Chapter 94: Ninety Four- New plan

ROSALINE PIERCE

“You have two visitors today,” the warden announced as the cold cuffs wrapped around my wrists.

“Ah. Today’s my lucky day,” I replied, my thoughts anticipating that one of them would be my father. Before, I was angry that he didn’t show up. Now, I’m concerned. Going this long without speaking to him is weird. “Let’s get to it,” I concluded, my breath sharp as I exhaled.

“Detective Nate came around earlier. Your public defence attorney will visit soon.”

“Okay. Tell me…” My lips pouted for a second. “The conversations in the visiting room are recorded, yeah?”

“Yes.”

“Of course they are.”

“Are you planning to escape or something?” He dryly joked.

“I wish I could,” I returned, my huff loud.

“Do that and you’ll end up sipping diluted beans for eternity.”

“Okay.” I coughed, as if that statement didn’t irk me.

Soon, I was in the room. And a fine smile pulled my lips at the sight of Nathaniel’s look-alike.

“I came later than discussed,” he coldly spoke, his face cap coming off the next second.

“Hmm.” Casually, I sat and observed his uncanny features. “What’s your name? I’ve been curious about that.”

“Ro-Ro,” he scoffed, leaning forward to show off how much the sinisterness in his eyes had grown. “Focus on your own shit. No?”

“Fine.” He’s seriously no fun. Just the Nathaniel I know. “I’ve thought about your deal. I want in.”

“Great.” He sat back. “On my end, the plans have gotten much better.”

“Hmm.” My eyes flickered to his blazer. Then, they narrowed at the sight of a lacy material slightly popping out of his breast pocket. “Are you using panties as a pocket square?”

“Nathaniel escaped yesterday. I have no idea where he is,” he dropped.

“Escaped? From where?”

“As of today, I am Nathaniel Storm.” He ignored my comment again.

And with a deeper frown, I questioned his statement. “But you are not.”

“I have to be. When that man shows up, he has to be the criminal.” Darkness clouded his gaze, and a nasty feeling twisted within me. “He has to take the downfall for everything. Again, in essence, I have… to… be… Nathaniel Storm.”

My eyes darted to his folded arms, my lips pried apart in subtle shock.

“I need an answer now,” he pressed, and our eyes made contact again. “What you say determines whether you’ll be out of this filthy place by nightfall.”

“Uhm… Give me a minute.”

“That’s all you get. Our time here is limited.”

“Yeah…” As my voice drooled, I discovered that I so much hated the idea of replacing Nathaniel Storm.

Now, I’m not speaking from a place of the love I still have for him, but… It’s just… Nathaniel, as a person, is one of a kind. I have always respected him because he easily did things I struggled to do for years. Sullying his character… I don’t know. Regardless of my hatred for how he switched to Sarah… I can’t do something like that.

“I don’t like that look,” the fake Nathaniel startled me.

“Huh?”

“Rosaline Pierce…” With a swift motion, he lunged closer, his palm pressed against the glass dividing us, his breath furious. “If you go to court with your crimes, do you think you’ll make it out? You’ll die here, Ro-Ro. You’ll have nothing to show for everything you’ve worked for.”

“What the heck do you know about my work?” As I eyed him, I continued, “Listen, it’s fine to do your own thing. But your little switch-o-roo plan is too crazy. Do you think you can get away with it?”

“Why? You’ll tell on me?”

Wait… Does he really not know that I can tell the police to check our conversations so far?

“I’m not comfortable with your plan,” I sternly replied in return. “Your initial plan was fine. Running off with the real Nathaniel sounds better. Can’t you switch back to that?”

“You! Argh…” With a dramatic claw, his hand drew back, and he restrained a groan. “I need… No. You have to do this. You have to.”

The desperation in his blazing eyes was all I needed to see to make a decision.

“Fine. I will confess in your favour.” I said, my mind effortlessly deciding the opposite. “Just one condition.”

“Yeah?” While his shoulders sank with relief, his lips exposed a grin. “Tell me.”

