34. Evidence
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Eight o’clock that night, Chang’an called when they were huddled on a deep couch inside the movie room.

“Ugh, come on…” she groaned.

“I was concerned about you but you have to sound like I’m pulling your teeth off? Sena, do even have a conscience!?” 

“You disturbed my rest.” 

“Don’t lie to me, it’s still early.”

A muffled scream inserted in between their talk. 

“Ahhh, the poor dog!”

April sat on her side shivering under the fleece blanket watching as the fluffy dog ran into a street full of zombies. Tonight, Boss said she is feeling down and the way to soothe her mood is to watch a movie. April assumed she would want a comedy, who knew her boss liked this gut-wrenching, flesh-eating movie instead? 

“Don’t worry, it won’t die.” Layla patted her assistant with her cheese-filled hand.

Chang’an made a surprised face, “You have people at your place? Did the pigs fly?”

“Not yet but I can make you fly instead.” this brat thinks she has a social phobia or something? 

Layla came for a sleepover. Michael is set to leave later making her feel sulky and lonesome. Their house only had the two hired maids; minus her brother it looked terribly empty. Thus she called her, eventually, Sena decided she should just let her stay in her apartment for a day.

The zombie’s growl blasted in the surround sound system. 

“Unbelievable. You still have time to watch a movie?” Chang’an heard the girls’ background screaming and was dumbfounded. “You’re being butchered online!”

Sena leaned on a comfy posture and put up her feet on large pillows. “Aiy, what do you want me to do? Answer them back like a shrew?”

“At least say something to smack those gossipy trolls back.”

She chuckled. “Believe or not once I post something in there, none of them will pay it any mind. Where are you by the way?”

Chang’an was gritting his teeth. “At home, looking at this article against you.” 

“Oh, then be a good boy, turn your computer off and climb up the bed. There will be a surprise later and I don’t want you to miss it.” 

He couldn’t take her nonchalance so he hung up upset. A few minutes later, it was Sydney and Ramsy’s turn to pester her saying the same thing. 

“Don’t reply to those things, don’t tarnish your names. You’re more than that,” she told the two.  

They are currently working with a newbie director filming a low budget suspense thriller movie. The same movie that became an international hit and sparked their careers in the film industry. She knew the whole crew was very busy and they barely even had time to stretch their waists but they still called her to check. 

Sena was beyond touched. But being touched is one, pulling them into the mess is another. 

Sydney sent an image of multiple swords with a caption: I’m ready for bloodshed sister! Just say yes. She laughed.

“No, let it be. I have a plan.” Sena insisted. 

Ramsy also sent her a fighting meme of a famous martial arts star but like Chang’An they also had to hang up disappointed. 

“Tsk, tsk, these boys why do I feel like they are more attentive to gossip than I do?”

April could only scratch her head. If it were any other woman, they would be crying to the point of blindness by now. Where does her boss get the energy to laugh amid misery?

“I thought Maya Luz was a good person, her fans are unbelievably rude and saying things over the line.” Layla huffed. She looks like she couldn't wait to throw Maya on a frying pan and sprinkle her with oil, salt and herbs. “Those girls in my former class are also die-hard fans of hers. I can see why now. Plastics should gather together. They’re biohazard polluting the earth!” 

Maya Luz was lifted to the position of a modern-day princess. People loved her because among many new celebrities few only have fresh images and good background like hers. 

Layla also wanted to speak up for Sena but she was stopped. She could only sigh on the side.  

The doorbell rang while she was rummaging the snack bar for a new tub of popcorn. Hurrying over, she looked into the monitoring and saw Michael with Nicholas holding a bag each. 

“Come in.” 

The gentlemen laughed at her home clothes. An oversized worn-out T-shirt hanging loosely and tucked untidily on denim shorts.  They were pulled in and saw her place for the first time. From the foyer, the floor is made of white marble when entering the living room, the design changes into a seamless light parquet. 

On the large square cocktail ottoman, there is a tray holding a crystal vase filled with fresh flowers, keys, a notepad with pen and unlit aromatic candles. The most notable feature of the space is probably the twin floor to ceiling bookshelves anchor the marble cladding fireplace and the gorgeous drop lights resembling a kaleidoscope of butterflies. 

It was luxuriously feminine and warm. 

“Layla’s in the movie room, wait a moment.”

“No need,” Mike said. “She’s still in a bad mood, she won’t come out anyway.”

Sena gave him a funny look. “You’re putty in her hands.” 

“She’s the only one I have left.” he said with a shrug. “About the video you wanted. I have it recorded already.”   

Nicholas stood quiet on the side, when Michael mentioned the video, he saw how her smiling face slowly faded. Her eyebrows had a slight tension on them.  

“Here.” Nicholas took a small USB from the back pocket of his jeans, pulled her stiff and cold hands then gently, he pried open her fingers. “Whatever your plan for this, you must think carefully.”

