Crazy Heiress and Her Obsessive Prosecutor

I stood frozen in place, unable to move from fear. My fingers barely registered the chill in my muscles as I watched Dad choking someone to death.

"S-Sir..." Anthony's lips trembled as he struggled for air. "S-Sir... I love your d-daughter..." He desperately grasped Dad's arm, but Dad remained unfazed.

My father grinned wickedly and tightened his grip on Anthony. "You think I care about that, young man?" he sneered. "Blame your father for this!"

I bit my lower lip and cowered behind a thick pillar, my vision blurred with impending tears. I searched for my voice, but it failed me.

I had gone to the university to meet Anthony, but I hadn't expected to find Dad strangling him.

I clutched tighter the gift I had prepared for Anthony. Instead of surprising him, it seemed I was the one taken aback. I didn't know the extent of the feud between my Dad and Anthony's father, but at that moment, only one thought crossed my mind; my father was there to find and kill my boyfriend.

I wanted to step forward and stop Dad, but fear paralyzed me. I knew he was ruthless; I had seen how he treated his employees. I couldn't bear to face his wrath.

Why?

Perhaps it was because of our secret relationship that Dad sought out Anthony and upon seeing him and knowing who his father was, Dad couldn't restrain himself from choking my boyfriend.

Maybe that was what happened.

I gasped as I heard a thud. My eyes widened as I looked at Dad. Anthony laid motionless on the ground. I held my breath.

Was he dead?

No, he couldn't be.

But why wasn't he moving?

I scrutinized Anthony closely. He lay still on the ground, not even a twitch. I cursed softly under my breath.

A chill ran down my spine as I contemplated the possibility of his death. My gaze darted to Dad. Was he truly a murderer?

My face paled as the realization hit me, and my chest tightened in denial. No. How could Dad kill someone so much younger than him?

He pulled something from his pocket and placed it beside Anthony. Then he stood upright. I pressed myself harder against the wall. I didn't want him to catch me witnessing his crime, fearing what might happen to me.

I heard his footsteps fade away. I sank to the ground and leaned against the wall. I looked up at the sky, closing my eyes to calm the pounding in my chest.

After a moment, I opened my eyes and quickly hid the gift box I had prepared for Anthony under the dense grass at the edge. I couldn't bear to take that gift back home after witnessing my boyfriend's death. It would surely haunt me in my dreams.

I stood up and took a deep breath. I kept telling myself that I wasn't the one who killed Anthony, yet my body continued to shake. Perhaps it was shock, or something else, but it wasn't safe to stay here any longer; someone might discover me.

I emerged from my hiding spot and approached Anthony's body. I looked at his face. He seemed to be peacefully sleeping. There was no sign that he had fought back against Dad's grip.

I bit my lip.

Why didn't he fight back? Why did he let Dad kill him? Was it because of me? Did he know that I loved my father and didn't want to lose him? Or was it because Dad was just too strong for him to resist?

"Anthony," I whispered, my voice choking with tears. "I-I'm sorry..."

I knelt beside his body and brushed his cheek. He was a handsome and promising young man. Many girls admired him, but here he was, lying motionless and breathless.

I clenched my fists tightly. My muscles went cold as a chill wind blew.

"I-I want..." I shook my head, frowning. "I want to seek justice for you, but he's my father... he's all I have right now. I'm sorry, but believe me, I loved you, Anthony."

It felt ironic to say that I loved him when I couldn't even get him justice.

I looked up at the dark sky and threw my head back, laughing bitterly. Hypocrite. Such a hypocrite!

What kind of role model student was I? I was a coward and a hypocrite!

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I wiped them away, standing up. I took a deep breath and, in a daze, walked towards the crowded part of the university.

I snapped out of my thoughts when someone bumped into me, causing me to sit on the concrete floor. "Oh!"

I blinked and looked up. I saw Jenica running towards me, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

"A-Anthony! Anthony is dead!" she exclaimed.

The news spread like wildfire. The next day, Anthony's ordeal made national headlines. People blamed the University, claiming it had been negligent. But I knew better.

"Miss Azora!"

My steps halted as I moved forward and I turned to the caller. It was my programming professor.

"Sir?" I stepped closer to him. "What's wrong?"

