1SOPHIA'S POV
After a long exhausting question and answer session with my parents, they finally allowed me get ready for work, although they gave no effort in concealing the fact that they were no longer interested in my job, nor what it offered. Even the fact that Marcus had been the one to come pick me up after their "angel of a son in law" sent me home without a ride didn't seem to intrigue them. They were still insistent on my being patient and focusing on the long run with the possibility of establishing myself and children in wealth; it was annoying but I survived.
On my way to work, I opted to call Marcus so we could arrange for a probable dinner date later in the day. I no longer felt the need to shut him out but the calls went sent to voicemail. After about three failed attempts at reaching him, I decided to focus on the day.
While going about my stressful work day, my office line rang and I immediately reached for the phone, placing it on my left ear, "you've reached Sophia Richardson, how may I help you?"
"Sophia, why are you not picking your calls or replying your texts?" A voice I immediately recognized to belong to Robert said from the other line.
"I'm at work and you should know the routine by now, what's up?" I said with a smile, genuinely happy to hear from Robert after a really long while.
"Something really big, Soph. Marcus has been arrested?" He said with a panicked tone.
"Arrested? How and Why? Marcus?" I asked, sitting up immediately on my chair.
"Yes! Just check your text messages and get here as quickly as possible."
"Okay." The call dropped even before the word had fallen out of my lips and I was immediately thrown into a world of chaos. My handbag suddenly turned into a ghost, and finding it to get my phone out became a battle of its own. Finally, I was able to get a hold of both my bag, the phone and the text Robert had sent.
"Natasha please, I have an emergency I need to attend. Please cover for me, I'll explain everything when I get back." I said, all in one breath as I hastily rush out of the office before the big boss caught sight of me.
"Oka-y." She must have said but I don't think I heard her clearly as I was already out of the small office area and headed for the front door.
Flagging down a taxi half way through the front door of the small firm, I got in and gave the driver the address, pleading with him to hasten up the drive. As the journey started to the police station, I called Robert who picked after the second ring
"I'm already on my way there now. Is he okay?" I asked, trying to calm my own breathing but my heart continued pounding and my mind wouldn't just stop raving.
"He is for now, but things are getting quite complicated quickly. Just get here." I could hear clearly the panic in Robert's voice and that only further intensified my worries and anxiety. There were still unanswered questions about the situation and I had to force myself into remaining calm so as to handle whatever situation awaited me.
The car soon came to a stop in front of the station and I bolted inside after paying what I owed the driver.
"Soph!!" A voice called out, followed by a waving hand; it was Robert. As I half ran towards him, I was quick to notice he had a serious expression plastered across his face and that could only mean things were, indeed, beyond serious.
"What exactly is going on? Why did Marcus get arrested?" I asked, forgetting about my own mannerisms.
"Marcus had gone to meet Damien at one of the Smith's companies, a branch here in Brookhaven and I don't know what exactly caused Marcus to lose his temper, but he ended up hitting Damien." He explained, not really concerned about the absence of pleasantries or exchange of greetings.
"How? Why?"
"Those questions are not even important because right now, Damien has filed for harassment and assault against Marcus but resolved to settle everything with five million dollars."
"Five million?" I heard myself scream.
"According to him, his time is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and he spent a good amount of his time getting harassed as well as assaulted." Robert said through clenched teeth.
"We will pay if that means Marcus doesn't go to jail or has a criminal record."
"We have just twenty four hours to raise and pay the agreed sun, otherwise the case goes to court and Marcus will definitely be prosecuted and charged guilty."
"Twenty four hours to raise five million dollars?" Another scream fell off my lips.
"I warned him not to go see that son of a b*tch but Marcus just wouldn't listen. He chose stubbornness over reason."
"Are we allowed to see him?" I managed to say, not knowing what else to ask of Robert.
"I'll talk to the detective in charge and ask." Robert disappeared for about a minute but returned later to take me to meet with Marcus who looked nothing like himself. He seemed to have been assaulted as he had so many bruise and cuts on his body and face, and that sight only tore my heart to shreds.
"Baby, are you okay?" I asked, reaching for and holding his hands in my hands.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, staring at me and then at Robert before finally resting his stern gaze on me.
"What do you mean by what am I doing here? I'm here to see you of course."
"Why is she here, Robert?" He directed the same question at who he hoped would give him the answer he wanted.
"She's your fiancee and-"
"But I pleaded with you not to inform her about anything. I said that I'll figure everything out myself."
"What exactly will you figure out? If you decide to sell every single thing we both own, it still won't get us five million and you are worried about Sophia, your fiancé, finding out?" Robert lashed out.
"Can't you see that you're playing the game that bast*rd wants?" Marcus yelled, snatching his hand from my grip, "Soph, baby, please don't do anything. If you really truly love me, don't do anything. Don't go to him and don't ask him for favors. I'll go to jail and serve my time, just don't marry him."
"What are you talking about you stupid fool?" Robert fired back.
"Okay, it's time to go inside." An officer informed us, reaching to drag Marcus away into the cell.
"Robert, don't allow her do anything stupid, please." Marcus screamed as he was being dragged away, leaving Robert and I behind.
Not knowing what else to do, we both decided to leave the station and figure out our next move outside.
Once outside, "Headed back to the office?" he asked.
"No, I'm going to try taking up another loan."
"Can you do that?"
"I don't know but I'll have to try either ways. I'll text you the outcome of everything, but can't we go to court and-"
"I'm pretty sure you know what that is going to do. We lack money and power, we'd just end up wasting our little resources." He sighed defeatedly.
"Do you think I should just go to Damien and apologize?"
"I shouldn't really be the one to decide that for you, but Marcus is really insistent on your not going, though." He said after some long seconds of silence.
"I know but do you think I should go?"
"With just one word from him, everything is going to fade into dust but I don't know how my friend's pride would handle that. The real question now is whether or not we should protect his pride and send him to jail."
"Robert, I'm really confused."
"You brought things this far though. If you had handled this issue immediately it started and made it clear you were already engaged, none of these would have happened." It was obvious that Robert was struggling to keep his voice below average, but that couldn't mask the anger his tone emitted.
"But I didn't send Marcus to go hit him."
"What were you expecting from him then?" His eyebrows were raised in a questioning manner, "I didn't want to say this but it now seems you, too, want this arranged marriage bullsh*t to happen."
"How can you say that, Robert?"
"I'll go tell his family and sort out for money to bail my friend. You go do whatever it is you want but stay out of my sight else I'd do something even Marcus would hate me for."
Watching him walk into the streets left me wondering if there was an iota of truth in what he just said. Was I really considering the proposal and was that the reason I couldn't blatantly refuse my parents' request? Have I been making up excuses all these while for my own greedy selfish gain? Did I really fall in love with Damien at first sight and was that why I refused eloping with Marcus? And am I considering seeing him to beg for Marcus' release as an excuse to meeting him again? Do I really want Damien Smith?