Web Fic
Chapter 76
Chapter 76
Chapter 76: Stalker
Two days passed.
At the Longhills and Hogans Associates law firm, Monet finally confronted Carlos, Kate, and Alexander.
“Look, the truth is.” Monet sniffed her tears away. “My family is going bankrupt. SWEAT IT was supposed to be our last hope.”
“But with the arrival of CSK Apparel, we were threatened… I mean, how can we compete with RonaldoPlus? Carlos is so famous!” She continued to cry while saying, “Then, someone -” She stopped, reflecting on her words before changing her train of thought. “No. I can’t say more. I admit to everything, just don’t make me pay.”
“But you have to pay, Monet? How can you not? We have already produced all the first line of our clothing apparel. We had a major loss because of what you did!” Carlos pointed out.
It was because SWEAT IT’s designer admitted how it was all Monet’s idea and that he was forced to connive with her. Monet had threatened to fire the designer from the company. The designer was scared of his reputation and confessed outright, all while Carlos and Kate were still at the store.
“You were about to say something. What is it?” Carlos demanded.
Kate also caught how Monet said about someone.’ She frowned and suggested, “Come to think of it, Monet, I don’t think you are smart enough to devise this whole thing. Did you have some help you?”
Monet turned to her lawyers. They whispered to each other, and then her attorney said, “Our client reserves her right to remain silent.”
Anger flashed through Alexander’s face. He yelled, “But we have proof and witnesses who will confirm your scheme!”
The parties went back and forth, trying to get more information out of Monet, but she did not speak in the end. She and her lawyer merely whispered to each other. The discussion went on for hours. The room inside the law firm was boiling!
Carlos’ party was already enraged. However, since Monet kept silent, the lead council from Carlos’ side suggested, “Then, this is what my client wants as a settlement. We want to buy out SWEAT IT for half the price to compensate for the damages -”
“What? Are you kidding me?!” Monet reacted in exasperation.
“Alternately, we can go to court and battle it out. I can promise you, gentlemen, it will be bloody for you, and Miss Williams will lose a lot of money!” Carlos’ counsel advised.
Monet had to make a few phone calls outside the conference room, but after an hour, she and her lawyers returned with a decision. Monet’s lawyers confirmed, “We will accept the settlement.”
Papers were drawn, and formalities were made. It was almost midnight when both parties ended their meeting. Despite how Monet had given up, Carlos was still not satisfied. When Monet took the lift going down, he excused himself and followed her.
In the parking area, Carlos caught up with Monet and her lawyers. He called, “Monet! Monet! Please! Please tell me! Did you work with Tyler?”
In a whisper this time, he sought, “Please. We are out of the law firm. It’s just going to be between you and me. And what about Venice? Where is she?”
Monet sucked in a breath. She appeared to be apologetic at that point and said, “Look, Carlos. I don’t
know where Venice is. Maybe she ran away. She got paid, and that was probably good enough for her. I’m sorry. I got greedy. You won’t hear from me again, I promise.” Looking down, she claimed, “It was all my idea. It was all mine.”
Carlos felt defeated, but he would not stop there. He had an inkling. It wasn’t just Monet. When he returned to the law firm, he told Kate, “I’ll have Monet followed. I have a strange feeling she had some help.”
“I agree,” Kate nodded.
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Meanwhile, inside her car, Monet received a phone call. She trembled as she answered the phone. Faintly. she asked, ‘Yes?”
“Did you give my name?” The man asked.
“No. I dared not to. You said you would compensate me?” She reminded.
“You failed miserably. Have you realized that? But for not giving out my name, I will give the money | promised,” said the man.
“What are you going to do now? Looks like Carlos will now convert SWEAT IT to his brand.” She scoffed and said, “Now, he will dominate the sports apparel brand in Braeton. Unlike how you had hoped, it looks like he will succeed with Kate around him.”
Dead air fell upon them. Soon the man replied, “I’m going to… break them apart. You’ll see.”
In the days that followed, news about the merger of SWEAT IT and CSK Apparel was reported on TV. SWEAT IT products will eventually be branded as RonaldoPlus.
With this development, Kate was busier than ever. Catrina was still recovering. Thus, most of the responsibilities fell into Kate’s hands. Ultimately, the couple decided that Kate would only follow Carlos during the finals of the US Open.
Two days before Carlos would leave for the US Open, the couple had dinner with their old friend, Nolan Stoll. They were chatting and laughing in the main restaurant of the First Diamond Hotel.
“I wished you guys would have been my business partner,” Nolan sighed, his head shaking in dismay. “If not for Monet, you would have ventured into the pharma business.”
Kate and Carlos looked at each other. Then, Carlos answered, “We regret not being partners with you, Nolan, but since we took over SWEAT IT, we have so much in our hands now. We decided to just focus on the apparel business. It’s what Kate wants, after all.”
“No worries,” Nolan smiled and said, “I am eying the Hendersons. They also have a track record for distributing pharmaceutical products. And by the way, guess where our office will be at? I’ll be renting the three floors of the building across CSK Apparel! Looks like, when I am in Braeton, I’ll see both of you very often.”
“Wow! That’s great!” Kate exclaimed.
“I guess I’ll see more of you, Nolan,” Carlos remarked.
The three of them continued to chat. When they ended their dinner, they simultaneously walked up to the hotel driveway. All their vehicles were at the front, their drivers ready to take them to their homes, when out of nowhere, Nolan narrowed his eyes from a distance. He said, “Tyler? Tyler!” Turning to Kate, he claimed, “I just saw Tyler.”
Kate snapped her head in the same direction. She admitted seeing a blond man, but he was turning his
back. Moreover, the exact figure retreated in the dark, nearly a block away from the hotel.
“He won’t come here,” Kate stated. Turning to Nolan, “Are you sure?”
“Positive. He was watching you, Kate,” Nolan suggested, his head shaking. “I did not like the way he looked at you. I never thought Tyler was that creepy. He is a stalker now.”
Carlos gritted his teeth. He put an arm around Kate and said, “Well, just to be sure, let’s request a restraining order against him. I mean, he did try to kiss you. And now, he is stalking you.”
A hiss left his lips. Carlos told Kate, “Now, I don’t feel comfortable leaving you behind.”
“Well, Carlos. If it makes you feel better. I’ll still be here for another week. I can help look after Kate,” Nolan suggested while giving off an amiable smile. “After all, I’ll be at the building, right across from you.”
“Thanks, Nolan, but Kate has a lot of bodyguards around her. You don’t have to worry. Nonetheless, your offer makes me feel at ease,” Carlos responded.
Kate, on the other hand, pouted. She declared, “Tomorrow, I’m going to the military camp to practice my shooting aim. I will post it on social media, and Tyler will think twice, seeing me.”
“Wow,” Nolan remarked. “Somehow, that scared me a little too.” He chuckled and added, “Just a little.”
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Kate was sleeping in Carlos’ arms when she noticed her phone vibrating. She frowned but answered it.” Hello?”
There was no reply. All Kate could hear was a man’s deep breathing. She could tell the phone was very close to the man’s nose. Kate dropped the call, thinking it was a mistake, but the same number quickly
called again. Still the same, she heard a man’s breathing, and with the way he was chasing his breath, Kate’s skin crawled.
“What the -” Kate ended the call and blocked the number. She thought it was odd because she was very selective about the people she gave her number to. With a frown, she asked herself, “Who was that? If it’s Tyler. How did he get my number?”