<b>Chapter </b><b>222 </b>
<b>Chapter </b><b>16</b><b>: </b><b>The </b><b>wronged </b>genius.
Joshua sat in silence as <b>he </b>waited for Marlon to exin what was going on with his cousin.
<i>“</i><i>Remember </i>when <b><i>we </i></b><i>were </i><i>in </i><i>college </i><i>and </i><i>I </i>used <i>to </i>get those homemade caramel salted cookies <i>that </i>you loved to steal so much?”
51
Joshua had a quick shback of their days in college. Every year right before the holiday break, <b>a </b>shipment of caramel salted cookies would be delivered to Marlon for him and his roommate. Because of how good the cookies were, he’d naturally assumed Marlon’s grandmother was the baker.
<i>“</i><i>I </i>remember the cookies <i>your </i><i>grandmother </i>used to bake <i>for </i><i>you </i><i>AND </i><i>your </i><i>roommate</i><i>…</i>I.E. <b>me</b><b>….</b><b><i>I.E</i></b><b>.; </b>that’s not stealing.”
Marlon let out a light chuckle.
<i>“My </i><i>grandmother </i><i>wasn’t </i><i>the </i>one <i>that </i><i>made </i>those <i>cookies</i><i>…</i><i>it </i>was <i>my </i><i>little </i><i>cousin</i>…..Josie. She’s <b>also </b>the one that <b><i>made </i></b><i>those </i><i>blueprints </i><i>and </i><i>sketches</i><i>.</i><b><i>” </i></b>
Joshua’s eyes widen. He’d vaguely remembered Marlon telling him about a younger cousin when they first met; but she would have been like fifteen when he first came to the university.
<i>“</i><i>Wait</i><i>…</i><i>you’re </i><i>telling </i><i>me </i><i>someone </i><i>had </i><i>those </i><i>type </i><i>of </i><i>baking </i><i>skills </i>as a <i>teenager</i>?? <i>I’m </i><i>confused </i><i>here </i><i>Marlon</i>…<i>are </i><i>you </i><i>trying </i><i>to </i><i>warn </i><i>me </i><i>about </i><i>something </i>or <i>get </i><i>me </i><i>to </i><i>ask </i>for <i>her </i><i>hand </i><i>in </i><i>marriage</i><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>” </i></b>
At this rate, if Marlon revealed one more skill about the girl; Joshua would be outside her door with <b>a </b>speaker box above his head.
Marlonughed aloud at his friend’sment.
“<i>No</i><i>…</i><i>that’s </i><i>not </i><i>it</i>…”
<i>“</i>So then just <i>tell </i><i>me </i><i>what </i>firm she works <i>for </i><i>and </i>I’ll <i>fig-</i>”
“Josie doesn’t work a firm.”
Joshua’s brows furrowed. Now that was something he found hard to believe. As talented as she was<b>….</b>there a million firms that would have killed to have her on their team. <fnc2d6> Checktest chapters at Find_Novel(.</fnc2d6>
“Why wasn’t she picked <i>up </i>by a <i>firm</i><i>?</i><b><i>” </i></b>
Marlon swallowed hard as he looked his friend directly in the eye<b>. </b>
“Because she just <i>got </i>out of prison<i>.</i><i>” </i>
<b>18:00 </b><b>Thu</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>25 </b>
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<b>He </b>knew he heard Marlon, he just couldn’t believe WHAT he heard! Prison<b>!! </b>For what!! For how long<b>??? </b>What the hell was going on! Joshua stood up quickly, and as fast as he got excited, it only took half that time for it vanish. The board would have a field day about this! Hiring a felon! Joshua could see his dream resort slowly fading away! <i>‘</i><i>Maybe </i><i>whatever </i><i>she </i><i>did </i><i>wasn’t </i><i>that </i><i>bad</i><b><i>?</i></b><i>‘ </i>Joshua thought to himself as he started strategizing how he would sell it to the board. Sitting back in chair, he took a swig of his whiskey before speaking…there <b>may </b><b>still </b>be a chance<b>. </b>
“<i>What </i><i>was </i><i>she </i><i>in </i><i>prison </i>for? <i>Nothing </i>serious ri-”
<i>“</i><i>Vehicr </i><i>manughter </i><i>due </i>to <i>drunk </i><i>driving</i><i>.</i>”
Chance shattered.
Convincing the board to hire a felon would have already been a battle, there was no way in hell he would be able to convince them to hire a murder! Not to mention…his grandmother! Thepany and family image meant everything to her. If she found out he’d hired someone as careless as a murdering drunk driver<b>….</b>she might actually
appoint her husband’s bastard child as CEO afterall.
Joshua could feel a headache brewing…why would Marlon do this to him! Give him this gleam of hope only to snatch it away.
<i>“</i><i>Marlon</i><i>…</i><i>why </i><i>would </i><i>you </i>even <i>show </i>me <i>this</i><i>?</i><b>” </b>
Guilt in his tone, Marlon tried to exin.
<i>“</i>Because <i>I </i><i>needed </i><i>you </i>to <b><i>see </i></b><i>her </i><i>work </i><i>first</i><i>.</i><i>” </i>
<i>“</i><i>Why</i><i>! </i><i>So </i><i>you </i><i>could trick </i><i>me </i><i>into </i><i>hiring </i><i>her</i><i>! </i><i>What </i><i>did </i><i>you </i><i>think</i><i>…</i><i>that </i><i>I </i><i>would </i>be so <i>blown </i><i>away </i><i>I </i><i>wouldn’t </i><i>care</i><i>! </i>She’s a
<b><i>murd-</i></b>”
<i>“</i><i>My </i>cousin is <i>innocent</i><i>!</i>”
Marlon stood directly in Joshua’s face. He could understand why his friend would be upset; giving the circumstances…who wouldn’t be. But he wouldn’t allow him to speak ill of Josie. She’d already been through too
much.
