Chapter Eighty-Six


    With his gaze on Scar’s eyes, Rome held out his finger and mumbled, “Give me a couple of minutes.


    Catherine is on the line."


    Then after getting a slight nod from Scar, Rome epted the call and said, “Hey babe,”


    Listening to her long groan, Rome waited patiently for it to end, and then he asked, "How did things go


    with your uncles and Charles?"


    "Ahha, it was one of the hardest things I had to do. But I did it.” Catherine mumbled, focusing on the


    empty chairs around the table. “It needed to get done because they deserve it."


    Resting back against his seat, a half-smile surfaced on Rome’s face, and then he said, “You did good,


    babe. I’m proud of you."


    Even though Catherine was feeling a bit down that things had gotten this bad and to this stage between


    her and her family, she felt a sense offort in Rome’s words.


    After listening to the silence on the line for a couple of seconds, Rome sat up straight and asked, “How


    about a dinner date tonight to help take your mind off things and celebrate our wins?”


    “I would love that,” Catherine said without a single hesitation.


    Then there was a brief pause before she mumbled, “I want to visit grandfather at the hospitalter on.”


    “That’s fine. I will pick you up after you get done seeing him. Give me a ring when you are ready for me


    to get you.” Rome calmly uttered.


    The line grew quiet for a moment. Then Catherine’s voice echoed into his ear, “Rome,”


    “Yeah,”


    "Did I tell you that I love you?"


    "Only a million times."


    "Add this to the number then… I love you."


    "Me too, babe."


    After the call with Catherine had ended, Rome looked back at Scar and asked, "What do you have for


    me?"


    "I think I might have discovered who the puppet master is." Scar said as he walked further into the


    room and sat down.


    Then he took the folder in his hand andid it in front of Rome before saying, "Our puppet master could


    be, ''Axel.'' Hisst name is still unknown right now."


    Swaying his gaze off Scar, Rome picked up the folder and opened it. Then he reached for the photos in


    it and looked at them one after the other.


    "Last night, Amara visited ''Club 200'' to meet someone, and she and this guy walked out of the building


    of the club togetherter on. At first, I didn''t know the link between him and the puppet master…" Scar


    said, pausing when he noticed that Rome was intensely staring at one photo.


    Fixing his eyes on Scar, Rome rested the picture on the desk, pointed at the fellow standing by Axel,


    and said, "This guy…"


    "Yes. He is the same dude that had been following you in Archend. I spentst night and this


    morning digging into things, and I was able to find out that Axel did travel out of the country, particrly


    to Archend the day you left." Scar said, his eyes tensed together in a vague imitation of concern.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    "Our puppet master is supposed to be this guy?" Rome mumbled with a look of doubt in his eyes. "But


    he looks so young, almost around my age, to be someone my father had encountered or offended."


    "True. I have worked with your father for years, and I have never seen him meet this Axel dude. My


    guess is, he''s a foreigner because he doesn''t have any record in this country."


    It grew silent as Scar focused on Axel''s face in the photo. Then he sighed and mumbled, "Yes, he is


    young, and I was doubtful at first. But I did some hacking, and the day Amara entered the state, she


    arrived along with Axel. They seem to be close. But I''m not sure about their rtionship because just


    like Amara, Axel''s background is buried."


    Focusing on Amara and Axel''s faces, Rome paused for a moment before mumbling, "Do you think they


    could be rted to the names on my father''s killed list?"


    For a split second, there was a look of hesitation on Scar''s face. Then he snapped out of his head and


    said, "It''s possible. I''m not sure though. I n to do more digging into them and do cross-examination


    with the names and see if they are rtives of any of them."


    "Thank you, Scar. I knew I put my fate in the right guy." Rome said, giving a half-smile.


    After hearing those words, Scar''s eyes softened with pride, and he asked, "Should we bring Amara for


    questioning. I am sure that that will make this investigation way easier."


    "That''s true," Rome absentmindedly said, drifting into his thoughts for a moment. "Sure. I think it''s time


    we get the truth out of her."


    "Okay then. I will find the right time and then make my move." Scar said as he stared at the photo of


    Amara.


    The bar was half empty since it was morning hours, and only the bartender with Richard and three


    others were inside.


    Twirling his ss of Everclear, Richard frowned and mumbled, "Cowards, licking up to Catherine and


    her husband like a bunch of shameless beggars! Pss!"


    Then he took a sip, banged the shot ss on the counter, andshed out, "Have some sense of


    arrogance, jokers!"


    The bartender looked a bit alert as he watched Richard, sitting a few distances away from him, talking


    to himself like a mad mas. Then he slightly shook his head.


    "I bet they''re going to sweet-talk her into giving them some loser-ass position in thepany since


    she''s such a saint!" Richard mumbled, his eyes dark with hate.


    Suddenly, his ringtone snapped him away from the malicious thoughts in his head, and he shoved his


    hand into his pocket, pulling it out.


    Seeing that it was Charles calling, Richard picked the shot ss up and empty his bnce liquor into


    his mouth before answering the call.


    "Did our dear righteous cousin finally pity you beggars and let you guys off with a p on the wrist!"


    Richard said in annoyance.


    "Your father is in prison." Charles'' voice echoed into his ear. "Catherine ordered the arrest of him. So,


    no, we didn''t get off with a p on the wrist, Richard."


    His eyebrows shot up as darkness filled Richard''s gaze, and he said out loud, "What!"


    "I thought you should know."


    "Wait! You are serious?!"


    The call suddenly ended, and Richard''s expression hardened as he stared nkly at the ss before


    him.


    Then he grabbed it, stood from the stool, and threw it at the wall before roaring out his anger.


    "Excuse me! You need to leave, like now!" The bartender harshly said, frowning at Richard.


    Ignoring his words, Richard drew a deep breath as the vein on his neck bulged. Then he stormed out of


    the bar before stopping a few feet away from the building.


    "Add freeing my father to the deal, and I will do anything you ask of me." Richard hastily texted on his


    phone and then pressed send.


    After a brief second, a message disyed on his screen, "Good. But firstly, you have to do what I say


    before I uphold my end of the bargain."


    A sense of hesitation coursed through Richard as he gazed at the text. Then he suppressed the feeling


    and wrote back, "Okay. What do you need me to do?"


    "Nothing hard really." A text popped up a momentter.


    Then it took a split second for another message to arrive, and when Richard read it, he smirked and


    mumbled, "Ooh, I can do that."