Chapter 5 EPISODE FIVE.
5.
KIMBERLY'S POV
"What were you doing on the 24th of last month?"
"Did you meet with Mr. Fredrick Rollers on his hospital bed?"
"What was your relationship with him?"
The badgering questions coming out from the cops mouth makes my head ache.
"I would like to contact someone." I repeat for the umpteenth time again, my breath wavering at each word I say.
"And who are you going to call?" He asks again, eyeing me in an incredulous manner.
Honestly, I don't know who to call or who I can run to save me from this, they're keeping me here because someone in power has a leash on them so I can't wriggle my way out until I figure the person who's behind the shadow,doing this to me.
"Did Rafael put you up to this?" I blurt, unable to keep the anger in me any longer.
Their expression remains unchanged which shows that they don't have any idea who I'm talking about.
"You're free to go as long as your answers don't align with the suspicion we have for you."
A scoff erupts from my mouth at how ridiculous their acting can be.
"What does meeting with him have to do with the manner of his death? Or what I was doing?"
"What about your relationship with him?" The quiet one who's been pacing to and fro in the room slips in for the first time.
I gulp nervously, not knowing what to say. I can't bring it to say that Fredrick was just my normal boss, I've been working for him unpaid for more than ten years, facing horrible things, the loath I have for him would precede every good word i want to formulate right now.
"I can't say he's a good person."
"And you can't say he's a bad person either?"
"I won't say anything until you allow me to make a call."
Cora would probably be going through a crippling anxiety right now, maybe she already got wind of this.
Fuck, this is so annoying.
"Then, start writing down a..."
Suddenly, two men dressed in black walk right into the dark room, the ray of light hits my eyes immediately, making me wonder how long they've kept me here.
"What are you doing here, Eric?" The one who was standing earlier prods to two men in a slightly annoyed tone but they merely nudge him out of the road.
"The commissioner demands for her. You're off the case as of this moment." He replies with a hint of mockery in his voice, as if there's an inside joke or meaning to this.
"Fuck, what do you think you're doing right now?" He growls, holding him by the collar of his shirt.
Eric smirks widely before pushing him off himself and crosses the table between us over to me."if you have a problem with this, Jimmy..." He uncuffs me with a key and holds me up. "Write a query letter to the commissioner."
He starts to drag me out, Jimmy pulls me back by my arms immediately and glares at me.
"This isn't over yet, Kim. I promise to find you at the end of the earth if that's what will take me to get to the bottom of this murder case."
Conniption grips me immediately but I mask it off with a straight face, Eric takes over again and drags me to the office.
A police officer taking an interest in this case just exposes me more out there, is this part of living a normal life?
Or was getting my hands tainted worth it?
"Go inside." Eric nudges me, opening the door wider for me to enter.
After taking a deep breath, I walk into the wide conditioned room, anxiety eating me up because I don't know why the whole commissioner of the police force is taking a keen interest in this case.
"I just knew it had to be you." I say in shock the moment I realize that it's no damn commissioner but Rafael Rollers.
He grins widely before pushing himself up the large ergonomic chair.
"Of the uncountable reasons as to why I hate you, I detest your shallowness more. You don't think at all, Kimberly." He scoffs, pushing his well arranged hair back.
He looks attractive even when he doesn't try to be, I wonder if he knows the effect he has on everyone around him.
"You paying me a visit in the prison when it's not even up to a day after my arrest gives me everything I need to know."
"I came here as a concerned friend, Kimberly." He smirks.
God, he probably thinks this is funny.
"You know I've been cornered, what more do you want from me besides taking the company?"
"I want you to marry me." He says matter-of-factly, staring right into my eyes.
A laugh spills out from my throat immediately, not believing any of his words. I thought Frederick was a maniac, his son is much more than a piece of work.
Marry Rafael? What does he want from a broken woman like me? I can't even bear getting dirty with any Rollers again, God, It would kill me.
"You're a fucking idiot, Rafael Rollers."
"I'd prefer the word crazy, calling me an idiot is a bit underwhelming." He chuckles, crossing his legs after occupying the seat in front of me.
"You think I'm a joke? Why the hell would I marry you?"
"Renouncing the inheritance would put you in a more vulnerable position than this, this won't make Eliana back down."
"Eliana did this?"
"You thought I would stoop so low to arrest you for my father's murder?"
"Why do you hate your father but want his company?"
"I hate my father that I want to sell his legacy off as soon as possible so people would forget about him in years."
"Why?" I press, ignoring the sour expression on his face.
"None of your business, Kimberly."
"Don't you think it's a bit of a stretch? Marrying your father's killer? Can you bear to look at my face every night?"
"I don't have to look at your face every night because we're only marrying on papers. It's a sham marriage." He shrugs.
"What do you mean?"
"I would be able to sell my father's company off faster to a potential client if I'm married."
"And what if I refuse?" I ask, folding my arms under my breasts.
"You don't have the luxury of rejecting my offer at this point."
And it's true, I'm one step away from being jailed for murder, these people won't back down unless they see someone more powerful than them and only Rafael is.
"What's in it for me?"
"I will clear you off your murder charges, financial stability and..."
"What if I want something more specific?"
He raises a brow in confusion before asking."What's that?
"Protect me from Eliana and that stubborn cop who wants to get to the bottom of the murder."
His face morphs into something soft, as if he pities me but covers it with a smirk before I could fathom his thoughts again.
"Done." Rafael answers immediately, pulling out a document from the inner of his suit and spreads it out right in front of me. He taps the right end of the document with a pen, urging me to sign.
I stare down at the paper, tears blur my vision, thinking about what situation would be more hellish for me, getting jailed for killing Fredrick or marrying his son for protection against murder charge?
Both seems like an impossible thing to do, but why am I drawn to signing these papers? Is this what Rafael meant by not having the luxury to have a choice?
Sniffling, I grab the pen and inscribe my signature on the paper.
"Is that all?" I mumble, rubbing my hand against my chest to ease me off the heaviness I feel, it's as if I'm being trapped again, like a freshly captured slave.
Rafael folds the paper back into his jacket and grins at me.
"Yes Wifey."