All On Contract

Chapter 134 - Missing Person

Marshall's P.O.V:
After having dinner, Tessa's brother Liam comes to pick up Ryder and Iris so they can spend the day with him. We finished signing the adoption papers yesterday, one day after Karla's death.

I suggested us waiting until Tessa was ready to start talking and...Well carrying on with her life but it was Tessa's idea. She wanted to adopt him right away. Now we're the official guardians of Ryder Mathers.

"Christopher." Tessa says, making me look up at her quickly. "Look, I don't know where you. I don't know if you know about Karla but please come home. You can't leave your kids like thi-" She starts and stops talking before she lets out a long sigh.

"Did he pick up?" I ask.

"No. His calls keep going straight to voicemail." She say quietly before she flips her phone closed.

"...Chris, when you get this, call me back brother." Nick says as he walks into the living room. He lets out a long sigh before he mumbles something under his breath and flips his phone close. "Anything from Chris?" He asks and sits down.

"Nothing." I say when Tessa doesn't speak. "What about Jacob?" I ask.

"He won't pick up." He shrugs. "Tessa. We need to start planning this funeral." Nick says after a long pause.

"Not until Chris is home." Tessa repeats the same line she's been repeating for the last two days. "Nothing happens until Chris comes." She adds.

"You should get some sleep. You were up all night." I say to Tessa and watch her shake her head.

"I'm going for a walk." She says.

"It's raining outside." Nick states.

"I don't care." She mumbles and walks past us both. Nick throws his back and curses under his breath as I let out a sigh.

"Did you talk to her?" Nick asks, making me shake my head.

"She won't talk to me." I state. "You?" I ask.

"She avoids the topic about Karla. It's  like Karla is still alive." He shrugs. "It's been three days Marshall and she hasn't cried once." He adds, making me nod.

"Don't wait up for me." Tessa appears in the door way. Before we can say anything, Liam and Alexander appear.

"Where are you off to?" Alexander  asks.

"I'm going for a walk-" Tessa says and gets cut off.

"Sit down Tessa." Alexander says.

"No-" She starts, only to get cut off by Alexander again.

"I have some....important information." He says quickly.

"I thought you were with Iris and Ryder?" I say to Liam.

"I was until Alex called." He states. "They're with Leonardo. He'll take good care of them." He assures me, making me nod.

"What is it?" Nick says, making me turn to face Alexander.

"There was a car crash the evening that Karla died." Alexander says and stops talking. We wait for him to speak but he stays quiet.

"W....W-what does this have to do with us?" Tessa stutters. Alexander sighs and throws his head back.

"It was a rental car, Tessa. Jacob...Well you know how Jacob is renting out these fast and new cars all the time." He says. "The car was crushed onto the side of the road and burnt." He says, making my heart drop. I hear Tessa whimper quietly as she stares up at Alexander.