Chapter 61: Mariana

SLOANE’S POV

For the final act, I bribed him with way too much money. Malik’s money. An amount that had never hit my bank account. It hit me that we were spending this amount of money, but oh well.

I was let into the facility and into the room that belonged to the famous Mariana Morales.

She sat by a rocking chair by the window, staring out as she observed nature. She looked paler and older than her real age of fifty-one. There was a lot of grey on her hair. One could tell that it wasn’t from age, but from some of the choices that she had made in life.

Clearing my throat loudly, she turned to stare at me. Her face looked tired, but one thing was certain. She was beautiful. She would have been a catch when she was younger. It’s so sad to know that she didn’t end up with a man who treated her right. The man she chose to be with was the one who ruined her life.

“Who are you?” She asked, panic stricken as she got up from the chair, moving back until her back hit the wall and there was nowhere else for her to move to.

I dropped my bag on the floor, raising my hand up to indicate that I was not here to hurt her.

“I’m not here to hurt you, I swear. I just came to visit you.” I smiled at her. She seemed to calm down a little bit and warm into me. I had to be careful, though. Malik did warn me that she could get triggered easily.

“Can I sit?” I asked her calmly.

“Yes.”

I sat and watched her sit. We both remained there, the both of us observing each other as I watched out for anything odd.

I cleared my throat.

“The garden is beautiful.” She said, randomly, a smile plastered on her face with so much hope in her eyes.

“You’re a beautiful woman. I can tell there are so many beautiful things in your life. Can you tell me?”

“No, I never considered him beautiful. I always wanted a daughter, though.”

“Wasn’t he good enough?”

“No. I hate him.” She spat, a vile look in her eyes. I was hurt for Malik and also very glad that he didn’t come in here with me.

“Can you tell me why?”

“I don’t know. No one ever told me that bringing a child into this world was so stressful. I can’t remember anything, but I never want to see him again.”

“Is he the reason why you’re here?”

She shook her head no, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. “I am not going to answer that question. Who sent you here, by the way?”

“I’m here to visit.”

“That’s what the other man said.” Was it Arthur?

“What other man?”

“The man with an accent who wouldn’t stop putting the phone in my face to record me. Said he’s here to help me. I didn’t get any fucking help!” She rolled her eyes frustrated.

I had gotten exactly what I came here for.

“Will you tell me what you both discussed?”

“I….” She paused, closing her eyes and trying to remember. “I can’t remember. I just didn’t like the way he put the phone in my face.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am. It will never happen again.”

I sat there, having small talk with her for about twenty minutes before I decided that it was finally time to leave.

Life hadn’t treated Mariana well, but she was an intelligent woman who birthed the most brilliant son.

As I exited the facility, one thing was for certain. We had to get her out of there really quickly. If anybody could break in and speak to her, how were we sure that she wouldn’t be hurt one day?

I opened the car, about to break the news to Malik when I saw that he was on a call. I had never seen this man this attentive since I had known him.

“Okay. Thank you, I’ll be there by tomorrow.” He nodded, ending the call and staring at me.

“What’s going on?” Lines of concern etched across my forehead as I stared at him. The man looked too tense.

“Tony has called for another meeting tomorrow. This time around, the article, the drug case and my whole future will be determined.” He told me. As someone who had wanted to recover for a long time, he did not seem too optimistic about it.

“It means that you could be called to play soon. Aren’t you happy about it at least?”

“I’m scared. It’s just so many factors to consider.” He shook his head, looking out the windows nervously. “I used to think that the worst thing that could happen to me was a relationship, but fuck.” He wiped his palm across his face. I held his hand for support.

“You know I’m always here, right?”

“Yeah, but soon, this relationship will be over and you’ll be packing your shit and leaving. Once again, I’ll be alone.” His words hit really deep. I did not even know what to say. He wasn’t wrong.

“How many weeks left?”

How many? Man, my brain was fried.

“I’ve lost count.”

A long stretch of silence ensued between the both of us before he cleared his throat again.

“Did you see her?”

“Yes.” I sighed, turning around so I could look at him. “She’s so beautiful and fragile.”

“Were you able to speak with her?”

“A little bit. She did reveal certain things to me?”

“Do you mind telling me?” He asked, pushing his luck. Whatever came out of her mouth concerning him was not going to be something good.

“No, I don’t think we should dwell on that. Do you want me to come along with you tomorrow for the meeting?”

He shook his head no, looking out the window again.

“They said to come alone this time around. I think they want to end me, and they want me to be completely defenseless.”