Chapter 9: Emily and Liv
"Kevin, you okay? You're not hurt are you?"
"What _ was that?"
"Did you see that? That skinny idiot is actually strong."
"Jisoo, will he be fine? Someone, call an ambulance."
"He_he broke his hands right? I could hear the crunching sound so far away?"
"Brother _ Kevin _ KEVIN."
"Huhhh" Kevin got out of his stupor as Kiara grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "W_what happened?" Kevin asked, looking at the crowd gathered all around him. They were talking about him it seemed, but when he looked up, they looked away. Not daring to meet his gaze.
Looking around he noticed those ruffians knocked out on the ground. While Jisoo kept rolling around in pain, yet not daring to scream or cry loudly.
Confused, Kevin looked down at his fists, which were wrapped in the scarf of his sister, but now that previous white scarf was covered in blood. And something told him, it wasn't his.
'Did I do this?'
'How?'
"Kevin,_ I said, let's go from here." Kiara said as she started pulling him back to their house. Not noticing the confused expressions he had on his face as some memories of his previous fight became clear in his mind.
'Did I turn into a superhero?'
-
On the other hand
Anyone who first agreed to be the lawful witness of Ali trying to kill Kevin, took their statements back. And whatever proof Sophia had, got stolen or deleted. Any hard copy still left on her, became just another piece of fabricated paper, and those recordings became just another tactic Arya family's competitors used to defame their company.
Before Kevin even reached his home, Ali was released from police custody. As the charges against him were all cleared as if they never existed.
The chief inspector and commissioner came personally to handle everything and apologize for any discomfort during this period.
Sophia's face was livid as she watched Ali being escorted out with his entourage of lawyers and bodyguards.
But sadly for her, from beginning to end Ali didn't even take a glance at her figure by the window and just walked straight to his car and left.
'One day, you will get punished for all your crimes, Ali Arya. I'll make sure of it.' Sophia said and closed the curtains of her office window and sat back down.
In the car
Emily, his personal assistant and secretary was sitting beside Ali on the back seat, as the driver drove the car.
Looking at Ali, who was sitting silent and then started smoking all of a sudden, Emily didn't know what to say.
She had been following Ali for the past three years now, and she knew how close he was with Shiva, and what effect his death could have on her boss. But the orphan her, wasn't really very good at expressing her emotions or consoling someone, so she could just try to divert his attention somehow.
"Your father wanted you to call him. And Madam said to bring you _"
"To my office."
"But Madam said to come home for dinner?"
"Office,"
"... As you wish."
Tapping her fingers at the partition glass, which separated both the passenger seats and driver's, Emily gave her order and the car took a U-turn next circle and started driving towards his office.
{Though Ali worked at Sky Ultima to be around Aarvi, as the heir of Arya family and next leader of Arya industries, he had his own private company namely established to train him and hone his skills slowly. Though it was all handled by Emily and he would just need to go there on some important meetings or project start-ups.}
He had his own private floor and separate office and that's where he was heading now.
He didn't want to go back home, and that's why he didn't go to any of his other villas, where his mom or sister or anyone else could pop up, trying to console him or something like that.
He didn't like staying at hotels much. As sleeping in some social bed where anyone could jump with a little money, Lowkey disgusted him.
So he just chose his office.
"Ali, _ I'm sorry about what happened to _" Emily was saying something after finally choosing some words. But …
"Did you procure his body? Make all the arrangements for his funeral, we'll hold it tomorrow." Ali cut him off and gave his order.
"Ali, at least talk with Madam _"
Emily tried to speak again, pulling her phone and dialing a number, but Ali interrupted her actions with a barrage of new questions.
"Who was he? Did you find him?" His face showed no emotion beside that calm cold expression.
"Daniel went to look for him. He'll handle it on his own." Emily said, making sure to highlight the part where she placed the responsibility of dealing with Kevin on his bodyguard. To quell any other thoughts Ali might've had.
But Ali raised his hand and shook his head. "Just ask him to send all his details to me."
"But _ "
"It's not business, Em. It's personal." Ali said, looking straight at her and continued, " I'll handle it with my own hands."
"Ali…It's not _" Emily tried again to say something but the car came to a stop just then, and Ali opened the door and walked out.
Emily too rushed to follow him and grabbed his shoulder. "Please tell me you're fine and you won't do anything stupid."
Ali wanted to shirk her off and even lash out at her, but looking at her anxious face, filled with worry and care, he couldn't bring himself to do that. So he just patted her head and reassured her calmly.
"I'm fine, Em. Just give me some time." he said and turned around, as the doors of the lift closed behind him, and Emily got left out.
The lift directly took him to the highest floor, which lit up when the doors opened and lights kept coming on with each his steps.
Finally alone and away from everyone, Ali put away the facade of calmness covering his face, as he clenched his fists in anger. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and kept staring.
"Idiot. Fucking idiot.
Why didn't you call her?
You could've stopped him? Saved him?
But you kept standing there like a statue across the road, watching him die.
Why _ WHY DIDN'T YOU DO ANYTHING???"
He punched his fist on the mirror, shattering his reflection. Blood dripped from fists, but his mind didn't even feel the pain.
"Aaarrghhhh"
With a loud scream he threw anything that his hands caught on, as he kicked the table near him and bashed anything he could find.
After throwing everything here and there, breaking almost all the furniture and vases, he fell to his knees and grabbed his head.
"Why(sobs)_ why didn't you do anything?"
Ali blamed himself for not acting fast, for not following Shiva, or for not calling Shweta and getting him help way way back. But it was all useless now. It was all his fault, that his best friend died and now there wasn't anything he could do.
"Calmed down now." A crisp voice came to his ears, breaking his sad cries.
"Who_?"
"If you want some more time to calm down, I can wait a little longer. You can try to punch and break a wall or maybe we can both try to do that together."
"Liv," Ali said as he raised his head and looked at the shadow of a woman standing near the kitchen wall of his office.
Olivia or Liv for short, walked forward and came near him.
"How'd you get in? The door was locked." Feeling confused over seeing her, Ali asked subconsciously as he looked back at the main door which was still locked and intact.
"I've known you since you were five."
Instead of explaining how she came or what she was doing here, she just left a sentence. And Ali understood this girl was probably waiting for him here, for God knows how long.
"Come, I've made dinner." Liv said, as she grabbed his hand and started pulling him.
Still out of his senses over this sudden intrusion on his outburst, Ali got up from the ground and followed her.
"I'm sorry." Ali said, as he noticed all the mess he made around him. They even had to walk carefully so as not to trip over something or get a cut from some glass and porcelain pieces lying around.
"You should say that to yourself." Liv said as she pulled two foldable chairs from over the cupboard and pulled them straight. "His death wasn't your fault."
"But _ I _ I was there. I could've _"
"If you could've, then you would have. I know it, you know it. And he knew it too. So stop blaming yourself, he wouldn't want that.."
Ali wanted to speak but Liv interrupted him resolutely and he could just silently listen and get lost in his thoughts.
Liv looked at his face, knowing her words didn't calm him much, she took out a file from her purse, and handed it over to Ali.
"If you really want to blame someone, blame him. He was the one at fault, the one who killed him."
Ali opened the file and looked at the image of Kevin on the front, along with his name, background and all the information about him.
[Kevin Harper - 21 years old.]
[Dead father. Missing mother. One older sister - Kiara Harper , 23 years old.]
[Address - Kamat Chawl. House number 666.]
[Student. Single. Unemployed.]
[Account balance - 2079 ₹..]
"Kevin Harper, huh." Ali said as he crushed Kevin's photo in his hands in anger.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone