Chapter 72

Carly sat with Jasmine and listened as she told her about some funny cases she had handled while Carly was with Landon. Jasmine exaggerated everything just to make sure that Carly forgot her current sadness and laughed away the sorrow. From what Landon had told her, she knew that Carly was at fault. But Carly was her friend and for now, Carly needed a friend and not a judge.

"Oh, Jas... I can't take it anymore," Carly said amid laughter. "How do you cope with all of these silly people?"

Jasmine laughed as well. "The same way we cope with melted ice cream... We scrunch up our noses and walk away."

Carly laughed again. "You know, I've not laughed this much in a long time."

"Mmhmm." Jasmine nodded. "I'm here to ensure that you laugh enough."

Carly pushed her hair behind her ear and something suddenly caught her sight. It was Tristan. He looked badly bored with bruises all over his body. He has a bandaged arm and he just walked directly to the counter and began speaking to the lady there. Carly watched his lips and she soon furrowed her brows.

Jasmine noticed her divided attention and turned to find Tristan there. She rolled her eyes.

"Carly, don't tell me you still feel something for this bastard," Jasmine said.

Carly scoffed. "All I feel is the will to beat him to a pulp."

"I wonder what he's doing here now. Feels like he is trailing us." Jasmine said.

Carly got up from her seat. "Excuse me for a second. If he comes here, record whatever he says." After speaking, she left and went into the restroom. She quickly took out her phone and dialed Martin's number. Martin did not answer the call. She called three more times and he did not answer.

After about five minutes of pacing the toilet, he finally called back. Carly quickly answered the call.

"What the hell, Martin? Where have you been? Five calls?"

Martin sighed. "What's the matter, Carly? Why are you whispering? Are you already in trouble?"

"Not exactly," Carly said, looking around. "Tristan came to the ice cream shop where my friend and I were."

"He has the freedom of movement, Carly," Martin said dryly. "I asked you to come to the agency this morning. It's nearing noon and you have not shown up. Are you ready for this at all?"

"Oh, it's not that, Martin," Carly said. "Jasmine had to take me out. She saw that-"

"I don't care what she saw, Carly," Martin said. "You have to realize that if you're going to become the agency's full responsibility, you have to be responsible for everything as well. Do not deny any call."

Carly looked at her reflection in the mirror as Martin spoke. She didn't like the way he disregarded her feelings. But she remembered that the first lesson she was taught was that she had to put her feelings aside whenever it concerned matters regarding the agency.

She sighed inaudibly. "Alright, Martin. I'll be on my way now."

"Good. Be here in the next thirty minutes." Martin said. Before Carly could respond, he cut the call.

Carly relaxed on the toilet wall, trying to gather her thoughts. How did she even end up in this kind of mess? She would have been a normal girl, just living her normal life. But fate threw her to Landon's company. And from being his assistant, she discovered a huge secret about him. Then she went to visit Tristan and was kidnapped and he saved her.

But they assumed that because she was saved by this man, she would be saved by him again. And true to their suspicion, Landon had come to save her a second time, thereby fulfilling their demands. Only he came in a huge fight and killed lots of Santino's men. Currently, her life was on the line, as well as Landon's.

Because for as long as Santino roamed freely, she wasn't safe. And neither was he. But she had to join the agency to live and for Landon to also live. It was supposed to be a secret. How come it wasn't a secret anymore? And she wasn't a part of Landon's life anymore? But a stranger... A much hated stranger.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she saw a text from Martin. Without reading it, she exited the restroom and left the shop through the back door. She took a cab to the agency and texted Jasmine on the way that she had something very urgent to attend to. Jasmine said it was fine, after all, Tristan had refused to leave, claiming that he knew she would return.

Carly finally arrived at the agency and went straight to Martin's office. Martin was waiting for her arrival.

"Welcome, Carly." He greeted with a small smile.

Carly scowled slightly. "You sound more aggressive on the phone."

"Aggressive? Me?" Martin asked in surprise.

Carly shrugged. "Okay, not aggressive, maybe stern? You sound more serious on the phone but you look playful."

"This face is not playful," Martin said. "This is just for the sake of bringing peace."

"Okay okay. Well, you said I could sign some documents to become a full agent?" Carly said.

Martin nodded. "Yes, well, I'm going to give you a contract. You're permitted to only sign the sheet 48 hours."

"Why 48 hours?" Carly asked.

Martin took out the document and passed it to her. "You need to read it properly and think about it enough. There are a lot of things you will be required to do. To give up in fact. But you'll surely get the benefits. If you can't do it, you won't be forced."

Carly slowly took the contract and opened it but Martin stopped her.

"Before you go through that, come, let me show you what our full time agents look like. Then you can have something to consider while you're thinking."

Carly slowly got up and Martin led her out. He began by explaining some of the things that were required of her by the agency if she would take it as a full time job. The more Martin explained, the more Carly saw herself getting more lost in the world of danger. Soon, she realized that if she continued down this road, she would never have the life of happiness she once dreamed of as a little girl. The worse thing was that she also didn't have a right to say she didn't want to be a part anymore.