Joshua stood back stunned. It was understandable for Marlon to feel this way…after all…she was his only family….but the <b>fact </b>remained she was convicted of vehicr homicide which meant he couldn’t work with her. Taking a deep breath, he began to exin.
“Look Mar…I get <i>she’s </i>your cousin…and I know <i>we </i><i>all </i>want to think <i>highly </i><i>of </i>our <i>family</i><i>, </i>but you’ve got to face facts she-<b>” </b>
“I’m not <i>saying </i><i>she’s </i>Innocent because she’s my cousin! I’m saying she’s innocent because it’s the truth! Look…I get how this is hard to believe…but <i>if </i>you’d just listen to me <i>for </i>ONE MOMENT…I can exin everything.”
Joshua looked at Marlon as if he had three heads…what could he possibly say that would exin all of this. He was about to refuse when his eyes nced over at the blueprints still on the table,
18:00 <b>Thu</b>, <b>Sep </b><b>25 </b>
wless.
:
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‘Shit…guess <i>this </i><i>is </i><i>the </i><i>werewolf </i><i>part</i>.<b>‘ </b>
Joshua reluctantly sat down to listen to Marlon. For those designs…he’d be opened.
Marlon let out a sigh of relief<b>; </b>sitting back in his chair. He began to tell his friend the harrowing story of Josie
Taylor.
Joshua sat in silence….stunned was the better term. After Marlon finished telling him about Josie, he could hardly believe his ears. It all sounded like some horrible soap opera horror. Learning she was the long lost daughter of the Taylors…one the region’s most prominent families. Learning they treated her like that. Their own daughter<b>! </b>Using her grandmother’s illness to cover the crimes of their adoptive daughter…who does that<b>! </b>
Joshua got up to pour himself another drink. Had he known today would be filled with all this drama he would have brought some harder liquor to the office<b>. </b>
<i>“</i><i>Are </i><i>you </i><i>bullshitting </i>me <i>in </i><i>an </i><i>attempt </i>to cover <i>for </i><i>your </i>cousin?”
Joshua had to ask…she was Marlon’s family after all…people protect their families. Lord knows he watched his grandfather do that same thing for his uncle. No matter how much James screwed up, his grandfather woulde
up with a million excuses.
Marlon nodded his head. If only it were that simple…that he was merely covering for his cousin. Then that would
have meant all the horror she endured wasn’t true. But that just wasn’t the case.
“Honestly Josh…I wish that were the case…that I’m lying to protect her image. That she hadn’t gone through all those years of abuse and torment. But unfortunately…that isn’t the case. My cousin really <b>is </b>innocent. She has a solid alibi for the day of the ident. Not to mention, Josie doesn’t drink, and she doesn’t drive.”
“Shit<i>.</i>”
<b><i>“</i></b><b><i>Yeah</i></b><i>.</i><i>” </i>
<i>“</i><i>Well</i><i>…</i><i>now </i><b>I </b><b>see </b><i>why </i><i>you </i><i>wanted </i>my <i>mind </i>to be <i>opened</i>.”
Suddenly, a thought urred to Joshua.
“Wait<i>! </i>You said <i>she </i><i>had </i>a <i>solid </i><i>alibi</i><b><i>??</i></b><i>” </i>
“Yup…my grandmother had outdoor cameras…<i>if </i>Investigated…they would have seen my cousin was at our nana’s the <i>time </i>of the ident<i>.</i><i>” </i>
Now Joshua was extremely confused.
“Huh…a <i>wrongfully </i>used genius…there’s something <i>you </i><i>don’t </i>read about <i>every </i><i>day</i><i>. </i>But it’s one thing <i>I </i>don’t <i>get </i><i>Mar.</i><i>” </i>
18:00 Thu, <b>Sep </b><b>25 </b>
“What’s <i>that</i><i>?</i>”
:.
<i>“</i><i>Why </i>note <i>forward </i><i>with </i><i>the </i>truth now? If <i>there’s </i><i>solid </i>evidence…she coulde <i>forward </i>and clear her name<b><i>! </i></b>Why not <i>expose </i><i>those </i><i>assholes </i><i>for </i><i>the </i><i>horrible </i><i>people </i><i>they </i><i>are</i><i>!</i><i>” </i>
Marlon smiled sardonically…
<i>“</i><i>Remember </i><i>that </i><i>part </i><i>about </i><i>you </i><i>being </i><i>openminded</i>…”
<i>“</i><i>Yeah</i>…<b>” </b>
<i>“I </i><i>wasn’t </i><i>referring </i>to the <i>prison </i><i>part</i>.”
Joshua’s face scrunched.
<i>“</i><i>Then </i><i>what </i><i>WERE </i><i>you </i><i>referring </i><i>too</i><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>” </i></b>
<i>“</i>My <i>cousin</i>….there’s something she <i>has </i><i>to </i>do <i>before </i>she clears <i>her </i><i>name</i>.<i>” </i>
<i>“</i><i>And </i><i>that </i>is<b><i>??</i></b>”
Marlon smiled as he took the final swig of his drink.
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“<b><i>Get </i></b><i>revenge</i>.<b>” </b>