Lindsey stood in front of the French windows on the thirtieth floor of the high rise, and she looked out over the prosperous city of twenty million people.
After all that had happened, she felt like she had matured.
Of course, she knew she hadn't acted alone; the mysterious power behind her actions had guided her every step.
The mysterious agent was so powerful he had driven Jeremiah out of the country.
She knew people were talking about her. She had heard all the gossip.
"Lindsey surprised me."
"She uncovered Jeremiah's darkest secrets and used them as evidence to free Alex."
"I underestimated her."
"I always thought she was this helpless and weak person. Now I know better."
"It's a pity Jeremiah and his wife ran away."
People heard the talk and repeated it. Riley Naysmith heard it too, and it made him worried. He hadn't thought Lindsey was stupid, but he still admitted he had been careless in his assessment of her.
Riley stood behind Lindsey as she stared out the window. After a time, she turned to him and asked, "By the way, did Ferdinand Thornton catch any of the flak from all this?"
"As far as I know, he and Jeremiah are only the pawns behind other powerful forces," Riley said.
Although the Thorntons were also a well-known family in Baltimore, Alex had hurt them badly. However, Lindsey still didn't think that they had the prudence, strength, or courage to continue their fight with Alex.
"No, Ferdinand seems to have gotten the message and is lying low for the first time," Riley said. "Some say he left for the seaside, some say he went into the mountains."
"Son of a bitch, he sure fled quickly," Lindsey said. "Hopefully, people will pay more attention to his movements. In any case, he's already a fugitive. Once he reappears, he will be caught immediately."
Riley nodded his agreement.
"All right." Lindsey changed the topic. "How is Alex doing? Has he been released yet?"
"No," he said. "The clinic has asked for him to be released on bail, but Brian made sure it didn't happen. He said that even if they found Alex innocent of murder, he had still hurt a lot of other people. Alex won't be released until the case is settled."
Lindsey narrowed her eyes slightly as she continued to look out of the window of the building. "When the dust of this case settles, Alex may not be able to go back to the Woodside Clinic."
She paused, and then shook her head. "Brian is not a member of the legal system, but he has great influence and meddles in everyone else's business. In fact, he's not a bad man, but he is somewhat pedantic. He's good at everything, and he knows it. He will be harder on his own family and his own people than on others."
Riley nodded again. "If Alex had had nothing to do with Timothy, then his bail would have been approved."
"I agree," Lindsey said. "I don't think we can say anything about how we helped Brian take Jeremiah down this time. I don't think he would appreciate it." She took a sip of her coffee before going on. "Clearing Alex of his guilt was a test to see how he reacted. Now, it is a waste of time."
Lindsey sat on the couch and became lost in thought.
Riley studied her. He had listened to all she had to say, and he was concerned. I didn't realize she was so smart and committed, he thought. Why, only a few days ago, she was like an innocent bird ready to leave the nest for the first time. What changed?
He continued to watch her. No, she's still the same person, but she's acting like someone else. That must be it. She's putting on a brave face.
**
Later that same day, Brian held several meetings, and once they were finished, he headed back to his office. He needed a drink. As he was pouring a glass of sherry, his door opened, and he looked up to see his brother walk in.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I've come to talk with you about Alex," Timothy said.
"No way!" Brian didn't want to speak to Timothy about the matter. "This doesn't concern you. I may be your brother, but I'm also your boss. Don't think you can just walk in here and try to tell me what I should do."
He pointed to the door. "Get out."
Timothy showed no signs of leaving. "The problem is that there's already evidence to prove Alex is innocent, and the injured bodyguards also voluntarily withdrew their lawsuit," he said. He saw his older brother's sour expression and continued. "Besides, the Murdoch bodyguards had weapons they used to attack Alex, and Alex's counterattack was just self-defense."
Brian remained silent.
"I'm not here only because Alex and I are friends," Timothy said. "Are you simply worried about your reputation? You shouldn't be. Your nobility is based on the sacrifice of other people's legitimate rights, so why do—"
"Timothy, what's with this attitude?" Brian interrupted grumpily. "You have no right to talk to me like this. I'm your big brother, and yet you are still challenging me in support of some outsider."
Brian studied his younger brother coldly. Finally, he patted the desk and said, "I say again, this matter is settled. Alex will stay in custody."
Before Timothy could respond, the office door burst open. A young man ran in and cried, "Sir, there's been an accident. Your daughter, Haley, was out riding her horse. The horse got spooked, and Hayley took a fall." The young man swallowed nervously. "She was seriously injured and is in critical condition."
Brian jumped up and ran out of the office, closely followed by Timothy and the young man. On the way, he asked what had happened.
**
Earlier that afternoon, Haley had seen that the weather was fine, so she and some friends had gone to the Baltimore Riding Stables to relax and improve their riding skills.
They had spent much of the afternoon racing each other. When they had been heading back to the stable, Haley's thoroughbred had suddenly spooked and started rearing and bucking. Haley had tried to hang on, but after a few moments, she had lost her balance and had been thrown to the ground. Then the horse had stumbled and fallen on top of her.
**
After listening to the disturbing report, Brian didn't speak, but his eyes betrayed his worry. Timothy was also concerned. A fall from a horse was often bad, but to have the horse fall on the girl, that could only be a disaster.
Half an hour later, they arrived at Baltimore General Hospital, where Haley had been admitted into the intensive care unit.
Brian and Timothy stood outside the hospital room, looking in through the window. Haley lay in the hospital bed, covered in wires and tubes. She had been intubated and was on a breathing machine, and her face was pale and lifeless.