Chapter 135 Fly Me To Hawaii

LUCIAN is still trying to adapt to the changes in the office. Aside from returning as CEO and the changes in his position. He also clashes with the new C.O.O., Victor York, and the team he brought with him. Victor slowly kept on adding his friends and known colleagues in the Caldwell incorporated to get the upper hand and control in the company. It was still a question to Lucian why his father let it happen and why the board members suddenly gave their full support to Victor. No doubt, he is rich and a good investor, but not suitable for a C.O.O. or any position as his abilities are lacking. Surprisingly, apart from their clashes, Victor pulls through in all his tasks, and in every exemplary work he does, threatens Lucian's hold of the CEO position. He also notices Victor is always on a business trip every other day, and he feels something ominous about it, but is unsure what it is. "Whatever you are planning, Victor. I will be ready for it," he mumbled while glancing at the newly decorated C.O.O. office that Lucian could no longer recognize. But for Lucian, that was not his main priority. His main concern is Latton's whereabouts as, even after more than a month, Ricky, the private investigator he hired, can't find anything about her. Today, for the 4th time this month, he will meet Ricky in secret in the middle of a parking lot. Lucian parked his car next to a silver sedan and shortly, both cars rolled down their windows and spoke without looking at each other. "Do you have news for me?" Lucian asked with a hopeful tone. "No. We still can't find her, Mr. Ripley sure knows how to hide his daughter and I can't blame him for it. Last month almost every known publishing company covered Miss Ripley's story and called it - The Heiress had fallen from grace. We did the same routine and not even once did he visit or contact her." Ricky explains. "That means all I do is wait and when she returns I'll show her that I'm a better person." He said to himself. "Don't stop following him but make sure and always be discreet about it. Take extreme precaution when following Albert Ripley, Lucian suggested, then soon drove away. He could still remember how he was lured to Chinatown and almost died. He does not have proof of who did it, but he is sure it was Albert Ripley. - On the other side of Los Angeles, Officer J. Peralta entered the LAPD briefing room with a smile on his face. “What’s with the grin?” Officer H. Gilberts asks. “We just got the permission to exhume Dominique’s body.” Officer J. Peralta gleefully responded while waving the documents in the air. Officer H. Gilberts gasped, “We are going to Vegas,” he exclaimed. After more than an hour, officers arrive in Vegas and watch how Dominique’s body is exhumed from his grave. They observe how the forensic pathologist checks logs for every burn, bruise, and injury he received before his death. After an hour, their theory was proven to be true. Even with the badly burnt body, the coroner noticed a lot of injuries, and at that point, the victim's death was now tagged as Homicide. -REPORT- Name: Dominique Akron Male Age: 38 The report indicates that the bones in his arms, legs, and ribs are crushed, and it shows a sign of healing which implies he was tortured before he was burnt alive. A series of small holes in his knees and elbow from concrete nails are also listed. Officer J. Peralta couldn't help but swallow slowly. "Good god, he was tortured to death. That could only mean one thing. This case just turned into a murder," he said in disgust. “Whoever killed Dominique and chopped off Malena’s arm is someone trying to avenge Miss Ripley. The question is who among them would do it? Is it her father? Brother? Mother? But why now? And why send it to her? This doesn't make any sense," Officer H. Gilberts says with exhaustion in his tone. "Unless..." He added and let the word linger. The officer’s eyes widened. "Unless what?" Officer J. Peralta asked curiously. "We are not looking at family members but a previous demented lover. We need to get back to Los Angeles. Try to get a hold of Miss Ripley while I speak to Mr. Ripley." Officer H. Gilberts explains. - Meanwhile, in the middle of a beautiful resort in Hawaii. Latton Ripley is taking her well-deserved vacation away from all the chaos of her family. She can't stop smiling while sunbathing in her red two-piece bikini, sipping a fruit shake. "I wonder how they are doing?" She asks while glancing at the man standing near her. "Do you want me to make a few phone calls, Miss?" The man with a thick Russian accent asks while caressing the scratch on his face. "No need," she replied, and when she noticed the man still fixating on the scratch, she sneered. "Oh, come on, Igor. Would you let it go? I already paid you double for it." Igor heaves deeply and then reminisces how he ended up in Hawaii with Miss Ripley. - The night that Albert called Harmony Liberty to enroll Latton in their 60-day program, the call never reached the facility. Instead, it was intercepted by Boris's men. When two burly men carried Latton out of the manor, she yelled hysterically and forcefully fought the guys. As soon as she was put in the back of the van, she smiled at them, "Long time no see, Igor, Tom." She mumbled, but the men did not respond. Instead, she heard a familiar voice from the driver's seat. "How are you doing, tiny miss?" Boris remarked. Her eyes widened, "Boris, why are you here?" She asked eagerly. "Nothing. I want to see how you are planning to execute this. I find revenge in family members soothing to me," he explains. "You have a lot to see then. I haven't started yet." She states. Boris frowns, "What do you mean?" He asks. "This is for my vacation only. Revenge can wait. The way to bring people down is when they think they are winning. High with their premature wins." She declares with a sinister smile. "I like how you think, Tiny Miss," Boris' says while laughing maniacally. Soon the van stopped beside a black luxury car, and before Boris left them, he assigned Igor to be her bodyguard. Shortly, the van resumed moving. "Miss, you scratch my face," Igor finally mumbled while looking at the blood in his hand. "That one is on me. I need to make it believable." She explains, "No worries, I'm paying you double for this." She added. Tom cleared his throat, "I just received a message from Kirby Johnson. I think they already saw the news, and he is requesting to move Miss Ripley to a different facility," he mumbled. Igor grins, "Your plan works, Miss. We are near the airport. Where are you planning to go?" he asks. "Fly me to Hawaii, please." - Igor could only smile faintly and enjoy the vacation even though he felt out of place with the gleeful beauty of the Hawaiian culture.