"Please pass this to your class mayor. We're having an emergency meeting, so I won't be able to attend class today."

"Okay." I accepted what he handed me.

"Are you friends with Mr. Anthony, Miss Azora?"

I froze for a second before regaining my composure. I quickly shook my head. "No, Sir."

He nodded and smiled. "I'll go, Miss Azora." He turned and took a step away but then stopped and looked back at me. "By the way, please see me at the admin office later. The police want to ask you something."

I was dumbfounded. "Police?"

"Miss Jenica mentioned that you're a friend of Mr. Anthony. The police want to get your statement regarding what happened." He fixed his gaze on me. "Would you like to call your parents, Miss Azora?"

Dad?

I quickly shook my head at his suggestion. "No. Just a question, really. So, I'm okay with it."

"Good. I'll go now, Miss Azora."

"Okay, Sir."

I watched his retreating figure, taking a deep breath. The police are just going to ask questions, right? I shouldn't be scared.

As I entered the classroom, I saw my classmates gathered together, discussing what happened to Anthony last night.

"Jenica was the one who found the body," one girl said.

Her companion nodded. "Maybe she's the one who did it."

I cringed at what I heard. Gossip was amusing when it didn't involve me, but it was different when it did. So, I decided not to listen and handed the folder to the class mayor, as instructed by the professor.

The class mayor looked at me from head to toe, smirking. "Are you friends with Anthony, Azora?" she asked.

I looked back at the class mayor, feeling the silence enveloping the room as everyone's gaze fell on me. I smiled wryly.

Why were they suspecting me? I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't have any enemies!

"Azora," she called, laughing suddenly. "What's with that face? I'm just asking if you're friends with Anthony."

"No..." I shook my head.

She frowned. "But I always see you two eating together at the canteen." She grinned. "Don't deny it."

"I'm not his friend..." I said. It was the truth. Anthony wasn't just a friend; he was my boyfriend.

Maybe they couldn't associate Anthony with being my boyfriend because, to them, Anthony was like a star, so close yet so far to touch.

The class mayor shrugged and smirked. "Look at your face, Azora. Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" She scanned the classroom. "I'm just asking if you're friends with him. Is it that hard to answer my question?"

"I already answered you." I smiled and steadied my voice.

She looked at me again, a grin plastered on her face. "Okay. No hard feelings, Zor. I was just about to ask if Anthony had any enemies?"

I looked away. "I don't know," I whispered. And I was telling the truth because Anthony kept things to himself and didn't share anything with me.

In the month that we are together, I hadn't met anyone who was his enemy. He wasn't a troublemaker. He wasn't a black sheep. In fact, he was very well-known on campus because he was part of the student council and also a campus journalist. But I didn't know what was happening behind the scenes, if he had enemies or not. At least now, I had an idea that Dad and Anthony's father had a history that even I, his daughter, didn't know about.

"Okay," the class mayor suddenly said. "Go back to your seat. Prof might have finished his meal."

The noise returned to the classroom. I glanced at the professor's desk. There was no one behind it. "Have you been here for a while?" I asked.

"No. We just came in when you entered the door."

"Okay."

I quietly made my way to my seat but paused as I remembered something. I called the class mayor again. "Prof is not comin. They're having an emergency meeting in the faculty."

The classroom fell silent again.

The class mayor cursed. "Why didn't you say it earlier?" She looked down at the folder and opened it. She cursed again. "We have an activity, guys. Tary, write this on the whiteboard," she instructed our secretary.

I sighed and sat in my designated seat. I immediately took out my laptop and opened the compiler program.

I started typing the code base for the problem given by the professor. But even as I typed on the keyboard, I couldn't shake off thoughts of Anthony.

The scene from last night was still vivid in my memory. Because of fear, I didn't go home. I booked a room in a nearby hotel instead. I was twenty, so it wasn't difficult for me to book a reservation, especially since I had a valid ID. Besides, I had no plans of going back home.

Last night, Dad was furious because I didn't come home.

Can you blame me? I couldn't bear to go home to a murderer. I didn't want to sleep in a house with the man who killed Anthony.

"Oh! What the heck! That's not it! The code is not running!"

I jolted in surprise and looked at the one who shouted. It was my classmate, a girl, who was frowning at her laptop.