“Let me in on your plans. I want to watch Sarah's idiocy in real time. She still doesn’t know about you, does she?”

“Of course not,” he replied breezily. “You found out quickly because I intentionally exposed myself.”

My brows jerked with fake amusement. “Why not let me into your plans? Show me what you’ve done so far.”

“You know, I might say yes.” He took out a pair of sunshades from his pocket, and his cap returned to covering most of his face. “I especially loved the art you created with the false allegations.”

“You enjoyed watching Sarah suffer?”

“Why would I?” His sunshades sat on his nose, and he got up. “My plans include punishing you for that nonsense.”

‘Not if I get you first,’ I said in my mind.

“By 11 pm, prepare yourself to leave,” he informed.

“Okay.”

“I hope we have a great collaboration, Ro-Ro.”

“Sure,” I returned, my lips curling with anger after the door closed behind him.

He thinks I’ll stab Nathaniel in the back for him? Please…

If I’m doing any stabbing, it would be because I want to. That idiot will regret stealing Nathaniel’s face. I’ll make sure of it.

As my resolution cemented, my eyes scanned the space for cameras or any blinking lights to confirm that the conversation was really recorded. At the same time, a voice announced that my second visitor was about to enter.

I didn’t find any indications of cameras, but I trust that the warden wasn’t lying. Those recordings will back me up soon when I take down that fool.

“Rosaline,” an unexpected, irritatingly familiar voice called out, and my lips pulled into a smirk.

Then, almost immediately, my smirk turned into a frown, and I asked, “You didn’t notice anything strange on your way in?”

She shook her head. Right… that idiot hid his face well. It would have been hard for her to notice him.

Her sunken eyes blinked. “You should say hi, don’t you think?”

“Why should I greet a woman who confidently cheated on my father?”

Her brows pulled into a worried crease. “You knew?”

“You thought I was stupid, so why won’t you be surprised by that?” I almost laughed at her shock. “I heard everything that day. The day Dad chased you out.”

“So, you know that Sarah’s not your…”

“I might as well call her one.” My glance fell to my nails. They are due for some good loving after I deal with the current issue. “We lived together for a long time.”

“Rosaline!”

“Why are you here?” As the disbelief in her eyes lashed me, I scoffed, wondering what the big deal was when she was the one who shattered our family in the first place. God, some people. So insufferable. “What? What is it?” I demanded, my voice growing cruel.

“Do you…” She sighed hard. “Sarah and Raya are missing. What do you know about that? I am suspecting Nathaniel. But the cops haven’t found anything on him.”

My anger dissolved instantly. “Who did you just say is missing?”

“Sarah and-”

“Fuck…” I swore because it became clear that the fake Nathaniel bastard lied to me. “Of course…” There’s no way Sarah hadn’t found out the truth. That would make her the biggest fool in the entire universe.

“Of course, what, Rosaline?” My mother asked, her despair contaminating the space. If it were possible for her to be reaching for my hand, she would be doing it already. “Do you know something? Is this connected to what you did? Huh? Answer me!”

“Let me think, please!” I lashed out, my heart pounding.

At this point, that fake bastard can’t be allowed to roam freely as an innocent man. If he’s done something bad to Sarah and her daughter, how much more Nathaniel?

“What’s Edward doing about this?” I asked my mother, who was trying hard to hide her pinching tears.

“Who’s Edward?”

“Nathaniel’s father, you dummy! Argh! Shit, this is fucking insane!”

If Edward is linked to this… God!

“Rosaline?” Her chair scraped, she stepped closer, her desperation pressing against the glass. “What do you know? Tell me everything. Huh? Please… It has been days, Rosaline.”

“Okay…” This situation easily aligns with my new plan. “From now on…” I leaned towards her. “Listen to everything I say… carefully. Okay?”

With a nod, she agreed.

Without delay, I told her everything I knew.

At the end, with my mother’s furious responses shaking up the room, we had created a plan to take down the fake Nathaniel, who thinks he has the right to act like a king.