"Do I have your loyalty? Your unconditional loyalty?" Mr. DelaRoy says behind the mahogany table in his magnificent office. Cali couldn't read his expression, but his looks seemed oddly familiar and reminded her of someone she couldn't quite put her finger on.
"Yes," Cali knows there is no other option. However, she is still in denial and shock after receiving the employment offer from Mr. Killey this morning. Mr. Killey had never previously contacted her. Since they've known each other, she's always made the phone call.
"You only answer to me. Nobody, not even my wife, can command you to do anything. Everything you learn will be kept to yourself. You will inform me of everything you discover that is important to the organization. If you do not obey the regulations, you will face severe consequences. Understand?"
"I understand." What has she and Ken gotten themselves into? Most importantly, what will she discover? Cali had no idea.
"You can leave now," Mr. DelaRoy says, motioning to the door.
Cali follows Mr. Killey out the door. Throughout the conversation, he stood by Mr. DelaRoy. Cali knows Mr. DelaRoy trusts him because she sees Mr. Killey every time she meets Mr. DelaRoy. Cali thinks she could ask him for some inside information.
"You can begin the job the following week. I'll ask Susie to send you all the resources needed to get started. Don't fool around. Follow instructions. Also, don't overstep your bounds. You don't want to make the same mistakes as your predecessor."
"What are my predecessor's mistakes?" Cali couldn't help but inquire.
"Stand on the wrong side and meddle in family affairs." Cali considers asking for further information but decides against it. She has one more critical and pressing inquiry.
"What are the consequences that Mr. DelaRoy mentioned?" Cali gathers her bravery. She must understand what will happen to her and Ken if she violates regulations.
"There won't be any consequences if you follow Mr. DelaRoy's rules." Mr. Killey appears to have read her thoughts. Cali could only nod and thank him for everything he had done for her.
With this new employment offer, Cali departs the DelaRoy property on Park Avenue with a distraught heart.
**
She'd seen a photograph of the bridge at night, with half of the great towers shrouded in fog, and the bridge lit up with shimmering lights, a vision of breathtaking beauty.
Then she heard his father yell, "What the fuck is going on with that car?" Their car was hit and skidded off the road, falling down the steep slope before she realized what had happened.
Cali awoke without knowing how many hours had passed as she felt someone dragging her from the rear seat. That person was later identified as Mr. Killey. She longed to yell for her parents. But her throat was constricted, and she couldn't utter anything.
Her skull was gushing with blood. She attempted to stay awake only to witness the car flip over. In the front seat, Mom and Dad were immobile. She began to panic, and suddenly, she lost consciousness once more.
She was in the hospital when she awoke. Two police officials later informed her that her mother and father had been killed in the accident and that her older brother and sister had been hospitalized. She wept uncontrollably. She was only seventeen years old.
She knew someone had purposefully crashed their car, but who was it? When she approached the authorities, the male officer stated they were looking into it, but cases like this usually go cold.
She believed she saw shame flicker across the face of the female cop. Her gut feeling informed her that the male officer was lying. But she needed to learn how to investigate the accident.
Cali and Laura both recovered from their injuries. Their injuries were less severe than Ken's, who was in a coma. So Cali and her younger sister Laura took turns visiting the police station in this town and inquiring about the status of the investigation. They wanted the person who had damaged their family punished for their actions.
They had no one to turn to for help. Their older brother was still in a coma and showed no signs of awakening.
They had no grandparents, aunts, or uncles to lean on.
Their parents eloped to escape their respective toxic homes and never returned. Cali grew up not knowing if she had any relatives. They were utterly alone. She had never felt so isolated and powerless in her life.
Cali and Laura used the money their parents had set aside for the trip to book a modest motel near the hospital. Their visits to the police station were invariably fruitless. David Taylor, the male officer, constantly shrugged his shoulders and waved them off.
Cali cried in the police office corridor one day after receiving the same routine treatment. She couldn't handle the weight any longer. The consequence was crushing her and tipping her over.
Jane Smith, a female cop, noticed her. Cali's sobbing must have touched a soft spot in her. She summoned Cali and told her the truth.
Their parents were killed as a result of drunk driving. Olivia Gaton, the culprit, was the son of a wealthy local businessman who had a close relationship with the town's police chief.
Cali was filled with rage, but she felt frail. How could a girl with no money or connections take on such a formidable alliance of evil powers?
Olivia noticed her predicament and pointed her in the right direction. She informed Cali that the man, the powerful man who had saved her from the collision, rushed her to the hospital and reported the accident to the police, was still in town. He had the power, money, and connections to make things right if he was willing.
Olivia told Cali to go to the fancy hotel. She begged the receptionist to meet with Mr. Edward DelaRoy but was turned down immediately. The receptionist told Cali she couldn't assist since Mr. DelaRoy never took impromptu appointments. Cali had never been more desperate in her life. Her only chance was sliding through her fingers.
Mr. DelaRoy and Mr. Killey then emerged in the lobby and recognized her.
Cali will never forget their talk in the hotel's quiet bar. Although she was just seventeen, she knew the conversation would impact her life.
"Miss Harrison, I'm a businessman." What would I get in exchange for assisting you in putting the man responsible for your parents' deaths behind bars?" Mr. DelaRoy sat comfortably and authoritatively in an armchair, his voice as cold as stone.
"I...." Cali searched for the appropriate words but came up short. She didn't have anything to contribute.
"I will be eternally indebted to you. I will go to any length for you." Cali had nothing else to say or contribute. Cali was aware of how empty her statements sounded.
Mr. DelaRoy examined Cali, who stood before him with hawk-like eyes.
"Loyalty," he added.
"What?" Cali exclaimed, unable to believe what she had just heard.
"Your devotion when the time comes." Miss. Harrison, for a poor girl like you, loyalty is the only way you can repay the favor."
Cali was eager to do anything for anyone who could guarantee justice for her parents at the time.
"Remember what you promised today when the time comes." Mr. DelaRoy rose up and walked away.
A few days later, Olivia Gaton was arrested and charged with DUI homicide. Mr. Killey eventually paid for Cali's parents' funeral, a deposit for Ken's medical expenses, and a phone number for her to call in an emergency.
When the news and assistance arrived, Cali was exhausted. She had avenged her parents' deaths by wielding the power of one wealthy man against another. However, another question arose before she could breathe a sigh of relief. What was in store for her and her siblings? When would Ken show up? What would happen if he didn't? What would happen to her and Laura, who were both under 18? Were they going to be separated and thrown into the foster care system?
Cali called Mrs. Hanley, a widow who had become friends with their mother in the poor Brooklyn neighbourhood where they resided, out of desperation. Mrs. Hanley consented to take Cali and Laura under her wing before they reached eighteen.
There was only one issue left. When would Ken come out of his coma?
**
"Watch out," Cali is jarred from her reverie by a man's gruff voice, realizing she is about to collide with him.
Cali apologizes quickly and goes away. She needs to return home. Ken is probably waiting for her to finish cooking dinner.