Frankie's point of view:
"Jillian?"
My brain couldn't process this. Jillian, the receptionist on Jason and David's floor. The woman who lived in my apartment block for two years. The woman I passed multiple times a day and never even spoke a word too. The woman who doesn't know me and visa versa. She broke into my apartment and trashed my home.
I blink furiously and shake my head slightly. "How? I-I don't understand?"
Jason fingers clench his forehead. "They found fingerprints. The officers are on their way in now to speak to you about it, too see if you want to press charges against her."
My throat was burning with bile, my morning toast threatening to spew across the white carpet. Knowing someone poked through my personal items in my safe haven was bad enough, but knowing that I was in close contact with the person for a number of months, made things worse. David mutters for me to sit down, the paleness in my face making his brows knit with worry. Jason passed David, murmuring something incoherent into his ear and nodding firmly.
"Frankie, I'll be back in a minute." David tells me, sending a small and saddened smile before making a swift exit and leaving Jason and I alone. He hovers near his desk, taking a few seconds before he approaches me. He tugs his trouser legs and crouches in front of me, hovering his hand nervously before settling it on my knee.
"Frankie?" He mutters quietly. "Are you okay?"
"We've never really spoke before." I tell him. "Why did she do it?"
"I don't know." He sighs. "I really don't, but I promise you; I'm going to find out."
Even in a situation where my head was reeling over the newfound information, the simple gesture of the small and soothing circles he was tracing just above my knee was enough to make my heart rate soar.
"Are you okay?" He asks me. His voice holds a overwhelming amount of sensitivity and concern.
"I think so." I tell him. "I just, I don't really understand. Why did she want to break into my apartment? Was it her who put the magazine's that had us on the cover around the whole building?"
"It would make sense." Jason says, his movements not lessening. "But I told you, we're going to find out."
As he finishes speaking, the door knocked and David's head pops through. "Ready?"
Jason's posture tenses and a sudden change of his sensitive demeanor made my stomach flip. His shoulders broadened and his stance became wide with protection as he rose to his feet. I immediately clamber up behind him to peak around his towering frame and watch as David leads Jillian in, her conscience not seeming guilty at all.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" She asks. I take a small step to the side, still being shielded by Jason but far enough for her too see me. That's when realisation hit her hard. Her throat bobs as she gulps hard and no amount of blusher could cover the colour that was sucked away from her face.
"We both did." Jason speaks as David's joins his side, also shielding me in a protective way. "We know what you did, Jillian and I would advise you to start speaking before the officers arrive."
I clench my hands together in attempt to stop the trembling as Jillian's panicked eyes flicker between her two bosses and myself. Her mouth opens to respond but not a sound leaves. I can tell that Jason and David were becoming impatient and their tempers seem to be a growing concern as their breathing deepens.
"Jillian." David barks. "Speak! Why would you do this?"
"I-I didn't mean it!" She cries helplessly, her eyes becoming glazed and her chin wrinkling as she suppressed tears. "I just-I don't know what I was thinking."
Jason rolls his eyes and huffs. "Of course you knew what you were doing. You intentionally went into Frankie's apartment and trashed every single room, you wrecked everything she had; for what? What was your reason, Jillian?"
Jillian's reddened face looks like it could combust at any moment as the frightened and shocked exterior became replaced in a second. She was angry, her eyes blazed like she saw a burning ring of fire that she was suddenly going to chuck me through.
"You want to know why?" She spits through gritted teeth. Jason's stance became taller and wider and he slightly covers me further. Her glassy eyes lets hot tears slip as the lazer glare cuts through me. "Because little miss fucking prim comes in here flicking her hair and battering her eyelashes, and gets you on your knees in a heartbeat."
Her shaking finger points out to Jason but she doesn't move her eyes away from me.
"I have worked my ass off in here for five years. I have been outside your door for those five years and she just comes strolling in not even four months ago and completely takes over your life?" Jillian shakily blurts. Her attention was now on Jason whose heartbeat I could swore I heard. "She gets promoted, she moves into the office next to yours and if that wasn't bad enough; you've been running after her every move. Lunch dates, buying her flowers, visiting her apartment and letting her go to your home. You don't take anyone to your house, Jason."
My blood was cold and the hair of the back of my neck was standing on point. I felt sick, like I could projectile vomit over the back of Jason's very expensive suit like something from the exorcist.
"How do you know she's been at my home?" Jason's dark voice growls and his fingers twitch above the material of my bodycon dress. I bit back the temptation to grab his hand in mine, squeezing him for reassurance and to recoil his calmness.
