Maya walked up the driveway to Nayely's house. It was Friday night, and time for their usual girl time. With her own girlfriend away for work, she had more than enough free time to spend with Nayely. She had noticed that while she had handled business outside of the shoe campaign during that week, she hadn't spoken to Nayely in what felt like forever.

The lights to her home appeared to be off, giving the outside a gloomy feeling.

"She better not be asleep." Maya knocked on the door, hoping that she hadn't forgotten their plans. She held a bag filled with greasy wings and beer that she couldn't wait to dig into. She knew that she would be the only one drinking, and was even prepared to crash at her place if need be.

Knocking again, Maya looked at her phone, wondering if she needed to call Nayely to open the door. Just then, a soft whirring sound could be heard as the electric lock undid itself. The next thing she knew, Nayely's eye peaked from the crack of the door.

"Maya?" She asked with a hoarse voice.

"Yeah, girl, it's me. Were you sleeping?" Peering around her, she saw that the entire house was cloaked in darkness. Lifting the food before her, she reminded Nayely why she was there.

Opening the door wider, Nayely tried her best to put on a smile. "Sorry, I kind of forgot you were coming. I wasn't asleep I was just-up."

Shutting the door behind her, Nayely made sure to have the lock on as Maya rummaged in the kitchen.

"How did things go today? I didn't get to reach out but I figured you'd be more than busy. I met up with all of the schools and have them set up to receive the special gear you're sending their way." Pulling out clean plates, Maya paused for a moment before putting them back. Tonight, they would go straight in and get their fingers dirty. "They're really excited to hand things out." Walking to the table, Maya popped open the Styrofoam boxes as she basked in the burning sensation that ran through her nose as she sniffed the extra hot sauce drenching the wings.

"That's good to hear. The kids were honestly the best. I wish I could make it out to each school when they make the announcement." Nayely had gone into her bathroom hoping to wake herself up as she wiped her face with a cool rag.

As Maya took her seat at the table, she saw that Nayely's computer was still up. Wanting as much room as possible, she went to move it to the counter and out of the way. Her eyes scanned the screen without thinking, and was surprised by what she saw.

"She's getting rid of Terrence?" Reading through the blurbs on the screen, Maya could see that Nayely seemed to have been drafting up a speech of some sort.

"Oh, I'll move that out the way." When Nayely emerged from her room, she moved quickly to take the computer from Maya's hands, closing it shut as she rushed it back to her room.

"What's going on?" Maya still stood frozen in her spot when she returned. Confusion laced her face as she watched the other woman move as if nothing had happened.

"It's nothing." Nayely insisted as she pulled out a handful of napkins from the bag. Shoving a wing into her mouth, she hoped that Maya would sit soon, forgetting what she was sure she saw, but it was no use.

"Hold up, hold up." Picking the box of wings up, Maya held them above her head, keeping them from Nayely's reaching hand. "Something's up and I have got to know. Spill it."

"There's going to be some changes. That's all. It's only natural."

"Where is this coming from? I leave you two alone for one week and next thing I know you're about to have Terrence sitting up in the unemployment office? You have to give me more than that." Seeing that Nayely was considering telling her the truth, Maya took a seat, ready to indulge herself. She couldn't help but to wait eagerly. Working alongside Nayely had been great, but the roadblock that was Terrence always managed to test her patience. He treated her as if she was intruding on their lives once Nayely brought her on, as he and Nayely handled everything on their own for years.

Whenever she tried to do her job, she was met with some kind of contempt from Terrence, so she had no problem with him getting the boot.

"Terrence and I just don't see eye to eye anymore. We haven't for awhile now." Tangling her hands into the roots of her kinky hair, Nayely slumped in her chair. "I was going to give him a call and set up a time for us to meet next week."

"Next week? So, he's fired fired?" Maya's eyes widened with glee.

Closing her eyes, Nayely shook her head yes.

