Chapter 68

"Eric Fuller!" A police officer yelled as he opened the door to the cell.

Eric had been stuck in this cage for the last two days, all because of his involvement with Elena, a fugitive who had used him like a pawn.

As he thought about it, he began to wonder if Elena had somehow cast some kind of spell on him. How else could he explain helping her without considering what could go wrong?

"Is Eric Fuller deaf?" The officer shouted again, causing the other inmates in the holding area to glance at him.

"I'm here!" Eric muttered, raising his hand. "Can I go home now?"

The officer let out a loud laugh, like Eric had just told the funniest joke in the world. He held his sides, practically crying from laughing so hard.

Finally, the officer wiped a tear away and shot him a disgusted look. "You want to go home? Sure. But before you leave, why don't you come take the key from me? You’re free to go, but I don't think you thought about the risks when you let that Elena Marlowe woman stay with you for two weeks."

"Damn, man, you must be a real softie," one of the guys sitting next to Eric scoffed. "No matter how great the woman is, you should’ve thought things through. If you were a fugitive, do you think Elena would’ve helped you?"

Eric didn’t want to listen to any more of their comments. He had already heard enough to last a lifetime. He was stuck in this mess now, so there was no point in mulling over it. His fate was sealed.

The officer turned his attention back to one of the other guys, and Eric zoned out. He knew they were both right, but it didn't change the fact that he was here now, stuck, waiting for whatever came next.

"Hey, idiot," the officer snapped again, bringing Eric back to reality. The officer reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Someone from your company asked me to give this to you."

"Ooh, is that money?" the guy beside Eric asked. "I’m starving in here. The food they’re giving us is barely fit for a dog."

"If you want to be treated like a king, maybe you should’ve stayed out of trouble," the officer said, tossing the envelope to Eric.

"Get lost!" Eric snapped at the nosy guy trying to peek over his shoulder. The guy muttered under his breath, but Eric didn’t care.

He tore open the envelope, his heart pounding in his chest. He had a bad feeling about what it might be, but he tried to push the thought away as he pulled out the paper inside.

Just as he had feared, it was a termination letter.

It was official. His services as the director of the bottling company were no longer needed, and his things had already been packed up for him to pick up whenever he got out.

Eric let out a bitter laugh as he crumpled the letter into a ball. Who was he kidding? Even if he was released, there was no way he could show his face at the company again.

A mix of anger and regret bubbled up inside him as he stared at the crumpled paper in his hand. He felt like an idiot. He had risked everything for Elena, and for what? She didn't love him. She never had.

He knew that. She had her eyes and heart set on someone else – Magnus Ashford, the guy who was everything Eric could never be.

Yet, here he was, a fool who had helped her, written her letters from prison, and let her use him as a stepping stone.

He remembered the night they met at a club. She had been so beautiful under the disco lights, her hips swaying as she danced. They hit it off right away, and before he knew it, they were sneaking off to a bathroom to get busy.

"Women are the deadliest creatures on earth," an older man sitting next to Eric said suddenly, breaking him from his thoughts.

Eric stared at the man.

"My name’s Celio," the man said, holding out his hand.

Eric just stared at him for a moment before mumbling, "Eric."

"So, what are you in for?" Celio asked, looking curious. "I heard the others talking, but I don’t get it."

Eric chuckled sarcastically. "Community service," he said, rolling his eyes. "I’m here because I was stupid enough to let a fugitive like Elena Marlowe crash at my place for two weeks. Who’s the real idiot here?"

Celio laughed, probably more at Eric’s bitterness than his joke.

"Seriously?" Celio said, his smile fading. "I’ve been here because my wife wanted a divorce, and the judge says I have to give her half my wealth. Can you believe that? I worked my ass off for 25 years in America, supporting our kids while she sat at home, and now this."

Eric stared at him, unsure what to say.

"Women, man," Celio said, shaking his head. "Do you have any family?"

Eric’s chest tightened. Family? He had never had one. His mother died during childbirth, and his father followed soon after, heartbroken. His grandparents had turned their backs on him, leaving him to grow up in foster homes until he turned eight

He had no family. No real friends either. He had always been a loner, too intense for most people to handle.

"No," Eric muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "No family."

"That’s rough," Celio said, nodding sympathetically. "No family means no real connections. You get lonely fast, don’t you?"

Eric didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. They both knew what loneliness felt like.

But suddenly, it hit him—he wasn’t just stuck with Elena because of love. He had been desperate for someone to call family. Elena had been his chance to feel needed, to feel like he wasn’t alone in the world.

As the realization dawned on him, the door to the cell opened with a loud creak, and the officer’s voice echoed in the corridor.

"Eric Fuller, you're out. Time to face the music."