Chapter 60: Split Work
Ben POV
Ben was looking straight at his monitor trying to decode the puzzle but he kept zoning out to her face, he closed his and shook it a bit. Lora had been breaking his focus since she got there.
He knew that no matter how she mask her real attitude towards things he could feel it. Her cautious but acting impulsive response was suspicious. He could see it, she was trying to act impulsive and stubborn but he knew it wasn’t the real her. He saw her before, how professional she was and good at almost everything.
‘She doesn’t trust me,’ he mentally noted that fact. It was surprising to see her especially her decision to stay in a house of a man. No woman will suddenly decide to do that without a major reason.
‘What are you up to?’
He cleared his thought and looked from a different angle at Fera’s situation. He learn that a complainant appeared against Fera.
He was most sure that the one who killed her father and the one who was toying with them now weren’t the same. For him, he didn’t know where to start and what to do first. He should prioritize freeing Fera. His face fell when he heard the door open.
“Any updates?” She asked and sat next to him. One more thing that annoyed him was she brought snacks with her. And his workplace was filled with electronics so he strictly prohibit food in his office.
“Be sure to swallow all that food or I’ll throw you out of my office.”
“Whatever, we shouldn’t waste time.” She said which he fully agreed. He knew how to set aside his personal issues with her.
“Do you think that these people are the same? The one who killed him and the one who’s toying us?”
“No, I knew my boss. I knew all his enemy and as for now all of them was eyeing the company, not Fera. They are taking advantage of the vulnerability of the Fuentes Corporation.” Her seriousness sounded sincere to him and he agreed with her.
“We should split the work, I will be working on the case while you work with the one who was trying to manipulate her.” He saw her stop for a second and looked at him.
“Can I entrust her to you?” Her dead serious question pressured him and had shaken his confidence.
“I should be the one to ask you that, can I trust you with this? This is affecting my investigation.”
“Do not insult me, Ben. I have worked almost a decade for them.” Her fierce answer shows a hint of her personality.
“This is my first case, this means to me more than you could imagine.”
“Deal.”
They worked silently until Ben stood up. He went out without speaking a word. He change his clothes and drove to Fera.
The moment he spoke to the police and asked for Fera they instantly give him the approval. He wonder why they weren’t too strict about visiting time when it comes to her. He followed the police even though he said that he must wait at the cottage outside.
He saw her cell, it was isolated from everyone. His eyes didn’t mess with the hidden ventilation at the corner near her bed. She may dress orange but he saw a bit of favoritism.
Police were stationed meters away from her cell, the prior was more than evident. He saw her glance at him and her cold eyes were colder than before. She walked to him with a handcuff. The police left and she walked beside him as they walked out to the cottage near the court.
“What do you need?” asked her.
“Answers.” In his mind, if he hadn’t met her before he would think that she was around her twenties of age. The way she walks and the way she talks. You could easily say she was innocent.
“Is this the same question that everyone asks? I hope I know the answer.” She sat on the chair and he did too across her, between them there was a table.
“Answer me straight without filter, I know it is hard to trust me but you need to and so I can do this. I promise not to fail you. Did you really do it?” He saw her take a gulp, and that was when he noticed her vulnerability towards to topic. No matter how hard she hid it behind her cold and stone face.
She shook her head sincere enough for Ben but he was still leaving space for doubt.
“Where were you when that night?” She licked her lower lip and looked away then looked back at him.
“Home.”
“Where exactly?”
“In my room.” There he could feel she was carried away.
“What did you hear that night?”
“Arguments,” her voice soften and she wasn’t looking at him anymore, she was looking at nothing, she has reminisced it.
“What did you see?”
“Nothing!” He saw how she snapped her thoughts and angrily answered. Her chest was raising back and forth.
“I need it, what are you hiding?” He even balled his fist out of desperation. The way she act, he knew she saw something. What is it to hide like that?
“I saw nothing, Ben.” Her dead tone has returned, and she easily recovered from panic.
“Why are you hiding this? What happened that night?” His question trigger her more which made her strengthen her guard and it was impossible for her to say it.
“I was in my room and what saw? I saw walls around me. Do you want me to specify the pictures on my wooden brown wall? I have a black wall clock if that can help your investigation.” That statement was enough for Ben to stop because she will never say it.
“That night, who was there except you and your father.”
“I don’t know, no servants stayed in since then.” The media didn’t know about that.
“You mean no one was taking care of you since your mother died but your father at night?”
“Yeah.” She answered with full confidence.
“That’s why you are a daddy’s girl,” she was caught up with his personal question. She unconsciously nodded and stared at Ben trying to figure out what he was thinking and where they were heading to.
“You must love him so much.” She nodded again and looked closely at his movements and tone.
“You will never defy him, right?”
“Who would? Even you will never, Ben.” She was suspicious of his question so she tried to stir it a bit.
“As the only daughter, he must be a loving dad and always worry about your safety. How was it while growing up?”
“The best.”
“Why do you have to lie when I am doing this for you to help you out?” She pursed her lips and looked him in the eye.
“Why are you mad? Why do you see me as a threat? What is hurting you, Fera? What is bothering you? Why do you seem afraid of something? What is stopping you to cooperate?” His soft voice was useless. His question was too hard for her to answer.
“Too many questions and you sound quitting, you can drop this and Lora can find me another.” Instead of answering, she said that.
“You know about the complainant right? Is she a relative of yours?”
“How am I supposed to know? I never met a relative from neither side.”
“You never saw her before?”
“Never.” Ben nodded and lean on his chair.
“Okay, that’s enough for now. Be ready, hearing will start probably this week.” He said and looked around to see if someone was watching. He smiled at him and stood up.
“Wait.” He turned to her when she suddenly stopped him.
“You have bruises, uhm Nick is fine, right?”