All On Contract

Chapter 138 - Murder

Leroy's P.O.V:
"It was supposed to end three months ago!" Mr Binachee yells as he slams his chubby hand down on the glass table. "There is a contract. A damn contract which states that they should be separated by now and far away from eachother!" He adds. 

Paul looks down at his hands as he nods slowly. Rose keeps her gaze fixed on me before she flicks through the magazine infront of her. She stops immediately and folds the page before she holds it up to me. 

"Four. They adopted four kids. One was part of the plan." Rose adds as she taps the picture of Marshall and Tessa walking out of court with Karla's kids. "We were supposed to send Iris away. Let her get on with her life and now you failed to tell us that they adopted her brother and Karla's kids?" Rose says and throws the magazine towards me. 

I've been putting these meetings off for over a month now. It's New years eve. It's been three months since Karla and Christopher died and two months since Tessa and Marshall adopted their kids. The contract was supposed to end three months ago but I don't know how to separate Tessa from Marshall after she lost her friends.

"I was unaware of what was happening then. I was in California when this was happenin-" I start and get cut off. 

"Mr Rosenberg is new to this but you should know what happens to people who break the rules, Mr Tatum." He says, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. 

"I am aware of the consequences." I nod and swallow hard. 

"You being 'unaware' has ruined Tessa Blacks life." Rose says in a bored tone. "Shame that. She really looked up to you as a father figure." She mumbles as she looks down at her sharp nails. 

"I didn't ruin anything. She wanted to sign this contract. You made it harder for her-" I start and get cut off. 

"Enough!" Mr Binachee roars. 

"You can say whatever you like, Mr Tatum." Rose smirks. "Just know that Chris and Karla's death is on your hands." She says.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Paul finally speaks, making me look away.

"Clearly you don't know much about the music industry, Mr Rosenberg." Mr Binachee says.

"Karla died of cancer and-" Paul starts and gets cut off.

"You must also think Kurt Cobain actually killed himself and River Phoenix overdosed." Mr Binachee says. "The industry is a dark and horrible place that's run by sick and twisted monsters. You should know that we take contracts very seriously." He adds. "The contract needs to end before anymore people get....hurt." Mr Binachee says the last part slowly before he stands up along with Rose and walks out.

Marshall's P.O.V:
I close the door lightly behind me, trying my best not to startle Tessa as she watches Jameson play with one of her necklaces. I wait for her to move, blink, do something but instead she just stands there in deep thoughts, just like she's been standing there for the last ten minutes.

I place Jameson's nappies down by the door and some of the other things Tessa needed from the grocery store before I start to take my jacket off. Tessa inhales in sharply as she snaps out of her trance and smiles down awkwardly at Jameson.

She never really got along with babies or kids.

"Hey." She whispers to Jameson as she sits down on our bed. "Hi." She says again when Jameson giggles and moves his tiny fingers to reach out for her hair. "You, my love, are going to be a heart breaker when you grow up." She says as she tickles him and laughs along with him. "You are too cute." She whispers. "How long have you been standing there?" Tessa says after a long pause.