The City Held Its Silence byIrel Knx 155

155 It’s a win–wi 

“I think I might know why…” I said to Louis. 

When we arrived at my apartment, I did the usual routine: greeting Tony and Louis, then making dinner. The three of us ate, and then we cleaned up. 

After dinner, I told Louis I would make a phone call before we got back to looking through the documents on Diana. 

I went to a random balcony of my bedroom and took out my phone. Finding my brother’s phone number I called him. I wondered if he would pick up. I had no expectations since we rarely ever talked. However, I was pleasantly surprised when after three rings the call was answered. 

“Sister, to what do I owe the pleasure?” My brother’s voice came through the phone. 

“Lawrence,” I started. “I heard you took the rest of Father’s shares. 

“Wow not even a ‘hi, how are you?‘ Just straight to questions huh? Yes, father gave me his shares,” he answered. 

“They say they don’t know why he would suddenly hand them over to you but I have an inkling feeling I know why,” I told him. 

“Oh really, and what’s that?” Lawrence asked in an unfazed tone. 

I knew he knew what I was insinuating. “Is that why you gave me the medical records? You wanted to somehow threaten Father into giving you more shares.” 

This whole time I had been wondering why Lawrence had helped me and handed me the medical records when he seemingly had nothing to gain from it. I just knew there must be a reason why. 

C 

“The old man only gave me 12 percent. I’m the CEO but he won’t even let me have more than 20 percent? When I tried to talk to him about it he refused to listen,” he told 

1. me. 

“So you used me?” I went on to ask him. 

“Why do you 

you sound like you are complaining you got your 20 million dollars, didn’t you? father has also given you his lawyers for your divorce. We’re both getting what we want, aren’t we?” he asked. 

I wasn’t complaining I just wanted to understand his reasons. 

155 It’s a win–win 

“But why didn’t you do it yourself? You could have turned him in before” I asked him. 

I heard Lawrence ket out a tired sigh. 

“Didn’t want a conflict of interest. I’m too close to father. If I tried to threaten him 

myself he could easily fire me or spin a narrative to the other share holders that I was a greedy son try to ruin the business. No one trusts someone who would throw their own family under the bus,” he explained then took a pause. 

“But of course if my sister who conveniently who isn’t close to father and is close to a member of the powerful Carrington family who don’t have an alliance with father anymore. Well….well then that’s quite convenient for me,” he said. 

“Really?” I said whilst rolling my eyes. I moved away from the railing and began pacing around the balcony. 

“As soon as you started threatening father he began panicking. He feared that you would turn him in, how bad it would look for the company…how he would look to people. It became so easy for me to convince him it was safest he give me all the shares to protect the company since we can’t predict what the evil Jasmine will do,” he said in a dramatic voice. 

“You knew I was going to threaten father?” I asked Lawrence how he could have predicted my next actions after I got the records. 

“I didn’t. I basically took a chance. There’s only one reason on you would want them. You loved mother after all. I believed you would do something about it. And you did. Good job.” he told me. 

“And father doesnt suspect you’re the one who gave them to me?” I asked. 

I recalled how our father seemed to think I was the one who had stolen the medical records when the obvious suspect should have been Lawrence. 

“Whether he does or doesn’t, it’s too late for him for him to do anything about it now,” Lawrence said. 

“Oh please, you’re happy it turned out this way. He killed our mother and got away with it. I may not have been close to her but that doesn’t He needs to receive some kind of punishment. 

I wondered if I should tell him that once I was done handling the divorce I wasn’t going to be done with father. 

“Anyway, does that satisfy your curiosity? Is the interrogation over?” he asked. 

20:19 

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155 It’s a win–win 

I was quiet for a moment before I finally answered. “Yeah,” I said. 

“Good. Then good luck with your divorce, Jasmine,” he said. 

“Thank you,” I said to him. 

Once the call was over I went back to the railing and leaned over it once more. 

I then heard the sliding door to the balcony open and footsteps slowly approached. Soon they pressed their body into mine, wrapped their arms around me, and rested their chin on my head. 

“Louis,” I called his name as my body leaned back into his as well. 

“I took Tony to bed,” he told me. 

“Thank you,” I said to him. 

He then kissed the top of my head. “Your hair smells good,” he complimented me. 

“How did the call go?” he asked me. 

“Fine,” I responded. “My brother confirmed he gave me the medical records to get the 

shares.” 

“Should we continue looking into Diana and finish what we started in the office?” He then asked me. 

“Yeah,” I agreed. 

However, Louis didn’t move away immediately. His arms went from hands on the railing to my to my neck. One hand gently wrapped around my throat and forced me to look up at him. 

“God, how I wished we weren’t so worried about some unknown villain who’s trying to harm you so I could ravish you in peace,” he said to me as he gently kissed my neck. Tingles went down my spine from the feel of his lips. 

“Me too,” I replied in a moan, silently aching for his touch. 

“I think the people in the opposite building can see us though,” I told him. 

“Let them see,” he shamelessly said.