Chapter 6 The Culprit

"What I'm saying is........ Be my fiancee Isabella" Ethan said

"What the hell are you talking about Ethan, are you nuts?" Isabella said walking out and Ethan quickly stopped her again

"No wait, hear me out please"

"No Ethan, it seems you've come up with some kind of crazy plan but I do not want to hear it and I want no part of it, I will not let you drag me down further" Isabella said and walked out

.......

Gabriel sat with Megan and the manager on lounge as the manager continued to apologize to Gabriel, constantly swearing that he had nothing to do with the pictures

Gabriel's securities all ran back reporting that they had found nothing on their search

"Are you sure you searched well?" Gabriel asked

"We searched every nook and cranny Sir" They replied

"See? I told you we have nothing to do with that picture, maybe the picture isn't real and it was edited" Megan suggested

"Edited? Then how did the person manage to get the details so accurately? How did this person know Mr Lee spent the night here with that lady last night? How did they get the interiors of the room so accurately in that picture? That is not an edited picture Megan, that picture is real" Gabriel said and he began to pace around

"Wouldn't it do you better to go outside there and find your true culprit rather than pacing around here and wasting all our times cause my shift is over now, I'm supposed to be sleeping at home!" Megan voiced but it seemed Gabriel paid no attention to her as he suddenly stopped and looked at the manager

"You have cameras in your hallways?" He asked

"Yes Sir, we do, but only for the hallways, we have no cameras in the room" the manager reported

"Of course, it would be a crime if you had cameras in the room, so where can we watch all the clips from last night?" Gabriel asked

"The CCTV room, I can take you there" the manager said, standing up

Gabriel faced the securities

"Go with the manager to the cctv room, go through everything clip recorded from last night and let me know if you find anything suspicious" Gabriel ordered

"Yes Sir" They all chanted

"You aren't coming with us?" The manager asked

"No, I'll stay here with Megan, you show the securities the way" Gabriel said sitting back then and facing Megan

"Yes Sir" The manager said and left

"You know I'm beginning to think that you actually really have a big crush on me, because why else will you stay here with me rather than following your guys and looking for what you came here to look for?" Megan asked

"Because I believe that they will find something incriminating about you and I cannot let you escape can I?" Gabriel said

"Do you still think that I took picture?" Megan enquired and Gabriel nodded

"I find you the most suspicious person here and until you've proven to me beyond doubt that you are not the one behind that picture taking, you are going to continue staying here, right in front of me" Gabriel said and Megan shook her head, clicking her tongue

"You are delusional Mr Secretary, delusional"

........

Isabella wanted the ground to open up and swallow her as Ethan continued to honk his car at her following her slowly as she walked by the roadside

She stopped and looked at Ethan whose head was popping out of the car window, lazers of anger shooting from her eyes

"You look like you want to kill me right now" Ethan said

"And you are right, what the hell is wrong with you Ethan, you are attracting everybody's attention to us and that is the least thing I want right now" Isabella stated

"If you hate it so much then just get in the car, I'm offering to drive you back home" Ethan said

"And listen to more of your nonsense during the drive, I'd rather take a cab" she said as she continued and Ethan slowly began to follow her with his car again

"Just enter the car and hear what I have to say, just for the duration of the ride, I will make my final pitch and if you are still not interested I promise you'll never see me again" Ethan said and Isabella stopped and looked at him

"You promised that if I still refuse by the end of the ride, I'll never see you again?" Isabella wanted to confirm

"Yes, its a promise and I never go back on my promise" Ethan and assured

"I guess I have nothing to loose then" Isabella shrugged, walked to the other side and entered the car

"So you ready to hear my pitch?" Ethan asked

"If I had a choice, I'd rather you shut up but we made a deal so you may begin" Isabella said

"I got to find out about my engagement yesterday, around the same time the news of it came out on the media, the witch had planned everything so my input was obviously not necessary"

"The witch? Who is the witch?" Isabella interrupted

"My........ The woman that gave me birth" Ethan answered

"You mean your mother? Why on earth will you be calling your mother a witch?" Isabella asked

"Because that is what she is, if she was your mother you'll be calling her the same thing too, or even worse trust me" Ethan said

"I have always been her pawn, and I have always moved in whatever way she wanted me to but not this time, I refuse to get married, spending the rest of my life with a stranger that I know nothing about, if at all I am going to get married, it is going to be totally of my own volition"

"I kinda understand all you are saying but how exactly do I come in?" Isabella asked

"I need you to be able to avoid the marriage, I need you to act as my fiancee, that way I can hold a press conference introducing you to the world as my fiancee and exposing to the whole world, my mother's plan of forcing me into marrying a total stranger. That way you can also escape the public bullying because in their eyes, we would be official" Ethan stated

"And just for how long will this facade last?" Isabella asked

"Just for three months, the witch should have calmed down by then, and we can just tell the world that we broke up, engaged couples breaks up all the time, it won't be a big deal" Ethan explained

"So what do you think?"

"I've heard all you said Ethan, I listened and my answer is still remains no" Isabella said

"What?! Oh I forgot to mention the money part, I will pay you Isabella, five hundred thousand dollars monthly for the three months" Ethan said

"Still no"

"Then a million, I'll pay you a million dollars monthly" Ethan stated

"Your offer is very tempting Ethan but I am not only looking at what I have to gain, I am also looking at what I have to loose, the way you described your mother, the witch, she already sounds like a deadly person and I certainly do not want to risk my life and cross her, there's one thing I learnt the hard way a long time ago and it is to not meddle in the games of the rich because only the poor ends up getting badly hurt so thank you for your offer Mr Ethan Lee but I kindly refuse" Isabella looked out the window

"Oh we are here" she said and Ethan stopped the car

"Thank you for everything Ethan and let's never meet again like you promised" She said as she opened the car door and walked out

........

Megan looked at her watch and sighed

"It has been almost two hours Gabriel, are you not tired of all these?" She asked

"Oh it is Gabriel now and not Mr Secretary anymore" Gabriel uttered and she scoffed

One of security men suddenly ran to the lounge where they were seated

"We found something Sir" He said

"Show me" Gabriel said as he sprang up

"While you go and check whatever your guy found, I can go home right?" Megan asked grabbing her bag and her black coat, ready to leave

"You are coming with us" Gabriel stated

"And what if I don't want to?" Megan said still seated

Gabriel looked at the security man

"Grab her and bring her to the cctv room" He ordered

"Yes Sir" The security man said and grabbed Megan, dragging her along with them

"What is the meaning of this Gabriel? This is an unfair treatment and let me go you goon! I can walk" Megan said and he let her go

Megan walked forward to meet Gabriel

"If you find nothing incriminating me in that room then I swear to God, I am so going to sue you"

They entered the room and the manager played the clip they found on the screen

It was a clip showing someone holding a camera and wearing a black hooded coat sneaking an entry into the room Mr Lee had stayed

"Call the police" Gabriel said "We found the culprit, it is Megan"

"What?!" .........