I looked at my own code. I bit my lower lip and sighed deeply. My code's syntax was wrong. I frowned and reopened the Java template.

When I looked back at my classmates, they were already packing up their things. It seemed like they were done coding too.

I quickly packed my belongings. I needed to go to the Admin office because the police wanted to ask me something. I didn't call Dad because he might drag me back home.

"See you tomorrow!" my classmates bid farewell.

I just waved at them and walked towards the Admin Office. I stood outside the door and took a deep breath before knocking.

I waited for a few minutes before someone opened the door. Professor smiled upon seeing me. "Come in, Miss Azora."

I walked in, my heart pounding. I didn't know why my muscles felt cold even though the police were just going to ask questions. Maybe because I knew what happened?

I saw two police officers in front of the Campus Director's desk. Jenica was also there, her eyes were swollen. She glanced at me before turning away. Professor gestured for me to sit opposite the two police officers.

"Miss Azora Sirai Briones?" one of them asked.

I swallowed. "Yes?"

"We just have a few questions, Miss Briones. The first person who found the body, Miss Jenica Helvez, said you were a friend of Mister Anthony Clasiso."

I clenched my fists as my hands began to tremble. I didn't know if it was because of the air conditioning or just I am nervous. "Anthony and I only talked occasionally."

"Occasionally?" Jenica's face twisted. "You two practically eat together at the canteen every day. Is that what you call 'occasionally'?"

I glared at Jenica. "I'm not a murderer! I didn't kill Anthony!"

"I'm not accusing you of anything!" Jenica shouted back, tears streaking down her cheeks which she quickly wiped away. "I just want to know how Anthony ended up like that. So tell them the truth!"

"I didn't kill him!" I shouted.

"Miss Briones, please calm down," the Campus Director interjected. "No one is accusing you of murder. Just tell them whether you're Anthony's friend or not."

I hugged myself. Even if I denied being his friend, no one would believe me because everyone knew Anthony and I ate together. It would only make matters worse if I didn't cooperate with them.

But should I tell them what I know? Should I say that Dad killed Anthony?

"Miss Azora," one of the police officers called to me.

I sat up straight and nodded. "I'm friends with A-Anthony."

"That's what I want to hear," Jenica whispered.

The police officer nodded and made a note. "Did you eat together at the canteen?"

"Y-Yes."

"Did he ever mention having a conflict with someone in class or anywhere else?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Did he ever talk to you about any problems? Or is he currently facing any issues?"

I pondered the second officer's question. Did Anthony have any problems? I remembered our conversation at the canteen the other day. "He told me that he's tired from pressure both at school and at home. Maybe a family problem perhaps..."

The two police officers fell silent, quickly jotting down notes on their small notepad. Jenica started crying. I wondered about her behavior but didn't ask.

After a few seconds, the second police officer looked up. "Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Azora."

I blinked and swallowed. "Do you have a suspect? I mean, do you have any leads on who killed him?"

The two police officers exchanged looks. The first one who spoke earlier smiled. "We don't need a suspect, Miss Azora. This is a suicide case."

"A s-suicide case?"

The police officer nodded. "A suicide note was found next to Mr. Anthony's body. It's a significant piece of evidence indicating that the victim took his own life. The case will be closed, especially with your testimony confirming that the victim had problems before he committed suicide."

"They found a note next to Mr. Anthony's body, Miss Azora. According to what was written, Mr. Anthony was tired and wanted to end his life."

End his life?

My eyes widened as I looked at the police officer who spoke. "He wasn't the type to commit suicide!"

"Shut up!" Jenica interrupted me. "Don't make up stories, Azora! Anthony killed himself because of so much distress! He killed himself!"

"But..." I bit my lip. "But he wasn't suicidal-"

"I said shut up!" Jenica shouted. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I heard him yesterday. He was so frustrated because he wasn't given an inheritance by his father! He even fought with his sibling over the phone!"

I fell silent at Jenica's words. Anthony never mentioned anything like that to me. He just said he was tired and wanted to rest for a while. I didn't expect his family problems to be so heavy.

"He didn't tell me," I whispered.

Jenica wiped her wet cheeks. "Of course! I heard it all over a phone call, so it's no surprise that he didn't tell you."

