer, she stood in front of him  and planted a soft kiss on his forehead, an attempt to soothe the storm of emotions brewing inside him. In that moment, the chaos of Victor's day seemed to dissipate, replaced by the quiet comfort of Bella's empathy.

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Kaylie: Hey, have you seen Ash around lately?

Fin: Nope, I haven't come across him for about three days now.

Kaylie: Oh, look! There's Chloe.

Kaylie (calling out): Chloe! Hey, do you know if Ash is okay?

Chloe: Yes, I think so. He mentioned he was dealing with some personal stuff. We haven't had a chance to really talk it out yet.

Kaylie: Hmm, I hope he's doing alright.

Fin: Yeah, it's weird not seeing his smile.

Max: Why are you all so hung up on him? He's not related to any of you anyway.

Fin: Relax, Max. What's the issue? Still upset about the test he topped you in? Or maybe the singing contest he won over you? or you still mad at him for...

Max, visibly annoyed, confronts Fin by grabbing his shirt collar before he could say anything further.

Fin: What's the matter, Max? Don't want people to know something? he questioned with a full face smirk.

Kaylie, [intervening]: Stop it, Max! Let him go.

Max releases Fin's collar.

Kaylie [frustrated]: Why ate you even friends with Max? He's badstard.

Fin: I wouldn't call us friends. It's just that I am just aware of some things he'd rather keep hidden.

Kaylie, curious: Like what?

Fin grabes Kaylies hand and ask her to follow him to a more secluded spot.

Fin whispers to Kaylie, ensuring no one else hears.

Fin: He was obsessed with Ash to an unhealthy level. He when far as stalking him. And even set up a hidden camera in his house. He connfesed his feelings by sent Ash a video of him masterbating and grunting Ash's name. It was way out of line.

Kaylie reacts with a mix of shock and intrigue, a concerned expression forming.

Kaylie: Seriously? That's messed up.

Fin nods seriously.

Fin: Ash rejected him flat out and even went as far as changing his phone number.

Kayile: Good for Ash. He definitely avoided a red flag.

Fin: More than that. He dodged a boody bullet.

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Bella's attempt at lightening the mood was successful as she set the table, her demeanor casual yet attentive. "Come eat quickly," she urged with a warmth to her voice.

Despite her efforts, Victor's brow remained furrowed with confusion and irritation.

Bella - Why are you so frustrated honey?

Victor "It's just about a logo," he admitted, his words signaling a deeper frustration than what a mere image would typically provoke.

Bella's curiosity piqued, she couldn't help but ask, "Ha? What kind of logo?" Her voice was a mix of genuine interest and a hint of concern that perhaps he'd stumbled across something he wasn't meant to.

Victor obliged and handed her his phone. The logo displayed on the screen was familiar, and it caused unexpected reaction in Bella.

For a split second, her heart rate quickened; fear flashed in her eyes before she regathered her composure. "It's probably just a brand logo," she managed to say, though her vocal cords tightened. The slight tremble in her voice might have given her away had Victor been paying close attention.

But he wasn't convinced by her reassurance or his own unsuccessful Google search. "No, it isn't," Victor contested, his confidence waning, "I Googled it and no brand like that exists."

Bella nodded, still maintaining her facade of nonchalance. "Don't worry too much, just relax," she suggested, her words coating the tension in the air with a thin veneer of calm. She hoped her advice would deflect his curious mind from probing any further.

Inside, though, a storm of concern raged within Bella. She feared he was edging closer to a secret she harbored. "Is she gonna get caught?" she fretted internally, but outwardly, she managed to display a worried yet composed front. "You shouldn't believe these conspiracy theories so much," she added quickly, hoping to steer him away from the logo's true significance.

Bella's thoughts raced, desperately trying to keep one step ahead of Victor's inquisitiveness. Despite the creeping dread, she gave nothing more away, and with a measured smile, she beckoned him to sit down at the table, praying that the comforting familiarity of pasta would distract him from the mystery of the cryptic logo and the secret she so feared to reveal.

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New text...

Unknown - Has the pills arrived?

Ash - Yes

Unknown - What did i tell you bitch, Address me as sir, Remember?

Ash - Yes sir.

Unknown - If you are wondering what the pills do it's for your lovely teacher mr.Alex Make him drink it after the last period, before he goes home.

Ash - How can i do that.

Unknown - I told you bitch, call me sir.

Ash - Sorry sir, but how could i do that sir?

Unknown - Figer it out somehow, Do you think i care, I just need you to do it. Text me immediately after that remember. ASAP.

But, but Sir why?

Unknown - Do what I tell you to do ok?. I will send you a todo list and you have to record yourself doing it. No cuts, fully uncut.