"I'm sorry but I'm kind of living for this right now!" Popping open two beers, she pushed one towards Nayely for a celebratory swig. "We gotta take one back for this. Come on, girl." Nayely accepted the drink with much less excitement than Maya. She wished she could share in this with her, but knowing the reason why she was finally doing what she had always wanted to made it hard.

"So what finally made you do it?  After all this time, you're finally letting his ass go." Digging into the food, Maya chewed away." Did he steal some money from you?"

"No, nothing like that."

"Shit, I don't think you really need much more reason to get rid of his ass other than the fact he just fucking sucks."

"That's definitely true, but something even worse than that has happened and I just can't keep him on any longer." Nayely saw that she had caught Maya's attention with that statement. The joking subsided as Maya prepared herself for what could have been the icing on the shit filled cake.

"Legal or illegal?"

"Illegal in every way possible." Nayely's heart beat fast as she found the words to say.

Both women whipped their heads towards the loud knocks at Nayely's front door.

"Oh, shit! You think that's him? Maybe he could feel us talking about him." Maya put her hand on her chest as the shock got to her.

Going to her security panel, Nayely saw that the person who stood on the other side of her door was not someone she recognized.

"It's not him." Feeling Maya's chin on her shoulder as she stood beside her, Nayely watched as the man looked over her shoulder to two cars parked in front of her home.

"Who's that?" Maya asked as the man's fist beat against the door once again." He's knocking like he's the police." They both looked to each other as he seemed to be persistent in having the door answered.

Moving to the door, Nayely felt drawn to open it despite her brain telling her not to.

"Wait, you're going to answer it?" Maya asked as her hand went to the door knob. "Do you know this guy?" Reaching for her keys, Maya was prepared to use the secret pepper spray she took everywhere with her.

Nayely had never seen the mysterious man before, but somehow knew that ignoring him tonight would not rid herself of him.

When the door opened, a breeze passed by her though the night was warm. When she opened her eyes, she realized that no one stood before her anymore.

"Excuse me, sir, what do you think you're doing?" Maya stood at her defense as the man invited himself into the house. She took notice of his aged and hardened face that lied behind sleek glasses. The weight he held in his stomach was barely contained by his designer clothes and was only emphasized when he placed his hands on his waist.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave immediately. I have some important business with Ms. Polite." His loud gruff voice filled the room, making it feel like the inside of a pipe.

"Intruders don't make demands." Taking the safety off her pepper spray, pointing in his face.

"Yes, but a man of the law can. Now I suggest you get that thing out of my face and leave with my friend here. I believe that will be in your best interest." A man in a black polo filled the door way, crossing his arms over his chest.

Nayely noted the similar haircut he had to Officer Sharpe.

"If you think I'm going to leave you-a stranger-here alone with her, then you're wrong. If you don't leave in the next three seconds I'm calling the police!" Maya stood her ground, standing beside Nayely to prevent the men from making it any further into the house.

"They're already here, sweetheart." The older man's face brimmed with dominance as the other showed the badge at his hip.

"Let's go." The younger man stepped into the house, pulling Maya with him. When the sounds of her resisting became louder, Nayely finally snapped out of her daze. Grabbing onto her waist, she was strong enough to halt the officer's retreat with the small screaming woman.

"What do you think you're doing? You have no right to do this."  Nayely's muscles tensed as she stared down the man who looked ready for a fight.

"Take your hands off of her." She warned.

"Easy now." The older man stepped forward, nodding to the officer, silently instructing him to let go of Maya. "All she has to do is take her belongings, get in her car, and drive away from here and everything will be just fine."

"Absolutely not!"

"Nayely Polite. You have certainly gotten yourself into more than enough trouble for one day. Would you like to inconvenience your friend as well?"

That was all she needed to know that this was as she suspected.

"Go ahead and go home. I'll call you as soon as I can, okay?"

"What? No! I don't like how these two look. I'm not going to leave you here by yourself."

