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Hello again fam! 😄❣️
There's too much College work and I apologize for the late updates. 😥
But here is your chapter. I hope you will like and enjoy. ❤️❤️
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NOVEMBER 14, 1988 (LA, California, USA)
| MAE |
Today was not less than any mission for me.
With a thumping heart and my nerves wrecked, I was sitting as patiently in our car seat as I could.
After I had that discussion with Alice and Daniel, I called Janet and explained everything to her. But we needed help from someone else too, and that person had a very important part for our plan to work.
LaToya
I was thinking of throwing a party anyways to celebrate Michael's major success over his movie Moonwalker for which he had worked so hard. However, I had modified somethings for the sake of our plan. When we came back to LA almost a week back for his concert here, I told Bill that I wanted to arrange a party and he took care of the venue and arrangements. I wanted to take care of all of the expenses but Michael being Michael— translation: extremely stubborn— didn't let me do that and helped me with the expenses.
When we came back, I along with Jan and Alice talked to LaToya in Hayvenhurst and convinced her to invite Brooke Shields at the party as Toya was the one who was close to Brooke before that incident took place. Well, Janet may or may not have threatened her to do so when she started to question because our relationship with Brooke was extremely distorted after that night. Janet can be very persuasive and kind of scary, and was I proud? However, it was the only way for us to catch Brooke and talk to her. But what LaToya didn't know about was our star guest.
But Michael ofcourse didn't knew anything about this plan or else he would've never let me do this. He was extremely protective, especially after what all we've been through. But ofcourse he knew about the party.
I blinked several times when I finally noticed him clicking his fingers in front of my face to snap me out of my deep thoughts. I turned to face him where he was sitting next to me in the backseat of our car. He was having a confused expression on his face but a very small smile on his lips.
"Thinking about something more interesting than me, Ms. Scarllette?" He asked making me roll my eyes as I snorted smiling wide.
"Cocky and cheesy. Exactly what I do not like." I said narrowing my eyes playfully and he raised both of his perfect brows.
"Hmm. But unfortunately you are marrying this cocky and cheesy man and guess what?" He leaned a bit closer biting his lip. "You don't even have any escape."
A small chuckle left my lips as I shook my head making him smile wider. "But honestly, what were you thinking about? I was talking to you for past couple of minutes and when I looked at you, you were lost."
I instantly felt guilty. "I... I'm so sorry. I-I just..." He placed his hand on my now heated face because I got extremely nervous because I couldn't tell him. I was feeling extremely guilty and extremely bad that I was hiding something from him.
"What is it?" He asked, reading me effortlessly like always. "You look kinda off, disturbed, since we came back to LA. I'm worried." The honesty and sincerity in his deep brown orbs made my heart fill with warmth.
I placed my hand over his on my face and managed to pull a small smile. "I'm fine. I'm just... exhausted I guess." It wasn't a complete lie. I was indeed exhausted because of how much stressed I was because of this plan.
His expressions softened as he let out a soft sigh. "Mae, I am extremely grateful that you are doing all of this, but sweetheart, I still believe you didn't had to do all of this." He said in a soft but serious voice. "You are exhausted and—"
"And we are going to a party where we will enjoy." I interjected with a smile.
He smiled wider and then he bit his bottom lip as his eyes scanned me for nth time and he sighed quietly.
"You are extremely gorgeous." He complimented me for a millionth time since we got ready but somehow he still managed to make me blush.
I was wearing an all white outfit— white designer coat jacket and white pants with matching heels. It was so simple but so elegant.
"Look at you. You are unrealistically beautiful and unbelievably handsome." I complimented again, looking at his perfect outfit. Black pants, red button up shirt, a designer coat jacket with his iconic arm band, red socks and his loafers. His perfect curls were hanging loose and his gorgeous, deep eyes were intensified like always because of his beloved eyeliner.
Classic Michael Jackson.
[A/N: Michael Jackson Pepsi commercial photoshoot- "The Chase" or "The Magic Begins", 1987.
This look is just... whew! 😥🔥🔥]
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And now it was he who was blushing, as he looked away biting his lip.
Soon we were at our venue which was a huge banquet hall in a fancy seven star hotel. We were going to have a huge gathering which would again help in our plan as huge gathering would seek less attention towards us.
It wasn't long until our guests had arrived and the party started. There were several people from his business, his family and close friends and Alice and Daniel.
As we enjoying and talking with friends and family, soon we spotted Jedrek coming with Janet. In no time they spotted us and started to reach us. We greeted them and soon a fun conversation sparked which quickly morphed into serious one.
"I checked the camera footage of Neverland from that night." Jedrek informed us, his hazel eyes intensifying a million times. "And as I suspected, the footage is manipulated." My grip on Michael's arm tightened as my heart picked up.
