by Calista King
"One moment please."
The receptionist picked up her phone and dialed Andreas' office. Laila stood at the desk looking around the lobby, trying to calm her thumping heart. The receptionist hung up the phone a minute later and smiled politely at her.
"He says he'll see you. Please follow me," she said.
"Thank you...Marla," Laila said, reading her name tag. "You don't have to show me to the office. If you'll just direct me where to go, I can find it myself."
"Sure, it's just down the hall, last room on the right."
Laila made her way over to Andreas' office and knocked on the door.
"Come in," Andreas called.
She turned the knob and walked in. Andreas was seated behind his desk. The sunlight coming in through the floor to ceiling windows to his back gave him a glow, and Laila had to remind herself to breathe. She hadn't seen him in two months and he looked handsome as ever. His hair was disheveled, and she could imagine him running his fingers through it like he always did when he was frustrated, nervous, or bored. The tie at his neck was loosened and the first two buttons on his shirt were undone.
Laila walked towards the center of the office, stopping in front of his desk. He looked at her with an unreadable expression. She licked her lips, not sure how to start what she knew would be an awkward conversation. It pained her that things between her and Andreas were so awkward and she missed the comfort and security that they used to have.
"What can I help you with Laila?" he said.
His fingers were steepled in front of his chin as he rested his elbows on the side of his leather chair. Laila felt herself bristle at his tone. It was wary and almost bored sounding, and she had an urge to turn around and walk out. Here she was trying to do him a favor and he was treating her like an annoying pest.
"Nothing," she bit out. "It's actually the other way around."
He cocked his head to the side and frowned at her. "I don't understand. What are you talking about?"
Laila released a sigh and decided to let her anger and annoyance go. It wouldn't help the situation if she was in a pissy mood from the start and she just wanted to get this over with. She walked up to his desk and pulled out the chair in front of it and sat down.
"I've just had an interesting conversation with Caroline Hess," she began. She held up her hand at Andreas' murderous glare and continued. "Before you start yelling, let me explain." When he gave her a curt nod, she began again.
"She's staying at The Standard Hotel and contacted me saying she had something important to discuss. You know I love a good mystery, so I decided to go and find out what she had to say. It wasn't at all what I expected, to be honest."
"What did she want with you?" Andreas asked.
"She had information about Bradley Henriks that she thought you might find useful," Laila said.
Andreas' eyebrows shot up and he leaned forward on the desk. "What kind of information?"
"Terrible stuff. The kind of information that could get someone locked up for a very long time," she said. Laila reached into her purse and dug out the DVD. She placed it on the desk in front of Andreas and pushed it towards him. "This is a video of him and an underage girl having sex."
"How did you get this?" he asked.
"Caroline gave it to me."
"Why would she do that? She hates me," Andreas said.
His voice was unsure and he looked so vulnerable, Laila had a sudden urge to climb up on his lap and give him a hug, but she remembered their last encounter and stayed firmly in her seat.
"No, she doesn't, Andreas. All the things she did to you--it was because of Henriks. He had been blackmailing her with a video she made when she was 18 of her having sex with a guy. He told her he'd release it and ruin her life if she didn't do as he asked. And apparently he wanted to humiliate and destroy you and your family. She wanted me to tell you she's sorry for what she did."
"Oh my God, I can't believe it," Andreas said.
He buried his head in his hands for a long time. It seemed like he had forgotten Laila was still in the room with him. Laila for her part, kept silent. Her heart broke thinking of what he must be going through. The shock and anger was one thing, but the pain of wondering what could have been with Caroline if Henriks hadn't gotten involved must have hurt him badly.
Laila felt an ache in her chest thinking of Andreas agonizing over another woman, but she had to accept that he was no longer hers. Hell, if it weren't for Henriks, Andreas would never have been hers at all. He'd probably have married Caroline and been happy. Laila felt like she was intruding on a very private and personal moment. She decided to let him have his privacy and began to slowly inch out of her chair. He looked up just as she was about to back out of the room.
"Please don't go," he said.
"I think I should. You look like you need your space," she said. Before she walked out of his office, she turned around one last time. "I know it was Henriks who gave you that video of me. I wanted to thank you for trying to keep the video from the public and protecting my reputation."
She looked like she had more to say, but then thought better of it and walked out the door, closing it softly behind her. Once back in the elevator, Laila gave in to the tears that had been threatening to spill. She didn't know what she was crying over-- Andreas' pain or her own.
CHAPTER 31
The disc lay on the table where she had left it. Andreas stared at it long and hard, not yet daring to touch it. His whole world had been rocked to it's very core and he was trying to make some sense of what he just heard. All his old thoughts and beliefs had been turned around. Caroline wasn't as horrible as he had always thought. Sure, she had betrayed him, but it would seem she had no other choice.
Henriks had his influence in everyone's lives and would stoop to any level just to destroy Andreas. Now lying in front of him was all that he needed to put Henriks away for good. He would no longer be able to hurt anyone else. And for that he had to thank...Caroline.
