"I know. My interest of Brittany however isn't romantic as you perceive." Andrew crashing next to Kevin on the sofa however no noise unlike Kevin. "Well what is it? Because Adrian won't think of it as wanting to be buddies wit Britt. Not to mention, she's of a well off family, I doubt that she would fall for you. This isn't some fairy tale where the rich girl will fall for you Andrew. Or have you been reading Lara's books."
Kevin's words ending with a laugh as he took his tea, his laugh dying in his throat with his eyes widening. "Mhh- I never knew that you could make such good tea." His sips growing louder and more uncivil like while Andrew let the compliment pass him as if it wasn't meant for him.
"Where's mom? She hasn't replied to any of my texts." Kevin's inquiry coming in between his sips which had began to die down. "Off to talk to Lara once more." Kevin let out a helpless sigh, staggered and unsure of what to do. "It's obvious that she doesn't want to come back so why is she so persistent? If anything that will just push her further away."
Kevin's worries met with silence as Andrew cleared the table. "By the way I see that you're getting close to Claire, not a bad choice however you need some cash to entertain her. I'm talking a date, it doesn't have to be extravagant but something to make her stay. As for the money you have, how much till it runs out, so it would be best for you to get a job, maybe even into investment."
Kevin knew Andrew had some money but not how much and the latter didn't bother going into the details of how much as he would only be barraged with more questions.
*Ding*
Clara entered, met with the steamy aroma of tea still lingering in the air however her long face didn't show any interest as she collapsed on the dinner table. "Mom, I told you that you shouldn't push yourself like this, after all if you work yourself to death then who will be there for us after what happened to dad."
Clara grit her teeth as something flashed in her mind before a sigh followed. "It would be best to give Lara some space. I understand that she is your daughter but she isn't a child any more." Andrew spoke, his voice flat as always busy with the dishes.
Clara parted her lips to protest but no words came before crumpling inwards. "I guess she doesn't need me for every single little thing that she does. And to think that it was just yesterday that I was tying your shoes, now here you are, all grown up."
Her hands reaching out and cupping Kevin's face as a sombre silence settled in. "Andrew's right, she's an adult, if she needs help then she'll call us. We're her family, there's no way we would abandon her." Clara paused for a moment, taking in Kevin's words before a bitter chuckle left her lips. "Yeah, I have to stay strong for all of you."
Kevin chimed in, his words soft. "Then maybe we could lighten your load. Andrew has some money and I'm sure that he could help us immensely. You deserve the break." The idea didn't fancy Clara but after weeks of working over time was getting to her.
Black bags under her eyes, her mellow smile had began to deteriorate and replaced with occasional small smiles. Pulling out his phone, Andrew made a deposit to Clara's phone. "Don't bother refusing." Once said his figure made his way to the door and left without another word.
Clara rose, sighing heavily as she made her way to her bedroom before crashing on the soft mattress. She looked to the side, the portrait of her and her husband coming into view and soft tears tricked down her cheek and staining the sheet. "I'm trying my best honey." Her words resembling a promise before her tear down only continued till she fell asleep.
. . .
"Lara Grale, you wouldn't mind if I drove you home." Connor's tone calm as he leaned on his car parked outside of a restaurant. Lara who was done with her shift paused, her eyes scanning Connor. "I'm a detective, Lara and I have some questions about Andrew that I was hoping you would care to answer."
Flashing his badge, the unease started to dissipate from Lara's body. "As much as I would love to help, I have to get back home." Her tone flat as she began to make a turn. "If it's bit far I don't mind giving you a ride." Lara turned down Connor once more, her hands pocketed in her coat and marched away.
She came to a bus stop before it happened, from afar the rumbling of thunder could be heard. It was already late at night and buses weren't as frequent which soured Lara's mood.A car pulled up, the window rolling down and the picture of Connor came into view. "My deal is still on the table." Left with no option, Lara rose and boarded the car before speeding off.
*Whoosh*
The trickling of water hit the windshield before it bloom into a heavy down pour. The interior of the car was warm, the headlights cutting through the city illuminating shadows on the sides of buildings with the road mostly empty. "What is your view of Andrew?" Connor's first question landed catching Lara off guard.
She paused, still entranced by the rivulets of water streaming down the sides of the windshield before jolted back to the conversation. "He's pretty silent at first but not that bad once you get to know him." Her words faint as they clashed with the grating of droplets on the car roof.
"I'm aware of the purchasing spree he took you on so there's no need to hide anything, do you know how he has so much money?" She was about to ask how before it hit her. "He told me that he had won the money from surviving the games he was put through during his captivity." Connor's gaze narrowed, wondering why Andrew never confessed such an important piece of information.
