One Night With Mr Braxton

” What do you mean?” Asher asked Jason over the phone.

” Her body was discovered in the early hours of the day. Investigations on the cause of death is ongoing.” He informed, ” You need to lay low for the meantime, both of you. At least until we uncover the details behind her death.”

Asher felt distraught, ” What is the state of events? Any leads on her killer?”

” I’m afraid not, whoever did it, did a clean job. Dumped her into the river with a body cleaned of trails.” He answered, sighing afterwards.

Emma walked into the room, and straightaway, noticed the atmosphere. ” What’s going on?” She mouthed.

” I’ll call you in a minute.” Asher ended the call with a huff, her eyes narrowed in concern.

” Who was that?”

” Jason.”

” And?”

” Rebecca is dead.” He declared without missing a beat.

” Oh my goodness! What happened?” She asked, face aghast.

” Murdered. I don’t have the details yet but I will soon. For the meantime, stay home. I don’t want you moving an inch out of this house, until I return.” He said, cradling her face.

” Okay.” She always seemed to lose her breath whenever in close proximity to this man. Realization dawned on her and she shook her head, ” Wait! You are leaving?”

” I have to.” He stated, holding a faraway look. Before she could revolt, his ringtone filled the air; Jason.

” Yes?” He answered, held up a finger and excused himself.

Emma made to follow him but her phone started ringing.

” Chara.” She answered, a feeling of impending doom clouded her senses, ” What’s going on?”All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

” Emma! Have you seen the news?”

Fear gripped her, ” Not yet.. Is this about Rebecca?”

” You’ve seen it then! It’s a ruckus out there, how did it get out?” Her voice held concern,

” I was hoping you’d tell me. I just found out about her murder myself.”

Chara remained silent for a minute. ” Emma… I’m talking about your marriage.”

” What about it? What has that got to do with anything?” Emma’s heart beat erratically. Surely, they weren’t thinking she had something to do with her death.

” Pictures of your marriage contracts were released this morning. The people are calling you a fraud, you and your husband.”

Towards the end of her line, Emma felt her world shatter. At that moment, Asher came into her sight with a look that told he wasn’t in the dark about the news.

” I need a moment.”

Emma took two steps and sat on the bed. She immediately went online and indeed, The Braxton’s were leading the trending topics. Pictures of Rebecca and Asher flooded the internet, alongside pictures of their marriage contract. To make matters worse, there were speculations on Asher having a hand in Rebecca’s death in order to cover his fraudulent marriage.

” Stay home. I’m on the case.” Asher read the message from Jason while seated beside his wife. How did things get so bad? The couple didn’t say a word, too shocked at the drastic turn of events.

Emma felt confused. Who exactly did Rebecca piss off to warrant her murder? Was she the target or was it a matter of mistaken Identity?

” Don’t think too much about it. We will find the culprit.” Asher spoke, getting on his feet. ” We have the house to ourselves. What do you propose we do?”

Emma could tell he tried to lighten the situation. Playing along, she mustered a forced smile. ” Maybe I’ll take you to my studio.” She remembered their current position and changed her words, ” Perhaps the studio in the house? I’ll take you to the secret studio, after things are…rectified.”

” Sounds good.”

Without further ado, she led the way to the studio and together they had a swell time, trying their hardest to keep the troubles of their hearts sealed. Emma and Asher were having lunch when Jason called. Asher excused himself while she kept her eyes focused on her food. Her appetite- long gone since she caught a glimpse of Jason’s name.

At that moment, an unknown call entered her phone and with a bit of hesitation, she picked it up.

” Emma.” A familiar voice breathed into her ears.

” Who is this?”

” Ouch. Didn’t realize you were that upset. Deleted my number?” The voice chided.

” Listen, you either introduce yourself or-”

” It’s Kaden. Please don’t end the call.” He pleaded, as though knowing what she wanted to do.

” I don’t have time for this. What do you want?”

” Just your audience. I know I messed up last time but please give me an opportunity to make things right.”

A scowl etched on her face, ” I still don’t understand what you are getting at.”

