The Royal Contract

"Oooh!"

"What is keeping them?"

Him in particular.

She had not seen Gerald since they took him further inside the station. The detective said they would only talk to him, but it had been almost an hour.

Even the shadow of Mike seemed to be missing. She had not seen him either as she sat in the office of the Captain. But at least they tried to make her wait comfortably.

"Are you sure you don't need anything?" One of the female police officers asked as she entered the private room, probably checking on her.

But she had repeatedly told them that she was alright. She did not need to go to the hospital, nor did she need anything at all. But eventually, she asked for a cold drink, feeling the parchedness of her lips and throat.

"Just water," Haley said, knowing she could not eat anything with her nerves going haywire.

She might feel a little hungry, but she was afraid that she might choke on her food with how her stomach churned with trepidation. She would prefer to wait until she heard news about Gerald or Mike.

"Okay, but tell me if you need anything." The officer told her. It was clear to her the other woman had her orders.

She thanked her before the woman officer left the room. But just a few seconds later, the door opened again. She thought the police officer might have forgotten something, but her eyes widened when she saw the person who entered the room.

Well, it was not what she had expected or who she expected to see. But she was glad to find a friend in a time like this.

"Jacky!" She blurted out with relief. Of course, she felt a heavy weight just dropped off her shoulders, seeing a familiar and friendly face. "What are you doing here?"

Still, she could not help but wonder how her sister-in-law learned about their situation. She guessed Gerald or Mike might have something to do with it.

With her mind going on and on with worry, she never thought of calling her or even his brother for help, which was what she should have done as soon as they took Gerald.

"Gerald called your brother. And we rushed here as soon as possible." Jacky explained as she rushed to her side and hugged her. "How are you holding?" She asked, looking concerned about her condition.

Truthfully, she was okay. Maybe she was slightly starving as her stomach created gurgling sounds. But other than that, she felt much better now that her friend was around.

"Where is Marcus?" She asked since Jacky mentioned that she was with him.

She would have liked to talk to him. She knew Gerald needed help, and her brother could assist him better than her.

"He is with Gerald and Mike." Her friend answered her, assuring her that everything was fine. "Don't worry. Marcus is already on top of things."

She felt like she could breathe better. But frankly, she could not relax, not just yet, until Gerald was out of this complicated situation.

But Jacky was right. Her brother, Mike, and even Gerald were the best in the business. Therefore, she should trust them that they could handle this situation.

"I know you are right, but I just can't shake this feeling." She admitted feeling nervous. She could not help it.

It was as if butterflies swirled around her stomach as she thought of Gerald ending up inside a jail cell. But it could be just her agitation and fear. In truth, she was just hungry.

"Well, it is alright to be slightly anxious, but also try to relax. It is not good for the baby if you are agitated." Jacky reminded her about the life that was growing in her body.

"I can tell that you have not eaten anything yet. Why don't I get you something that would satisfy your baby?" Jacky excused herself for a few minutes as she strode out of the room.

After careful evaluation, she realized that her friend was correct. She had to eat for her baby's welfare. Besides, she had nothing to worry about, especially now that Marcus was here to assist with the situation.

It only took Jacky a minute, and then she was back. But she was not alone. To her surprise, she entered the room with another woman in tow.

"I hope I am not too late for the reunion." Her new visitor rushed to her side, hugging and kissing her. "I am so glad that you are okay." She enthusiastically expressed with a cheerful tone.

"I am so glad to see you too," Haley responded with a smile, both happy and confused to see her. "What are you doing here, Dani?"

She could not see the reason why her friend would be here. Then, she remembered something Mike told her when they were under duress.

Your journey continues on empire

It had something to do with Gerald's real identity. Mike told her he was a criminal mastermind. Well, at least, he used to be.

Then, Mike also mentioned about his family.

"I am here to help my brother," Dani informed her, confirming what she remembered earlier. "If you still do not know, Gerald is my half-brother," Dani shared with her.

But she already knew about that, talking about family secrets. Mike had already dropped the bomb earlier, telling her more than he would like.

But in his defense, Mike did not want to overstep in Gerald's shoes. Nevertheless, she forced him, giving him no choice.

"Mike already mentioned it earlier. Who would have thought that?" But she guessed that was not shocking anymore after what she had discovered about her father.

Still, what a small world as fate twisted them into a small circle. Her most honest friend was the secret sister of her criminal lover. How ironic could that be?

Two strikingly different people shared the same blood, just like she had her father's blood running in her veins. She concluded that not everything from the same tree would bear the same fruit.

And she realized that even the most perfect family had their share of deep, dark secrets.