"Thirty minutes of the footage is missing, before Michael reached home that night. I checked the footage again and again noticing every detail and I reached your staff from that night as we talked about it before and I got a very interesting piece of information." He paused looking between me and Michael. "One maid from that night informed me that Brooke Shields came to Neverland twice that night."
Michael stiffened immediately and my breath was quick to caught up in my throat.
"She came to Neverland much before you came and I'm hundred percent positive she did something that helped her doing what she did that night, then left and then again came back and that part is there in the footage." Jedrek said and I saw as Michael had his jaws clenched as his eyes were burning with rage.
And as on cue, my eyes caught Brooke Shields entering the hall. She straight away reached LaToya.
"What. Is. She. Doing. Here?" Michael seethed dangerously in a deep voice through gritted teeth as he spotted Brooke Shields. I was quick to intertwine our fingers making him look at me.
"Michael, please calm dow—"
"How can I calm down?!" His voice became more stern but he didn't raised his voice as his eyes fumed. "Who invited her here?!"
I swallowed hard as my heart started to hammer. "I... I asked LaToya to invite her." I admitted in a low voice. His face became blank as he looked at me with parted lips.
"Why would you do that? And..." His words trailed off and hurt and disbelief sparkled in his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me anything?" He asked in a monotone and that's how I knew he was extremely mad and hurt.
"We were unable to reach her. And... and the things were getting out of hands. It was the only way to reach her and look she is here."
He then turned completely towards me and held my shoulders tight, looking straight through my soul. "Why didn't you tell me anything?!" He asked through gritted teeth, making me gulp hard.
"B-Because you wouldn't have let me invite her—"
"And you thought damn right!" His voice raised slightly as he left my shoulders, stepping back. I gasped weakly at his cussing. "I can't believe you kept me in the dark like this?!" He was livid and my heart dropped. I didn't thought he would be this outraged.
"Mike, please calm down just listen to her." Janet placed a hand on her brother's shoulder and his burning eyes darted towards her.
"You knew it too, didn't you?!" He asked in the same stern tone, making her take a step back as she looked away. He shook his head.
"So everybody knew except for me?! You all planned this didn't you?! She is the woman who almost ruined our lives, who almost managed to separate us, and you thought it was the right thing to invite her, make her a part of the celebration of my success, my happiness?!" He then paused, processing everything, thinking about something. "So... So this is why you were so off since we came here, because you were planning this and didn't wanted to tell me?!" He said looking right at me and I felt my eyes burning with tears.
He clenched his jaw then turned to leave but I was quick to hold his arm. Jedrek and Janet left for us to talk and I stepped closer to him.
"I didn't wanted to hurt you or make you mad." I couldn't control the slight tremble in my voice as I said those words. "It was the only way to reach her." I tried to explain, still holding his arm, looking at his back as he was still facing away from me. "I did this for us." I saw as his shoulders elevated with the deep breath he took then slowly he turned to face me.
"You kept me in the dark. You thought it was fine to make that woman a part of our happiness. I can not even look at her Mae. All the pain and anger from that night hit me like a huge wave even at the mention of her name." He said in a calmer voice.
"I-I know. I... I just..." I couldn't complete my words, I couldn't look at him because of how guilty I was. "I know it wasn't the best thing to do but... but it was the only thing we could do." I said unable to look at him.
But then a few moments later I felt his hand on my face. "Look at me," his voice was much softer now, the way I am used to of. But still I couldn't look at him. He then held my face in both of his hands tilting my head upwards so I was forced to look at him. He still had a slight frown at his forehead but his eyes were much calmer.
"I know if you have invited her, there is an important reason to do so." He said and my heart relaxed as I took in a breath of relief. "But I refuse to let you step into danger and that woman is danger. I don't want you to get hurt in any way especially because of her, do you understand?" He said in a soft but stern voice and I nodded. "We are in this together and I want to be by your side at every step and I don't want you to keep me in the dark because of anything, okay?" He asked again and I swallowed weakly before I nodded. He sighed deeply then pull me closer and wrapped his arms around me. I placed my head on his shoulder, placing one hand on his chest as I wrapped other around him. He kissed my forehead deeply before pulling away.
"If you don't want to come near her while we would talk to her, you don't have to." I said in a soft voice. "Plus, I wouldn't approve of the way I know she would look at you." I said with a frown as I felt a little flame burning my heart.
He smiled weakly then held my face again, kissing my lips softly. "Okay, my jealous baby." He said making me roll my eyes. "I'll be with Liz, okay?" He informed me and kissed my lips again before he left.
I sighed placing a hand on my forehead as I looked for Jedrek and Janet who were standing at a distance with Alice and Daniel. When I reached them I told them Michael was fine now.
"Now what?" Alice asked looking at Jedrek.
"Now, the show begins." He said with a flame of determination burning in his hazel eyes.