It amazed him how quickly things turned around. He had been in despair the past two months after his break up with Laila. Every fiber of his being told him to go to her and fight for their relationship. He knew he had been wrong accusing her of those awful things, but he had let his anger get the best of him.
Andreas knew Laila deserved an apology from him. She was right; he didn't know what her life had been like to drive her to make that video. He knew she was a strong and proud woman, so things must have been very desperate for her to have to resort to that.
He would never forget the look on her face the last time he saw her, and the hurt and betrayal that was clear in her eyes. After all the love and acceptance she showed him when he confessed his past to her, he wasn't strong or mature enough to do the same for her. It killed him to think he had disappointed her, but he knew it was for the best that he stayed away from her.
Knowing Henriks, Andreas was positive he couldn't be trusted. Giving into his demands would only temporarily hold him off. If Andreas kept seeing Laila, it would only be a matter of time before Henriks released the video just to spite him. But if he stayed away, then Henriks would forget about her and leave her alone. She could get on with her life and not have to worry about the threat of exposure.
Now, with this evidence lying on his desk, he began to hope again. With Henriks out of the picture, he could work towards winning Laila back. He wouldn't have to stay away from her any longer.
The thought spurred Andreas to action. He had so many things to take care of before confronting Henriks and he began to form a plan in his mind. First he knew he had to have an airtight case. The video on his desk was a good start, but Andreas never made the mistake of underestimating Henriks twice.
He picked up his phone and dialed. The first call was to Ulrich and the second call was to his uncle. After getting off the phone with them he knew he had one more call to make. He dreaded having to have this conversation, but knew it was necessary if his plan was to work.
"Hello, The Standard
Hotel. This is Corinne speaking. How may I help you?"
"Hi Corinne, it's Andreas."
"Oh, hey. How can I help you?"
"I'm looking for a guest by the name of Caroline Hess. Can you connect me to her room?"
"Sure thing. One sec."
The phone rang again before Caroline picked up.
"Hello?" she asked.
Andreas took a deep breath. He hadn't heard her voice in over a year. He wasn't sure how he felt about her still. The hate and anger had been such a part of him ever since they broke up, it was hard for him to let that go. But he was grateful to her for her information.
"It's me," Andreas said.
He heard her suck in a gasp of air.
"Andreas, I--what a surprise. I wasn't expecting to hear from you."
"Weren't you? What did you expect after handing Laila that disc and having her deliver it to me?"
"Well, I don't know what I expected, really," she said unsteadily.
"Listen, I'm going to cut to the chase and ask you where you got this video."
"Why do you want to know that?" she asked.
"Because I need to make sure it's the real thing before I go charging in with accusations."
"Of course it's the real thing. What makes you think I would make something like that up?" She sounded offended and angry.
"I don't doubt it, but I'm not going to make the mistake of underestimating Henriks' ability to get out of a tough situation. So, in order for me to go in feeling confident that I can nail this bastard to the wall, I need to verify the information and maybe even gather some more dirt against him in the process."
"I see," she said, mollified. "I suppose you're right about Henriks. The video was given to me by an ex-employee of his who worked for his company Venus Mars Entertainment."
"Name?"
Caroline gave Andreas the name of the ex-employee and other bits of information she had gathered against Henriks over the years.
"I hope that helps," she said. "Nothing would make me happier than to see that asshole in jail where he belongs."
"You and me both," Andreas said. "Anyways, thanks again for the lead. I'll make sure Henriks pays for what he's done to us both."
Andreas was about to hang up the phone, but was stopped by Caroline.
"Before you hang up, I just wanted to say again how sorry I am for what I did to you and your family. I didn't have a choice," she said.
Andreas softened a little towards her. He could almost sympathize with her situation now that he knew what Henriks held over her.
"Don't think about it anymore. It's in the past," he told her.
His words were just short of forgiveness, but he knew he wasn't ready for that yet. Caroline accepted it gratefully and acted like a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Oh thank you Andreas," she said. "And I hope you and Laila can be happy together again," she added.
"Goodbye, Caroline."
Andreas hung up the phone, not bothering to address Caroline's last remark. Caroline was the last person in the world he wanted to discuss Laila with. He couldn't even think about a future with Laila until he settled matters with Henriks. But he was so close, he could almost taste it. Now that he had the information he needed, all he had to do was wait for his plans to take effect. Then he would finally be free.
***
The meeting was to take place in his uncle's office. Ulrich had come through for him and was not only able to get in touch with the ex-employee who had given Caroline the video, but he had been able to uncover many more videos of the Henriks with other underage girls. It turned out this sick bastard liked to record himself committing his acts of perversion. It had made Andreas sick to his stomach to have to watch the video, but he knew he had to confirm that it was really Henriks. As it was, he could only manage the first minute and then had to shut it off abruptly.
The ex-employee had been able to hack into Henriks' personal computer where he kept all the files. He had secretly copied and downloaded the video and most of Henriks' files onto his own computer. For a small fortune, Andreas was able to acquire all the information on Henriks' laptop. He would have paid ten times what he did and it would have still been worth it.