"It's okay, I promise." Looking over her shoulder at the man she would soon discover to be Judge Stewart, Nayely straightened her shoulders. "We just have some things to discuss."

"I don't feel good about this." Maya's senses told her she needed to stay, but Nayely's need to protect her would have to take precedence.

"Go. I'll be fine." Moving to grab her purse, Nayely brought it to her, pushing it into her hands. "I promise to call within the hour."

"You promise?"

"Yes. I do." Maya stood a moment longer, making it clear that she didn't care about the man's agitation over her still standing before them. Grabbing Nayely's hand in her own, she gave her a reassuring squeeze before swatting away the officer's attempt to grab her elbow again.

"Hands. Off!" She commanded, strutting past. Nayely didn't close the door until she saw Maya drive away down the street. Across the way, she noticed the light on at her neighbor's home.

Of all nights to be nosy, this was definitely one she needed them to remain where they were.

With the officer turning his back on her, she realized he had every intention to stand guard while the Judge visited. Closing the door, she slowly turned to face the threat ahead.

"I take it you're here because of the report." There was no need to waste time with this man.

"I see you wish to handle this quickly as well."

"If you're here to tell me not to make the report, you should know your man at the station made sure I couldn't."

"I'm just here for assurance, Ms. Polite. To make sure we have a clear understanding on what to expect after you're failed attempt to meddle in business that does not pertain to you."

"And exactly what does this have to do with you?" Still unsure of who he was, Nayely wanted him to say what he needed, and go.

"You're sense of civic duty came close to causing quite a commotion for my family, Ms. Polite. I am Judge Stewart, the father of the girl you sought to help today."

Nayely searched his face for understanding. Brittany Stewart's father? If that were true, why would he show up as if she had done something wrong? With a slight tilt of her head, she wondered if she had misread his demeanor. Maybe there was an upside to his arrival.

"You're Brittany's father? I had no idea." She allowed some of her tenseness to fade away, prepared to tell Judge Stewart anything he wanted to help his daughter. If a man like him had to come to her for help, then Terrence was worse than she could have ever imagined.

"It seems your ignorance doesn't just stop there. Let me ask you this, do you value your life here?" He said pacing the floor.

"I'm not sure I understand your question?"

"A woman of your stature living in a place like this is beyond my understanding. There must be something about this place that you value. Is it the security? Familiarity?" Nayely did not move to answer him as the mood intensified.

"How would you like it if someone tried to take that all away without your permission? You're a celebrity in your own right, I'm sure you understand the importance of keeping your personal business private."

Stepping closer, Nayely watched as his extended belly came close to touching her as he glared down.

"I can tell you right now, it's not the most enjoyable news to receive. Whatever you think you know regarding my daughter and Terrence must be dropped immediately."

"Sir-"

"Judge Stewart."

"Judge Stewart, sir." She said tersely as she was corrected in how to address him." Terrence is a danger to your daughter. They're in a relationship that I thought needed to be investigated."

"You thought wrong. The relationship between he and my daughter is absolutely none of your business. Understood?"

A queasiness disrupted her stomach as she finally heard just what he was saying.

"Do you know what's going on between them?" She asked in disbelief. Surely he couldn't be here demanding she stay away while knowing the truth.

"I know that the relationship between my daughter and her mentor has absolutely nothing to do with you."

"He's sleeping with your daughter! It's more than obvious, Judge Stewart. Don't you understand what that means?" Stepping away, repelled by his sudden laughter, Nayely waited for him to calm back down.

"It means she's getting the same treatment as you and look how far you've come." The judge's implication made Nayely's blood run cold.

"I have never slept with my coach-"

"That's not what Terrence has told me."

Nayely smoothed back her hair that she fought to put into an elegant bun. She was still coming down from the high of her first Olympic victory and had even been invited to a party hosted by Terrence , her new coach and trainer, soon after their return home.