'There's no way it was due to forgetting or trauma at the moment. He intentionally hid this from me. Certain that I would get suspicious and look into it.' His grip tightening on the wheel as the car sped faster. "I hope you don't mind me asking but why are you living in such a poor state with the amount of money Andrew has?" Noticing the silence, Connor realized that Andrew never got too in detail with his money.
"I guess he never told any of you how much he had. It's something about 200 million dollars, more than enough to leave this life behind and yet he lets you all suffer." As the surroundings grew more familiar to Lara, the amount reverberated in Lara's mind. '200 million?'Her face turning indiscernible to Connor.
"I have one more question to ask you, how well do you know Andrew? Have you felt any form of hostility from him or any irregular outbursts or patterns from him?" Lara clenched her fists, the car coming to a stop as it parked right outside her apartment.
"I've never felt any form of hostility from Andrew, or anything else really. No desire, no rage, nothing but when it comes to irregular patterns, he would leave the house without warning and came back. At first it was scary but he turned it into a habit and the rest never looked into it that much. Some times he would go for jogs, other times with with no explanation."
Connor fell into a deep silence, the moment quickly turning awkward for Lara. "If you have nothing else to ask me then I'll be leaving." Reaching for the handle, Lara was instantly met with the down pour which was still as relentless since leaving the bus top. "Of course, my apologies for any inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation."
The car pulled out of park and stormed off into the city. Lara however was still trying to process the amount Connor had told him. 'If he really did have so much money then why would he keep it so fucking vague? But what's the use, going back would only result in more complications so knowing this isn't that useful to me.'
Her movements rushed as she tried to escape from the rain but still ended up drenched. Opening the door, she was met with the apartment she had grown used to, barely clean but now Jasper was missing. She checked her phone and any form of attempt to reach him was useless.
Calling him would only result in voicemails and texts showing that he was offline. 'Where could he be at a time like this?' Looking outside and seeing the downpour, it was clear it wasn't going to end any time soon. 'Well I better get cleaning.' She forced herself despite her fatigued body.
. . .
It didn't take Connor long enough to make it back home, Lara's words echoing in his head. 'No desires huh?' He recalled of Claire's words as of how Andrew seemed to take an interest in Brittany Voss before a detailed breakdown was given on who Brittany was.
'Could it be that he is trying to reconnect with others and that is the only way he knows how?' A possibility ran through his mind. "But what sticks out is him simply leaving with no explanation. Looks like I was right." His murmurs drowned by the rain crashing on his windshield and roof. "Looks like I have to keep a closer eye on you Andrew and only a matter of time before your secrets are revealed."
A triumphant smile began to form on Connor's lips as he left his car and dashed into his house, unaware that at the end of the street a car that seemed parked sprang to life and drove off.
. . .
"Game, set and match, the victor is Tessa Langford." The voice of the umpire flat as she gestured at Tessa who wore a playful while Brittany was using her knees as support to prevent herself from falling. 'It's as if she knew where to attack and my weak points.' Unlike the match a few days ago, this one was barely a competition and a shock to the spectators.
"Hard luck Brittany." Tessa stated with a smile as she marched off the court, a gathering already chanting her name while Brittany was done catching her breathe. Looking at the audience rows, she saw him, his face neutral. "I have a question, did you tell her my weakness or what because there's no way she can become so talented in such a short time."
Brittany shouted, her face plastering her skepticism and suspicion of Andrew. "Yes." Brittany had expected him to deflect but his straight forwardness caught her off guard. "You wanted me to spare my time with you but don't take what happens next as anything happening between us so out with it already."
Andrew kept his hands clasped, watching the heaving lady tower over him as he slowly rose to his feet. "You haven't learnt anything from my last analysis of you not to mention your stamina is laughable. It would be best to have a match with you for a deeper dive." She wanted to laugh him off however after the events of today's match, her arrogance had taken a hit.
"I'm quite busy with other programs for me to have a match with you, you analysis will do." He began his walk from the seats and towards the teaching blocks. "Hey, you can't just leave me like that, do you know who you're talking to?" The rage surging from Brittany with her glare burning into Andrew's back.
"Thanks a lot Andrew." Tessa who had broken from the crowd emerged with an ear to ear smile which faltered when seeing Brittany. "Oh, are you here for some pointers Britt, you might need it." Tessa's words eliciting a groan from Brittany. "On second thought it would be best for me to focus on myself rather than hearing takes from a nobody." The two didn't stop her as she stormed off.