The evidence was overwhelming. There was no way Henriks could weasel out of this one, although Andreas would like to see him try. Not only were there multiple videos of him, but there were files and emails of his shady dealings with contractors who had bid on their projects. The bastard even had the gall to make a spreadsheet of the bribes he had gotten and for which projects.
When he informed his uncle of what he had discovered, he had been adamant that he wanted to attend the confrontation. Uncle Albert was just as anxious to see Henriks finally get his comeuppance, and Andreas could not deny the old man the pleasure. He sat in the chair opposite his uncle's desk while Ulrich stood by the windows, silent like a sentinel. They were all waiting for Henriks to arrive.
Andreas knew he had to keep his temper in check, even though the only thing he wanted to do was to pound Henriks' face into a bloody pulp. Getting violent would only hurt his cause. He had set up secret cameras and recording devices throughout the room in order to catch Henriks' confession on tape. With all the evidence they had, it wasn't entirely necessary, but it would be the final nail in Henriks' coffin. There would be no way for him to deny it was him on the tape if he was shown confessing to it.
A soft knock at the door snapped Andreas' attention back to the present. He could feel his muscles tense as the door opened and his uncle's secretary poked her head through.
"He's here, Mr. Carstens," she said.
"Show him in," his uncle replied.
The secretary stepped aside and a moment later Henriks strolled into the room. He stopped abruptly when he noticed Andreas and Ulrich, but quickly schooled his features and continued on his way. He walked with an exaggerated swagger and Andreas cherished the thought of wiping that smirk off his face.
"Andreas, what a surprise to see you here," Henriks said. He pulled out the chair next to Andreas and plopped down, looking around the room and smiling. "When you called me in for a meeting, Albert, I wasn't expecting so many people, but as they say, the more the merrier. So tell me, why have you called me here?"
Andreas laughed to himself, knowing what a shock Henriks was in for. He came in acting so confident and smug, but he'd be leaving a broken man. He would make sure of that.
"What's so funny?" Henriks asked, looking at Andreas.
"This situation is funny," Andreas said. "Well, maybe it won't be for you."
Henriks narrowed his eyes at him and then darted them towards Ulrich who remained silent by the windows.
"Oh by the way, I was so sorry to hear about your breakup with that delectable Laila Greer, was it? She seemed so sweet and innocent," Henriks said cheerily. "I hope there weren't any skeletons in her closet that made her unsuitable."
Andreas knew he was not so subtly trying to remind him of the video he had of Laila, but that didn't scare him anymore. He knew Henriks held no power over him.
"How kind of you," Andreas said dryly.
"Oh, quit toying with this slime ball and get to it Andreas," his uncle interrupted. "We don't have all day."
Henriks' cool facade faltered a little at Uncle Albert's words, and he looked momentarily unsure and scared.
"What are you talking about, Albert? What is going on here?"
"I'm sorry Uncle. I've just been waiting for this moment so long, I got carried away, but you're right, we should just get this over with," Andreas said, ignoring Henriks, who was becoming increasingly agitated.
"Somebody better tell me what's going on. You," Henriks said, standing up and pointing his finger in Andreas' face, "should know better than to try to antagonize me."
"Sit down and shut up," Andreas commanded. "Here's what's going to happen--you're going to destroy all copies of that video of Laila immediately. Second, you're going to resign your position on the board
of this company, and you will never do anything to harm me or my family ever again. That goes for Laila too."
Henriks looked momentarily shocked and confused but quickly got his composure back. He plastered on a fake smile that didn't reach his eyes. "And why should I agree to that?" he asked.
"Otherwise, I will release these videos to the police," Andreas said.
He signaled for Ulrich to turn on the flat screen television that was hanging opposite his uncle's desk. The screen came on and showed Henriks, naked and in bed with a young female. Andreas turned his head away from the screen and watched the emotions flicker across Henriks' face. He felt an overwhelming satisfaction watching the surprise and fear transform his features.
"That's not me," Henriks said. He laughed in Andreas' face, thinking he could bluff himself out of the situation. "There is no way you can prove that's me; my--the man's back is towards the camera and you can barely see his face."
"Well in this one, you can clearly see the face, and it is you," Andreas said, motioning for Ulrich to forward to the next video. "You cannot deny it. We have several more videos clearly showing you abusing these young girls and you're going to pay for it."
"Wh--where did you get them? There's no way you could have obtained these--they were on my personal computer. How did you get them?" he asked.
"Don't worry about that. All I'll tell you is that we have all the files copied and ready to be delivered to the police. Not to mention all the emails and spreadsheets you have detailing all the bribes and kickbacks you received from contractors and vendors."
Henriks' face went white and his hands began to shake knowing he was up against a corner and caught. Andreas could see the wheels were still turning in his head, trying to find some way he could worm his way out of it.
"Okay, okay," he said, holding his hands up. "I'll agree to all your terms."
"So you admit that it was you in the videos having sex with underage girls?" Andreas asked.
"Y-yes."
"And you have been accepting bribes and kickbacks?"
"Yes, all right I admit it. Listen, I'll do what you want, just don't turn those into the police," he begged.