"I've seen you." She says with much simplicity. "I've seen you and I've seen her. Christmas, when she moved in and took over your living room with a Christmas tree and paper decorations, I saw it. You've never had a Christmas tree. When she cooked steak for you and you stood eyeing her up like she was the meal, I saw it. You don't eat proper meals. I've saw it all, Jason."
"Jillian, you have got everything wrong." Jason says cautiously. Jillian laughs, a very obnoxious and sinister laugh. She takes a step forward, just a small one, but enough for Jason to take a step back and bump his back to my chest. His arm reaches back, his hand searching and holding my hip protectively. A movement that only seemed to add fuel to the fire that was already blazing within Jillian.
"How could I get that wrong?" She squeals, pointing at the pair of us. "It shouldn't be her! It should be me, Jason!"
"Jillian."
"No!" She shrieks, eyes wide. "She doesn't know what you like or what you don't. She doesn't know you like I do."
"That's enough, Jillian." David sternly speaks up, stepping in front of Jason. "This possessiveness needs to stop."
As if my desperate and terrified pleas were heard, the office door is opened and the two men dressed in navy blue enters along with constable Jefferys. Officers. I grasp the back of Jason's jacket and he is yet to move or remove his hand from my hip. The metal grinds together as the cuffs were slapped around her wrists but she doesn't miss a beat to stare blankly at me as she is lead from the office with her rights being repeated to her.
"Miss Fields?" Constable Jefferys speaks from above me. I sit at Jason's desk, hands gripping my knees to stop the uncontrollable shaking. He sympathetically smiles and assures me not to stand. "Mr Donaldson and Mr Hayes would like to press charges against Miss Harold on a number of accounts. Would you like to still go ahead with yours?"
I glance at Jason and David, both had lines of worry creased across their foreheads. I nod, looking back to the officer. "Please."
He nods firmly, "Very well. We'll be in touch."
Jason walks him to the door, discussing things in a quiet murmur as David crouches in front of me with a glass of water and a soothing pat on my arm. "Drink this." He said. "Then call it a day. Jason's going to go home with you but you're safe now, Frankie."
"I didn't think I wasn't in the first place." I tell him quietly. "At least not until now. Not until what I heard. I thought my apartment was a horrible misunderstanding but now; now I know. David, she was watching me. She was watching Jason."
He nods. "I know, believe me, this is just as much as a shock to us than it is to you."
Jason returns, patting David's shoulder. "We're going to head home now, you got everything here?"
"Of course." David replies, taking the empty glass away from me. We bid our goodbyes and trudge towards the elevator, my knees still wobbly and hands still trembling. Graham awaited outside, tipping his hat as he opens the door for us and letting us slip inside the mercedes.
"You okay?" Jason asks after moments of silence.
Was I okay?
"I don't know." I mutter timidly. "I just - I don't really understand it."
He sighs and reaches for his tie, pulling it from his neck and unbuttoning his top two buttons. Now wasn't the time to be blushing at the mental striptease that was circling in my head. I look at my lap as he stuffs his tie into his pocket.
"I'm sorry." He tells me and the curiosity makes me lifts my head. "I shouldn't have put you in danger like I did. I should have be more careful."
"Jason, this isn't your fault." I assure him with knitted brows. "Jillian has obviously had an obsession with you for a while, it was you in danger not me. I was just a distraction for her to focus on but maybe it was a good thing. Maybe getting into my apartment was a blessing in disguises because it finally ended this before someone really did get hurt."
"But what if you did get hurt, Frankie?" He says lowly. "What if you were in that apartment that night? What if she got into my house one night? What if she broke in when you were there alone like when you were decorating the tree? You were in danger, Frankie, and it's my fault."
Without thinking, I grasp his hand within mine and feel the numbness drawl out to be replaced by a overwhelming amount of tingles. The brown pools of hypnotization burns into mine and I find my shoulders relaxing at just his simple gaze.
"I wasn't hurt. You weren't hurt and that's all that matters. Okay?" I tell him, my voice holding the authority for once. "Okay?"
He nods with a sigh.
I smile, squeezing his fingers. "Good."
He returns the smile and swipes his calloused thumb across my knuckles, a drifting emotion taking control of his features but a gentle and soft smile remaining on his lips. "Where would I be without you, Frank."
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2 chapters left guys. Only 2 left and what a hell of a 2 it's going to be!
And I'm pleased to tell you, the sequel is already in the works!!
Please comment and vote xoxo