Ben sat in the living room, idly flipping through a stack of magazines, frustration bubbling inside him. He was fuming—not just at himself, but at Scott as well for insisting he stay home today. He had protested, but the threat loomed large: if Ben defied him, Scott would inform Shelley about his defiance. The thought of Shelley finding out and worrying made him cringe; he hated the idea of adding to her stress. Somehow, Shelley had managed to calm her mother down, leading to fewer frantic calls filled with worry. The last thing Ben wanted was for her to step into that role, constantly checking up on him. So, with a heavy heart, he conceded to Scott's demands.

Now, as he found himself aimlessly wandering through his thoughts in the stillness of his home, regret began to seep in. Perhaps staying away from the office wasn’t the best choice after all. Just when the weight of his dilemma threatened to overwhelm him, the doorbell chimed, cutting through the silence. Who could that be?

As Ben swung the door open, he was met with the sight of David, his expression heavy with concern. It was clear that Shelley had filled him in on the details of the car accident, one that the authorities suspected was no mere mishap but a sinister attempt on Ben's life. “Come in,” Ben said, stepping aside to let him pass. Although David declined the offer of a drink, he sank into the sofa, clearly on edge.

Settling into the chair across from him, Ben noticed the intense scrutiny in David's eyes. “How are you holding up?” David asked, his voice steady despite the sense of urgency underlying his words. “I’ve heard about your accident. The police seem to think it was intentional.”

Clearing his throat, Ben replied, “You’ve got the facts straight, but I’m fine. I’ll be even better once I get back to work, though it looks like that’s off the table for now.”

David nodded, though his brow furrowed. “I get that. You definitely need time to rest, even if it’s just a banged-up arm.” He leaned in, his gaze piercing. “Shelley mentioned you don’t have a clue who’d want to harm you.”

Ben met his stare with equal intensity. “I really don’t. I swear.”

David leaned forward, his tone taking on a sharper edge. “That’s not true, and you know it. I wasn’t the one targeted, but I have a few ideas about who might be behind this. We both know he’s capable of it. What I don’t understand is why he’d go after you. So, spill it, Ben—what did you do to make him retaliate?”

A cocky smirk played on Ben’s lips as he replied, “It’s not about what I did to him; it’s about what I know—information that could land him behind bars for a long time, should I choose to use it.”

“Are you planning to use it now that he shot and missed?” David pressed, his curiosity piqued.

Ben took a slow sip from his drink, savouring the moment. “Nope. Not until I’m certain it was really him.”

The tension hung in the air like a taut wire, each man locked in a battle of wills, the stakes higher than either dared to voice.

After an intense conversation, Ben accompanied David to the door, concern etched on his face. "David, just be cautious. If he’s targeting me, there’s a chance he might come for you too," he warned, urgency thick in his voice.

David paused, a confident smirk appearing. "You really don’t need to worry about me," he replied, his tone steady. "I’m the last person he would dare to approach. Trust me on this one. He might be desperate, but he’s not foolish."

***

As the afternoon sun dipped low in the sky, Ben's phone buzzed with an incoming call. It was Mr. MarQueen, his voice booming through the receiver. "Hello, boy! How have you been?"

Ben took a deep breath, anticipating the lecture that was sure to follow. "Good. But before you launch into your third-degree about my carelessness and how many times you've warned me to keep my guard up, let me just say I'm sorry. I’ve been sloppy, and I promise it won’t happen again."

“Good! It better not,” Mr. MarQueen shot back, a mix of concern and frustration in his tone. “You scared us, boy. Especially your mom. You have no idea how tough it was to calm her down. If she had her way, she'd be on the next plane to you. You’re important to us, Ben—especially to your mom. If anything happened to you, I shudder to think what she might do to herself. You need to take care of yourself. And I want you to promise me one thing: let the police handle finding whoever’s after you. The last thing we need is you looking for trouble. Do you understand?”

Ben let out a heavy sigh, the weight of his boss's words pressing down on him. “Whatever you say, boss,” he replied, ending the call with a sense of exasperation. As he made his way to the couch, he shook his head in disbelief. Did Mr. MarQueen really think he could sit back and wait for the police? One thing was for sure: anyone who dared to threaten the people Ben cared about or himself would soon find themselves wishing they'd never crossed paths with him.

With a flick of the remote, he turned on the TV, hoping to distract himself. But as the screen lit up, his heart sank. There it was—a picture of himself plastered all over the news, the details of the attempt on his life broadcast to the world. The reality hit him hard; this was no longer just his problem. It was public, and things were about to get a lot more complicated.

-Shelley-

Shelley sat on the edge of the couch, her heart racing as her eyes remained glued to the TV screen. She couldn't believe what she was witnessing. A montage of images of Ben flashed before her, accompanied by chilling details about his accident. The news anchor described a white car, believed to belong to the assailant, urging anyone with information to come forward. The weight of the news hit her like a tidal wave.

Suddenly, her cell phone and home phone blared to life, creating a cacophony of ringing that jolted her from her thoughts. Fumbling for her cell, she answered to find Sarah on the other end, her voice trembling with grief and concern. “I can’t believe this is happening, Shelley,” she said, urgency lacing her words. “I’m on my way over right now.”

As she hung up, the house phone rang with equal fervour. Without missing a beat, Mabel’s voice burst through, thick with emotion. “Did you see the news about Ben? I’m heading to your place!”

Shelley felt a mix of dread and comfort. Though the world around her felt chaotic, she knew she wasn’t alone.

A/N: Hello everyone. I realize this chapter is short. The reason for this is that some of my ideas can be expressed briefly, allowing for different lengths in each chapter. Some concepts work better under specific subtitles, while others may require more explanation, resulting in some chapters being longer than others. I will try to make the next chapter longer. Enjoy.