AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Miss Taylor, I know you’re upset, but are you sure that’s what’s actually happened?” Mike asks, trying to wrap his head around my despair.
“I was in the office when they barged in, Mike. He was dragged away by two policemen and a detective,” I snap at him, instantly feeling remorse. “Sorry, Mike, I didn’t mean to snap at you. I just don’t know what to think.”
“It’s okay. I understand, Miss Taylor. But you know he didn’t do it… right?” He studies me briefly.
Unfortunately, I can’t manage to say anything. I don’t know what to think.
Mike sighs but drives the rest of the way in silence. When we arrive at the police station, I run inside, not waiting for Mike. Niall, Callie, Daniel, and Killian are sitting in the waiting area. I run over to Callie, who stands to hug me.
I feel like a bottomless void of nothing as I sit and stare into the distance.
Waiting to see Aiden.
Waiting for this to all be a dream.
Waiting to wake up.
Waiting to find out this was all a big misunderstanding.
We wait and wait for what seems like hours.
“What’s happening?” I manage to quietly ask Callie as a tear rolls down her cheek.
“He’s being questioned. Don’t worry, he has a lawyer present. What we don’t know is what’s going to happen next,” she mentions quietly.
“I know what’s going to happen next,” Niall roars. “I’m going to wring his scrawny little fucking neck when I see him. That’s what’s going to happen next.”
I wince.
“Niall, shut up. You know he didn’t do it.” He glares at Callie in response.
“He did it all right, the ignorant little fucking prick, the evidence is all there.”
Killian stands, takes his father’s arm and leads him outside for some fresh air. Honestly, I couldn’t be more relieved to have Niall out of the room for a little while. Daniel taps the chair next to him, gesturing for me to sit. He puts his arm around my shoulders, and I lean into him as he holds me tighter, taking my hand in his. For a guy who was angry at Christmas when I found out about Killian and his relationship, I think he’s come a long way to forgiving me for outing them. It looks like going to work for Killian might have been the best step for their relationship. Not so sure it might have been the best step for Aiden and mine, though, right now.
Mike takes the seat next to Callie, consoling her. More hours pass when finally, a detective steps out of an interview room behind the desk. “Is there a Jenifer Taylor here?” he announces, gaining my attention.
I look up. “That’s me.”
“Mr. O’Connell has nominated you as his visitor. He’s only allowed one person.”
My heart beats rapidly as my stomach swirls with nerves—the detective gestures for me to walk through to the interview room. I look back at Daniel, Callie, and Mike, who all nod at me. The big, burly detective leads me to an interview room, where I see Aiden and his lawyer sitting at a small rectangular table. Aiden’s handcuffed to it, and there’s a detective sitting on the opposite side. I inhale deeply at the sight.
“Miss Taylor, thank you for coming,” the lawyer acknowledges.
“You have five minutes,” the detective states with a stern look. I nod and sit where he was seated as he leaves the room, shutting the door behind him with a firm click.
Aiden sits forward, his eyes conveying hurt as he stares at me. “Jeni, I didn’t do it.”
I nod, but I don’t say anything. My head’s a mess. The lawyer pulls out a file from his briefcase and places it on the table.
“This is the case the detective has built against Aiden. Details are as follows. They have tracked small fraudulent transactions from O’Connell Finance that have been transferred and deposited through various accounts and institutions. The money was moved from one account to another quickly, and they couldn’t keep up with the transfers, and that’s why it took so long to find the person responsible, but eventually, they found a way to follow the transactions…” He pauses. “Eventually, the transfers stopped in an offshore account in the name of Aiden O’Connell…” He pauses again. “The sum in the account is over ten million dollars.”
A tear rolls down my cheek as my eyes widen in shock. Ten million? That’s so much money.
“Miss Taylor, I’d like you to know that I believe Mr. O’Connell has been set up. No one who’s smart enough to fraudulently withdraw funds with such complexity from their own company is stupid enough to end the transfers in an account labeled with their own name.”
Aiden looks at me, his eyes glistening, but he remains stoic.