Nayley just knew that the tax bracket of this neighborhood was one she could never come close to. She smiled at the memory of Terrence asking just what she had planned during their break on the plane ride back. It took everything in her to not blush when the handsome older man extended the offer.

He had told her to wear something nice, and that she did. The knee length dress gripped her curves that she rarely showed off. After turning 20, she wanted to finally start treating herself like the budding woman she was. That's why as she walked through the door of the mansion, she took stares and friendly hellos to mean she fit in with the more elegant crowd. The home was decorated with glimmering crystals and expensive décor only the rich enjoyed.

Looking around, she was amazed by the sheer size of the room.

When a hand on the small of her back caught her off guard, Nayely jumped forward.

"Well, look at you." Terrence's deep voice brought goosebumps to her arms.

"Hi, Terrence. This place is amazing."

"My parent's taste is to go above and beyond for everything. Even tonight." The Thompson legacy was well known to all, and she was more than grateful to have been giving the chance to attend an event hosted by them.

"I can't believe you actually invited me. If I haven't told you thank you then-"

"Oh, don't worry, you'll have plenty of opportunities to show me how thankful you are." Nayely's face burned as her heart beat against her chest. Chastising herself to not give in to the thoughts she had, she centered herself so as to not give away what she was thinking. It was too late as Terrence smiled, fully aware of the crush and effect he had on the young woman.

"There are some guests I must greet, so hang around and have a good time." Reaching out to a server who stood nearby, Terrence offered a cocktail to Nayely.

"Oh! I uh-I'm not twenty-one yet."

Lifting the rim of the glass to her lips, Terrence watched as she dribbled the liquid into her mouth, wanting to avoid it from falling on her dress. She was only able to pry the glass away from him once the last drop had passed her lips.

"You're in good hands, don't worry about any of that." Nayely wiped at her lips, careful to not smudge the lipstick she spent twenty minutes trying to apply.

"Okay." She said with a sweet smile. When Terrence's finger tapped the deep dimple on her cheek, she watched as he swaggered away back into the crowd of people.

The night was filled with Nayely being pulled into many directions as others became curious of just who she was. When she did see Terrence, he would step up and give all the praises to her, making the other guests seem genuinely interested in what he had to say. He had handed her drink after drink which she gladly accepted, enjoying the first and only time she had really taken part in alcohol.  She found herself laughing much more often throughout the night to jokes she was sure were not that funny.

As she swayed into the main room, she picked over the hors d'oeuvres that were put on display. She had no idea what she was pushing into her mouth, but it was good enough for her to steal four from the table.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Can I please have your attention?" The sound of a woman's voice travelled down from the long spiral staircase. Following the voice, Nayely looked to the older woman who stood above the rest of the crowd.

"First I would like to welcome you all for joining us for such a special occasion and thank the Thompson family for hosting us in their beautiful home . Tonight, we are all here to celebrate the joining of the Thompsons and Wilhelms!" Nayely nodded with the older blonde woman as the crowd applauded the announcement. Looking around, she wondered who from Terrence's family was getting married.

Placing her empty glass on a near by tray, she stepped further into the crowd, wanting to see the happy couple who seemed to hold everyone's attention.

"Allison, dear, won't you come on up here with my future son-in-law?" The older woman called down from the stairs towards her daughter. Nayely smiled as the spitting image of the proud mother turned to wave at the crowd who cheered her on. Her green eyes shined with happiness as she flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder. Nayely clapped along as she could tell Allison was reaching for the hand of her fiancé just beside her. As the woman began to climb the stairs, with a man trailing close by, Nayely's smile faltered at the sight before her. Allison's mother wrapped her arms around Terrence's shoulders as he stood alongside the two women.

"That can't be..." Nayely mumbled to herself as she looked around the room. Surely the wrong man was standing up there? Nayely had never heard anything about a girlfriend during the time she had spent with Terrence. As her coach and trainer, they spent plenty of time together and had naturally grown close. That's what helped to give way to the deepening of her crush. She had always told herself it could be nothing more than just that, but the more blatant Terrence had become in his actions, the less cautious the young athlete had become.