As her fingers closed into the tiny black thing, the memory of the crime the mayor’s son and his secretary had done came back to her. As well as the gruesome death of the victim. Sena swallowed trying to hold down a shiver. 

“If you need help. Ask.” Nicholas said, almost coaxing. 

The layers of concern and worry was like a small wisp of warm air blowing on her chilled soul. He was a stranger to her. Yet she wanted to trust him. 

Not just because they get along. Or that they are business partners. 

There was something more. 

“Do you know the woman on the video?” Michael asked her. “We sent an anonymous call to the nearest hospital. Don’t worry, she’s safe.”

Sena nodded her head. “I, I don’t know her personally but I know she is a single parent of a ten-year-old boy and she manages a puppet theater in a mall.”  

“How about the owner of the car, the person who ran over her?”

She nodded again. But this time, there was fury in her eyes.  

Nicholas exchanged a look with Michael. 

“Once you make this public, it will not only end as a hit and run incident.”

Sena was taken aback. “What do you mean?”  

“Time is short. We will tell you once we return. For now, you must keep the record hidden.” Michael told her patting her shoulder.

“I will keep it for now but could you at least tell me what else you saw?”

“Aside from the hit and run, the mayor and Lewis could be involved in covering it up. The CCTV in that area was deliberately put under repairs a few days ago when it’s working very well.”

“I already know about that.” Sena let out a tense breath. 

Nicholas gave her a deep meaningful look, “Deliberately erasing footage like this can put them in question. You want them out?”

She nodded. 

“It’s not going to be that easy. The mayor has a powerful backer.” 

“We caught him in the video,” Michael added.

Her forehead creased, “Businessman? Politician?”

“Druglord.” Nicholas corrected. 

Sena’s mouth hung open like a fish. 

   

As the two of them left the Paragon, Nicholas dialled a number. 

“We found Yang.” 

“Sena is in huge trouble.” Mike clicked his tongue while driving towards their team’s meeting place. “Who would have guessed that we would accidentally see him getting into one of his hiding spots? If not for that video, we could be flying in the opposite direction by now.” 

Nicholas is more concerned about the reason why Sena wanted that video. She already estimated that releasing it could pull the mayor down from his seat, however, Yang’s involvement was completely out of her calculations. 

As they all know, there wasn’t only that hit and run evidence. The traffic cameras including those from nearby buildings were turned off to cover up Yang's arrival. Before the accident, the quiet streets ushered in a convoy of cars; they saw Yang getting out from one of those and entering the backdoor of a well-known club. 

A quarter of an hour later when the streets were empty again, the attempted murder occurred. 

Once the video is used, no doubt it would attract the Qilin gang’s attention. 

Nicholas looked back at the receding view of the apartment. They already had people inside the club keeping an eye on Yang. They must hurry there now before the bastard leaves. He must be eliminated soon not just for the sake of the mission. 

But for her safety as well. 

 

Up in her apartment, Sena splashed warm water on her face. She didn't know if the AC was too strong or that she was only too nervous to feel this cold that she was trembling.

The door of the movie room opened. 

“Boss?” April called holding her mobile phone. “Someone’s calling.”

Sena went back to the living room to see who it was. There were ten missed calls and a message from an unknown number.

“Where are you? We’re waiting for you up here.”

Up there? The northside mountain, she concluded. This must be for the drag race Sophie wanted her to attend. She turned her phone off after thanking it for distracting her from her thoughts. 

She then walked back to the movie room completely flinging the invitation out the window. 

Sena took a mouthful of popcorn as soon as she climbed back on the couch. As she sank into the velvety softness, a ridiculing smile pulled the corners of her mouth. Sophie wanted to set her up with those wild and lawless rich children. Oh, yeah the mayor’s son seems to be fond of drag racing as well.

How coincidental is that to the current gossip online? 

Based on how eager Sophie was, she assumes she has a good trap set up. At this moment, there may not only be those punks waiting up there but some paid people as well. There were several reports of illegal racing everywhere but the authorities are helpless against it since those involved are people with strong backers. 

Every weekend they would parade their cars creating noises, pile up garbage and incurring accidents to pedestrians. Even when complaints are filed, no strong action was taken. This year, the new commissioner who is at odds with the mayor is determined to do a cleanup. Sena assumes Sophie hasn't gotten wind of it. 

Thankfully, both Ramsy and Sydney are now busy with their careers, Chang’an is also at home and there is no time to indulge those wayward plastic buddies to have ‘fun’. She didn’t want them to jump on the same pit, one wrong move and their life will suffer irreparable damage again. 

Sena flicked her fingernails, those people didn’t want to leave her alone in peace then she can only fight back and let them taste their own medicine. 

She took another bite of popcorn covering the laughter that was about to come out. 

The police will come in there soon and arrest everyone taking part in the illegal race including the bystanders. By luck, Sophie and the group of plastic buddies will land themselves in prison tonight.     

 

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