Chapter 60 – The Web Tightens
Raphael leaned back in his leather chair at his desk. His focus was not on the busy city that was visible through the enormous windows behind him. Anxiety and frustration swirled in his head. After yet another unsuccessful attempt to tidy up the mess Raphael had created, the hitman had just left his office. Raphael’s tolerance was growing thin, and things were falling apart fast.
As he beat his fingers on his desk’s polished wood, his mind shifted between his meticulously built business and the family he had fought so hard to keep safe. He was more than the heartless businessman the world thought him to be, he was a spouse and a father.
His young son, Ethan, had been pleading with him to come to his soccer practice, and his teenage daughter, Olivia, had a crucial piano concert in a week. He was frantically attempting to maintain these little, domestic moments apart from the chaos that threatened to consume him.
Picking up the phone, he dialed a number he knew by heart. When the line connected, he didn’t waste time with pleasantries,
Talk to me. What’s it looking like?” he said, his tone sharp,
“Sebastian was supposed to take the blame for this”
The voice on the other end, gruff and methodical, responded,
“It’s messy, Raphael. That woman, Emily, she hasn’t said much yet, but people are talking. The trial was supposed to paint Sebastian as a victim, and now he’s walking free, too. You need to watch your step”
Raphael gritted his teeth,
“Keep your ears and eyes open. I don’t want that wench talking about me if she hasn’t already. Try to keep things under control”
There was a pause on the line before the man spoke again,
“What do you think? Should I call her? Apologize? Maybe pay the balance of the 2.5 million to keep things dead?” Raphael’s voice carried a hint of desperation now,
“No” the man replied firmly,
“You’ll only set yourself up for worse. Stay quiet. I’ll monitor things from my end, don’t do anything until we know more”
Raphael sighed heavily,
“Fine” he said before hanging up.
This woman, Emily, had been nothing but trouble from the beginning, he had known it was a
Chapter 60 The Web Tight
gamble to get involved with her, but he had been blinded by his own arrogance, thinking he could control her, manipulate her like everyone else, but she was unpredictable, chaotic in a way that was becoming dangerous.
Raphael’s frustration burned as the line went dead, and he slammed his fist onto the desk, rattling a glass of whiskey that sat untouched next to him. He massaged his forehead, attempting to focus his thoughts.
The previous evening, his wife, Monica, had questioned him about his recent lack of attention. Naturally, he had lied when he claimed it was simply work–related stress. But could he hide the truth from her for much longer? His family would be destroyed if this issue became public, in addition to his reputation.
Raphael returned to his office the following day and dialed the same number while pacing behind his desk. He didn’t waste any time when the phone connected,
“Hello”
“Yes‘ the voice on the phone said,
“Talk to me” he demanded,
“How did it go?“,
“I left them already, the meeting didn’t go as expected. That woman might be a problem” the man said,
“We’ll need to meet soon, this isn’t something we should discuss over the phone. Let me know when you’re ready to meet”
“Okay, I’ll be on my way soon” He ended the call and threw the phone onto his desk, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair.
Marrison entered the workplace later that afternoon. As she got closer to his desk, her heels. made a gentle clicking sound against the floor,
“He’s here” she said simply.
Raphael waved his hand dismissively and nodded. As he got ready for the meeting, he smoothed out imagined wrinkles in his suit jacket. The door opened a moment later, and the man entered. He was tall, well dressed, and had the same confident demeanor as Raphael. They sat across from one another after shaking hands firmly.
Raphael leaned forward, his eyes narrowing,
“Alright, Victor Lanning” he said, his voice heavy with expectation, “Talk to me”
Chapte