A tear rolled down her face as she made eye contact with Terrence.

What had she been thinking? She should have known better than to think anything could have come of this.

Beyond embarrassed, Nayely felt her knees shake beneath her, unsure if it was because of her attempt to escape in high heels, or all of the alcohol she had gladly accepted. Minutes felt like hours as the dense crowd made it nearly difficult for her to sneak out. Not wanting anyone to see her tears and suspect the reason for them, she swiped them away, waiting out the moment for the first opening she had to dip out. When the three descended from the stairs, the crowd began to disperse.

Moving past the strangers surrounding her, Nayely felt strong hands wrap around her waist, guiding her in a different direction. Turning around in surprise, Nayely caught a glimpse of Allison being whisked away by friends, unaware of her fiancé's departure.

"Terrence, what are you doing?"

"Shh." He whispered into her ear." Just come with me."

Nayely was led to the back of the house where guests had not frequented. As he opened a door far down the hallway, she realized that this was a second staircase leading upstairs.

"Where are we going?"

"Just somewhere to talk."

"To talk? Honestly, I think I should just leave. I'd rather just go."

"Not just yet, Nayely." He dismissed her wishes as his hands went to her waist, wrapping around to the front where he squeezed the taut skin there. Nayely jumped in surprise as the once pleasurable feeling she had felt with his hands on her turned sour. When she placed her hands atop his, he mistook her attempt to remove them for encouragement, and brought her body backwards into his own. Nayely's neck tingled from the prickly sensation of Terrence's mustache as he delivered sloppy kisses to the exposed skin.

"Wait...Wait!" She protested as he pushed her into an empty room, closing the door behind them. Nayely steadied herself at the sudden change, feeling her ankle roll in the heels. Before she could get to her feet, she was sent twirling, as Terrence spun her to capture her lips. He moved faster than she could think as he reached down and instantly rolled up her dress.

"Stop! What are you doing? Terrence!" She called out.

"What are you complaining for?" He asked in between roughly sucking at her neck. Nayely  tried her best to block his access, not wanting there to be any evidence of what he was doing. All she could hear was the sound of his lips suctioned on to her skin.

"Isn't this what you've been wanting?" When Terrence's hand violently pulled her leg to his hip, Nayely yelped as his hands dove for her underwear.

"No! Please stop!" The initial shock she was experiencing was finally over as she brought her heel down on his foot.

"Shit!" Terrence hopped away, trying to find his composure before he gave away their secret hiding place. Looking at his watch, Terrence wondered just how long it would be before Nayely was overcome by the lethargy that was promised when he slipped the liquid X into her drinks. When he saw the way she had to catch her footing, he knew it was only a matter of time. He couldn't give up now just because she wanted to get fussy.

"I'm-I'm sorry I didn't mean to hurt you, I just think I should go." Nayely listened to the sounds that came from her mouth. The words sounded slow as she fought to get them out. Blinking her eyes, she tried to clear her mind.

"What for? I'm trying to help us both out here." Stepping forward with a slight limp, Terrence grabbed the front of her dress, dragging Nayely to him. Working down the zipper in the back, he ignored her resistance." Did you think I didn't know how you felt about me? The looks you'd give? Don't you like me? Don't you want this?" He said as he forced one of her hands down to the bulge in his pants.

"No, I didn't want this to happen. I-"

"Did I imagine it all this time then? You watch me all the time in practice. I see the way you shiver whenever I touch you just right. Tell me I'm wrong."

"You are!"

"Don't lie to me!" Terrence nearly growled as he pulled her closer.

"It-it was just a crush. I had no idea that you had a girlfriend-or a fiancée." Nayely shook her head as she couldn't find the strength she needed in a moment like this.

"Don't play dumb."