We spotted Brooke sitting at a table with LaToya and we started reaching her. My heart started to beat faster with every step we kept taking near her and then:
"Good evening Ms. Shields, what a pleasant surprise." Jedrek's voice startled her as she placed her hand on her chest, looking at him and when she realized who he was and when she noticed us, her face visibly became pale.
We settled on the seats around the table and she finally managed to pull her lips into a smile as she greeted us.
"It's so nice to meet you all again." She started in a soft voice trying to remain as composed as she could. She then looked at me. "I'm so glad that we all agreed on forgetting about everything from the past." Her words almost made me pull my eyebrows in a deep frown of confusion but I managed not to. "I can't tell you how happy I was when LaToya told me that Michael has invited me to become a part of his success, I couldn't resist the invitation." I almost choked on air and a low growl came from Janet and I looked at LaToya with slightly wide eyes and she shifted in her seat uncomfortably.
Dammit LaToya!
"Err... Yeah." Was all I could utter. But then she said something that made my heart jump.
"Umm... Where is he? Michael? I would really like to have a conversation with him." Brooke said as her eyes started to look for him. I clenched my jaws as I again shot LaToya a look because she fed her with false information and she made her think everything was alright when in reality Michael was livid when he saw Brooke. He wouldn't even think of having a conversation with her!
"Well, Ms. Shields I would like to have a conversation with you." I sighed in relief when Jedrek said those words. Brooke was quick to pull her brows into a frown as she looked at Jedrek. "About that phone call. You wanted to tell me something, didn't you?" He said clearly and Brooke got tensed.
"I... I don't think so." She finally said in a low voice, clearly becoming uncomfortable.
"Well, no worries. The good news is, I am having something to tell you." Her eyes widened at his words.
"Let's come to the point, shall we?" His expressions hardened. "At the night of August 3rd, you came to Neverland, correct?"
She frowned deeply as her face became red. "Yes but what is this? Is this some kind of an interrogation?" She said getting annoyed. Jedrek simply smiled with no humor.
"Or more specifically, you came to Neverland twice that night, didn't you?" Brooke swallowed hard as she looked away but as quickly she clenched her jaws.
"What's going on here?!" She seethed, banging the table weakly. "I came here because my friend invited me. I came for Michael and..." She then paused and her expressions changed as she looked at LaToya. "He... He never invited me, right?" Toya tensed and my heart picked up as I looked at Michael who was standing at a distance with Liz and he was already looking here at us with a very, very stern expression on his face.
Brooke was quick to follow my gaze and her eyes instantly found Michael. He tensed visibly as his expressions became harder than ever and then he looked away. Brooke kept looking at him for a few moments and when she looked at us again her eyes were teary.
"You lied to me." She said in a low voice, looking at LaToya.
"It was the only way to call you here, okay? Plus I didn't knew Mr. Jedrek would be here." LaToya said quickly, in a nervous manner.
"You all tricked me! You trapped me!" Brooke said looking at us with gritted teeth.
"Tricking people is what you do best, Ms. Shields." Alice finally spoke up, unable to stay quiet any longer. Brooke looked at her with burning eyes before she grabbed her purse.
"There is no profit in running away, Ms. Shields. You can not keep running away we will catch you eventually. Help us. Tell us the truth." Jedrek said looking right at Brooke with a stern expression. "At least for Michael." I clenched my jaws, but I knew he was just doing his job.
She looked at Jedrek for a few moments, clearly debating inside her head then she looked at me and to my surprise her expressions softened.
"I... I can't. I'm sorry." It was all she uttered before she stood up. Her eyes looked at Michael for a few moments before she walked away.
Jedrek rubbed his face in frustration before he shook his head. But all I could think of was the fear that twinkled in Brooke's eyes when she said those last words before leaving.
"Hey, everything will be fine. We've come so far, we will win." Alice said in a soft voice as she held my hand. "I'm sure Mr. Jedrek must have found at least something from this conversation." She said hopefully looking at Jedrek who was lost in his deep thoughts.
"I guess I should leave now." He said in a low voice still in his deep thoughts and then he stood up and left and Janet was quick to leave after him.
However, I soon felt a presence besides me where Janet was sitting earlier and when I turned, I met Michael's deep, comforting eyes. He placed his arm around my shoulders, pulling me towards him, making me place my head on his shoulder. I closed my eyes, frowning as I sighed.
"We were so close." I said in a low voice and he pulled me more into him.
"It will be over soon. Don't worry." He assured me and I knew himself as well, before he kissed my forehead.
Everything was getting more and more complicated and twisted each passing day. And deep down I knew that the end of this nightmare was much more terrifying and painful than we were expecting it to be.
~**VOTE_COMMENT_SHARE**~
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Well... That was quite eventful and twisted!
We are getting closer and closer towards the end of our story. 🤧
But the things are much more difficult, painful and darker than the eye can see.