” Let’s meet. Allow me to apologize.” Somehow, she could feel a smug on his face,

” No thank you.” Emma ended the call, feeling angrier than before. The number continued calling but she didn’t bother picking until it slowed to an end.

” I need to go out.” Asher’s voice surprised her,

” What? Why?”

” There’s a new development and my presence is needed-don’t be worried, I’m only going to see Jason.” His face wound up in concern, ” Are you going to be alright?”

” Sure!” Her voice hinted she was anything but alright.

” I could request he come here but-” She held his arm,

” No. I’ll be fine. Just- go do whatever it is and stay safe, okay?”

Asher wasn’t convinced, ” Call me every minute.”

” I would, but that would be too labourious. Come-on! The earlier you leave, the earlier you return. Tick-tock.”

His eyes connected with hers. ” I hate that you’re right,” he dropped a chaste kiss on her forehead, ” I’ll be back before you know it.”

Emma nodded, trying to hold back tears. Her emotions were a mess and maybe she needed some time alone to sort through the events of the previous days. Alone.

Asher left the house, speaking animatedly on the phone as he entered his tinted car. She watched him leave and suddenly, the house felt much bigger. In no time, she began reading how her mother was killed and the entire disaster that befell her beautiful family because of the greed of one woman.

Her heart burned knowing her family home was desolate and broken while the perpetrators were locked up. Her mother’s precious possessions were locked inside, free to be stolen again. It didn’t take long before she got dressed and on her own, left the house. Taking one of Asher’s cars, she sped to the Steele house and entered the familiar house.

The coldness that enveloped the house felt foreign to the usual warm, and homey feeling it previously exuded. No doubt, It wasn’t the home she grew up in; not the one she was raised in love, beautiful shoes and designs. They took away its life and made it what was left today. Refusing to dwell on the past, she headed inside, searching for something – her mother’s designs had to be somewhere.

Christine knew better than to get rid of it, she always pulled out her mother’s classic pieces as a ‘save-me’ when things got tough and her designs weren’t making the cut anymore. Overtime, it became clear it was stocked somewhere and used sparingly. Emma got to her parents bedroom, which had long become her step-mother’s; she got inside the closet, carefully looking through the luxury and expensive items bought at the cost of her parents’ life.

Anger returned with vengeance and in seconds, rolls of clothings and accessories were thrown down. In twenty minutes, every single thing heaped on the floor while she sat by a corner, panting and trying to gain hold of herself. In that state, a door caught her attention. With everything thrown down, the door became painfully obvious.

Something told her that it held the answers she sought and soon, she was inside, beholding both hers and her mother’s designs kept haphazardly on the floor. Her fingers grazed the strokes made by her mother and she reduced to a weeping mess.

Emma couldn’t stop her tears, she felt a lingering aura of her mother and the pain she buried for years resurfaced without care; there and then, she became the young girl that lost her mother too soon and wept till she couldn’t.

Mourning what could have been.

*****

” What do you mean she drove alone?! Find her immediately!” Asher barked on the phone, and Jason starred in concern. ” If any harm should come to my wife, consider yourself a prison convict!”

” What’s going on?” Jason asked after he dropped the call.

” Emma left.” He answered, impatiently dialing her line. ” She isn’t picking her calls, I knew I shouldn’t have left the house.”

” Calm your horses, she’s definitely fine.”

Asher let out a frustrated sigh, then announced, ” I have to go. Text me with updates.”

” Sure.” He headed out the place with his heart in his throats. Emma wasn’t safe out there, that bit was certain. With Rebecca’s death looming over their head and the picture threats he’s gotten recently, he couldn’t sit still.

Meanwhile, Emma sat on the floor of the room, watching her phone ring but refused to pick. She perceived he heard about her absence and was probably losing his head but she wasn’t strong enough to assure she was fine. One word from her and he would pick on her state which would make him more worried. She needed some time to mull over things alone.

Her phone pinged with a message, and it was Kaden, she reluctantly opened it, and her body jerked to its feet upon seeing its content;

” Your building is on fire.”