"I'm not! I swear. Please, just let me go. I won't say anything." Nayely begged.

"Oh, Nayely. I'm so disappointed in you." Pushing her back towards the bed, Terrence covered her body before she could get up." You walk around twisting in front of me, showing me those dimples of yours, and now that you got what you want, you're going to deny me?"

"I wasn't trying anything. I wasn't doing any of that on purpose. I did like you but-it wasn't that serious. I just-I've never liked anyone before. I'm sorry."

"You did like me?" Terrence hung on to the tense of her admission, taking a hit to his ego as she suddenly lost the innocent attraction she once had. "You don't like me anymore?" He asked with anger.

"I-" Nayely's jaws were forced open as his fingers dug into the sides of her mouth. Clawing at his wrist, she grimaced as the pain shot down her neck.

"Stop playing with me, Nayely. If you didn't want to be here, you'd leave."

"I-I can't move." Nayely's words came out gargled as he held her down by her throat. The last thing she could see before her eyes went slack was Terrence's sweating face from above as he forced himself on her.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as Judge Stewart stared on with no remorse.

"You remember, don't you?" He probed. Side stepping the imposing man, Nayely went for her door, but was unable to open it as his much larger hand kept it shut.

"Let me tell you one thing, Ms. Polite. All I am is a father who wants the best for my child. My daughter, my heart. She has been more than willing to follow the directive of Terrence so that she can reach her own goals in life, what's so bad about that?" Leaning in closer to her face, Nayely recoiled from the stale smell that invaded her nose.

"What makes you different from her? Sleeping around a little never hurt anyone, or your pockets." Judge Stewart held no interest in the moral police who may disagree with how he chose to run his own household.

His family followed in the paths that he chose for them. When he saw that Brittany had a chance to become a star athlete, he was first opposed at the idea as he had already had his mind set on turning her into a lawyer like himself. The judge had married much later in life, taking in a wife who was barely out of her teens herself when she gave birth to their daughter, Brittany. As the oldest child of three, she was supposed to set the precedent. However, after years of working as the attorney for Terrence's father, helping him skate past countless sexual assault claims and accusations, he found that there could be a lucrative side to the sports industry. Whatever a Thompson touched turned to gold, so when Terrence suggested that he take Brittany under his wing, Judge Stewart gladly agreed.

The first time the young girl had returned home from a training session with Terrence, eyes red from the crying she had done after being violated, her father had sat her down, ignoring the soreness she showed as her mother cried in the next room.

"Toughen up, Brittany. You're a woman now." He stared into the eyes of his fourteen year old daughter who had just entered her first year of high school.

"But daddy! I don't want to do this anymore."

"You can and you will."

Within just a couple of months, she had quickly forgotten her wish to leave the sport and Terrence behind. Once she began to win, she had become enticed by the feelings that immeasurable praise could give. For two years it had been drilled her head that she could become the best, even greater than Nayely, by Terrence.

Nayely's heart sank as she realized just how ruthless the man before her was. Her stomach lurched as she wished to forget everything she had learned in that week.

"She's just a girl. Nothing is worth forsaking her. Nothing." Nayely's voice shook as Judge Stewart all but rolled his eyes in her direction. Pinching the bridge of his nose, as he sighed.

"Not my daughter. I've raised her to be responsible for herself. She knows exactly what she's doing. Some children can't waste their time waiting for adulthood like others. She's taken on the role of the woman I'm determined to turn her into."

Shaking her head from side to side, Nayely cried for Brittany.

"Let this be the last time I have to come by for a visit, Ms. Polite. For the next you see me, it won't bode well for you." Nayely faltered as she could see the promise that lied in his eyes. When her front door was forced open, she was pushed out of the way as Judge Stewart took his leave. With her door wide open, Nayely collapsed to her knees as she watched the two men get into their respective cars and drive away. She didn't know how long she sat there, crying silently as the night passed by, but the moment she saw the door of her neighbors home open, she carefully reached forward, pushing the door shut with the strength that remained in her arms.

