A Marriage Of Reprisal

Two weeks later, Norah and her sister returned home from the cemetery after laying their parents to rest. Amber had finally come to a conclusion after disagreeing with Norah and her boyfriend.

As they marched into the house, it was filled with numerous people—family, friends, and business partners—who had come to pay their respects to the deceased, everyone clad in black outfits.

A lady in her mid-forties walked up and pulled them into a hug, gently patting their backs.

“Thank you for coming, ma'am,” Amber said, and she disentangled from the hug, a tight-lipped smile on her face.

“This isn't necessary. You don't have to thank me for something obligatory. I want you girls to be strong, hang in there, and make sure we get to the bottom of this.”

Norah and her sister stared at each other and then back at the lady with a smile.

People continued to pay their condolences, and it went on for about ten minutes until the sheriff arrived with some officers.

He walked up to them, his expression saddened.

“You'll be fine. I'm here for both of you. Your father was a great man and like a brother to me. I promise not to stop until we get to the bottom of this.”

“We believe in you, and we will support you to get our parents the justice they deserve,” Norah responded.

For the past two weeks since the incident, the police had been working on the case, but there was still no success. The footage from the area had been erased, and they couldn’t find concrete evidence.

Norah reported the threat she received from Liam, and he was invited for questioning. During the investigation, they discovered that he went to the house on the same day the fire occurred.

The security guard was brought in as a witness, and he testified that Liam had been at the house, but there had never been any issues between him and the boss.

There was no proof to hold Liam, as all he had done was visit, and no altercation occurred during his visit. He was immediately released, and the sheriff apologized for trying to accuse him unjustly.

While the sheriff was still offering condolences, the room erupted with murmurs, drawing everyone's attention to the figures who had just entered the house.

They followed the gazes and saw Liam alongside his assistant, Jerry, who had come to pay their condolences.

Everyone in the room tensed, except for a few, which only saddened Norah and her sister. Why did he have to show up when he knew he wasn't welcome? Norah thought.

She feigned a smile at everyone, nodding to reassure them that there was nothing to worry about and to calm their racing hearts. Many people feared Liam, and even his father was feared.

“Let’s use the back door. You’re making them uncomfortable,” Norah muttered, turning to the exit.

Once outside, she halted and spun around.

“Why are you here without notice? Are you here to cause more trouble?” she demanded, her frustration clear.

Liam pondered whether all he had ever done was cause her trouble for her to speak to him like this. His only offense was liking her.

“I'm sorry I couldn't attend the funeral. May their souls rest with the Lord,” he responded, ignoring her previous words, though he was clearly annoyed by her statement.

“Stop trying so hard to push me away; you're wasting your energy. I won’t give up on you until I make you my wife. I’ll give you some time to think about it. I plan to marry you before the year ends,” he declared.

Norah almost staggered, staring at him in shock. She just couldn’t understand why he was so obsessed with her. It was just one stupid kiss that brought him back into her life. Everything had been fine, even after he returned, until she attended that party.

She was about to speak when Alex showed up, positioning himself between her and Liam, his chest rising and falling with anger.

“What do you want here? You are not welcome anywhere near this mansion,” Alex snapped.

Liam smirked, having already done his research. He knew Alex was her boyfriend, and they had been dating for almost a year.

“Do not show up in my presence next time. I’ll let this slide, but don’t push your luck again. Norah, I’ll be waiting for your answer,” he replied before leaving the mansion.

“Are you hurt? Did he touch you?” Alex asked, checking her body for injury. She just shook her head without a word.

***

Later that night, after everyone who had come to pay their condolences had left, Amber walked to the door, locked it, and then returned to the living room, sitting next to her sister.

“I never thought so many people would show up. Father must have been a great man for so many to come and honor him,” Norah said.

“It wasn’t just for Father. Those who came late this evening were from Mother’s side. She has a friend who lives in Italy,” Amber replied.

“I didn’t expect them to come. I almost didn’t recognize her when I saw her,” Norah added.

“We need to do something about their deaths. The sheriff promised to work with us, but it's up to us to help him catch the murderer.”

Norah, growing curious, sat upright. But if she only knew what her sister was about to say, she wouldn’t have listened.

“I also want justice, but how can we do that? We have no solid evidence against him.”

“Liam is the murderer. We just need to prove it. He threatened you and went to visit Father that day. The timing fits—you know how Father must have reacted.”

Norah clasped her hands and sighed. “I thought the same. Father must have offended him, pushing him to carry out his plan.”

“He even killed his ex-wife. Killing our parents would have been nothing for him.”

“But what can we do about it? How can we prove it?”

There was a long silence in the room until Amber finally spoke. “You need to marry him. If you marry Liam, we can get our revenge.”

“What? Are you out of your mind? What about Alex? You expect me to marry Liam just to fight him?”

“Stop bringing up your so-called boyfriend! We both know he loves your money, not you. And let’s not forget—it's your fault. It was because you kissed Liam that we lost our parents.”

Norah jumped up, enraged. “Stop it, Amber! You've tested Alex yourself, and you know he’s not after my money. I apologize, but I won’t marry a murderer, an ex-convict. We need to find another way.” She stormed out.