I avoided eye contact. I suddenly felt ashamed in front of Jenica because of what I learned. I was his girlfriend. He could have told me about his problems. But why like this? Why did I have to learn about his issues from someone else?

I lowered my gaze. Moments later, I heard a knock on the office door. Professor quickly opened it.

I raised my eyes slightly to see the newcomer. The man in his mid-50s had an unfamiliar face. His eyebrows furrowed, devoid of any trace of a smile.

I noticed the Campus Director rise from his seat. "Mister Clasiso," he greeted the newly arrived man. I held my breath. I quickly lowered my gaze and clenched my fists. My heart raced upon realizing that Anthony's father was here.

I hadn't expected him to come here. I wished I hadn't come to cooperate with the police!

"I don't believe that it was a suicide," Anthony's father stated firmly.

I swallowed hard. What would he do? Would he request an autopsy for Anthony's body? What if the cause of his death was revealed?

"Mister C-Clasiso," Jenica sobbed. "My condolence, S-Sir."

I caught a glimpse of him looking at Jenica. "Thank you, Miss."

I swallowed. I wanted to offer my condolences, but my voice failed me. I couldn't even open my mouth out of fear.

I was afraid that if I spoke in front of him, he would learn my secret. No. He shouldn't know the truth, or else the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Mister Clasiso," the Campus Director called out. "We're very sorry for what happened to your son, Anthony. I'm very sorry, Sir. It was the University's fault. We did not manage our students very well. My condolence, Mister Clasiso."

There was a few seconds of silence from Anthony's father. I discreetly glanced at him from the corner of my eyes.

He didn't know that I was Anthony's girlfriend, so I wasn't surprised if he didn't recognize me. It was probably better that he didn't recognize me. It might just cause more trouble.

"I want a thorough investigation," Anthony's father said sternly to the police. "Do everything you can to investigate what happened. And bring me an autopsy report."

A chill ran down my spine. His words only made me more afraid. If that was the case, they would find out the true cause of my boyfriend's death.

Numbness enveloped me. I sat on the floor for minutes, picturing my father's furious face. What if he gets imprisoned? What if everyone finds out that my father killed Anthony? What about me? What kind of life awaits me?

I couldn't recall what happened afterward. All I knew was that I found myself walking towards the crime scene.

Upon arrival, I saw police officers. There were three of them. Yellow tape surrounded the area. And not far from where Anthony was last night, a news reporter stood.

I furrowed my brows. The reporter seemed to be from a nationwide news network. And it looked like she was doing a live coverage. How did a news reporter manage to enter the University?

I glanced at the police. They were inspecting the area. And as I watched them, I suddenly remembered the gift I had for Anthony.

I held my breath. Where did I hide the gift box?

"The son of the renowned personality Evan Clasiso was found dead in a University here in Cebu City. According to the police, Anthony Clasiso committed suicide due to problems he could no longer bear. The police are currently investigating the crime scene, examining all angles if there's still a reason why the victim decided to end his own life. Justice Secretary Victor Dumbag said that the IATF is alarmed by the rising suicidal incidents in the country. He urged religious leaders to help address the phenomenon. This is Lala Fera, for One Day News."

My chest tightened as my heart raced. Once they find my gift for Anthony, the police will surely turn their attention to me. No, I shouldn't let them find it!

I scanned around. Where? Where did I put my gift?

I took a step forward but was halted by a police officer who spotted me. "Don't come any closer, Miss. The investigation isn't over yet."

"I s-see..." I nodded from where I stood.

"Miss, go back over there."

I averted my gaze and turned around. Just as I turned, I saw a pair of dark shoes. As I lifted my gaze, I saw Anthony's face. I quickly stepped back. "A-Anthony?"

He furrowed his brows. I closed my eyes tightly and opened them again. Mr. Clasiso's face replaced Anthony's. I froze.

"Did you just call my son's name?" he asked.

My lips parted. My heart pounded faster. "S-Sir..."

He took a step forward. I stepped back. His eyebrows furrowed deeper. "I heard you calling my son's name. Who are you?"

"I..." I took a deep breath. "I'm..."

"Answer me!" he demanded authoritatively.

"I'm Anthony's girlfriend, S-Sir!"

"Anthony's girlfriend?"

His expression darkened even more.