Once she was alone, she crawled into a ball, crying in anger at the helplessness that fell upon her.

"In breaking news, ESPN has received word that as of today, Nayely Polite will be parting ways with her long-time coach Terrence Thompson. According to our sources, this may come as a surprise to the Olympic star as a statement was released on Terrence Thompson's personal site just this morning..."

Terrence hit the dial of his radio as he smiled to himself. His business sense told him that soon enough, Nayely would have attempted to axe him following the fiasco she had come close to causing. Just days before, he had been told by Judge Stewart that the visit to Nayely's home had been a success. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he just couldn't let up there.

He had done more than enough damage to keep the woman down, but something about letting her get by without reminding her just who he was did not sit right with Terrence. Before his resignation, he had made many calls to the men who kept a tight hold on the industry from the shadows.

It had been difficult to convince some to give into his requests but knowing the troubles they would have to face without the Thompson seal of approval, they reluctantly agreed to essentially blackball Nayely. As long as he had his way, another coach wouldn't dare touch her.

She would have to learn to live without him the hard way. He'd make sure of it.

That's what today was all about. He planned on hitting Nayely from all sides. There was no holding back.

Pulling into the valet lane, Terrence tossed his keys at the young attendant as he strolled into the restaurant where an important appointment awaited him. Judge Stewart had managed to pull strings that helped Terrence reveal information that he was always curious about.

Nayely's past seemed to be airtight, but he learned within a few days that he had never tried hard enough to find out more. He couldn't believe the truth that she managed to hide for so long. He knew that if he had been her, he too wouldn't have wanted to be known as the child of a murderer.

When he entered the restaurant, he searched for the connect he was there to meet. He had no idea who this guy was, and nearly cursed realizing he should have gotten some kind of explanation as to who he was. When he scanned the room, he saw that a young man had his eyes trained on him. The man at a table alone, with his arm thrown over the back of his chair as he stared Terrence down.

Walking towards him with uncertainty, Terrence's eyes gazed upward as the younger man stood to tower over him.

"Terrence Thompson?" He asked smoothly, never breaking eye contact with the shorter man. Terrence shifted uncomfortably as the grip of his handshake spoke volumes to the kind of man he was. Looking him up and down, Terrence could see that he was out of his league. Wanting to assert dominance, Terrence held on for longer than needed.

The side of the younger man's mouth quirked, but not into a recognizable smile.

"Are you the guy?" Terrence asked, adding a flare of roughness to his voice intentionally.

Taking his hand back, the taller man took his seat first." Am I the guy? Why don't you take a seat and find out?"

Terrence couldn't remember being warned about the journalist's smug attitude.

"Here." Terrence abruptly slammed down a red folder with the bent edges of papers poking out. The young man raised an eyebrow as he ignored the display.

"So where did you get that move from? Not very covert, don't you think?" He chuffed at the dramatics. Drawing Terrence's ire.

"You want this job or what? Didn't they tell you what I am willing to pay? I've already offered up a portion of the money and if you follow this through you'll be looking at even more when this is all over." Touting around the $100,000 price tag he attached to this request, Terrence had expected more respect than this.

"Listen T, I'm not the one willing to pay 100 grand just to trash someone who... hurt my feelings. I have to say I'm not the desperate one at this table."

"It's Terrence." He gritted out.

"Yeah." Reaching for his water, he took a long sip." Whatever."

Terrence had enough of his flippant attitude. Standing up abruptly from the table, he winced at the pain he felt as his legs collided with the table, shaking it. "You think I'm going to sit here and take this?"

"Looks like you're not, but here-" Picking up the red folder, the journalist shoved it into Terrence's chest." Take this." Without flinching, the younger man waited patiently as he knew the desire to ruin the life of the person who had driven Terrence to him was much stronger than his pride in that moment. Terrence slammed himself back down into the seat, turning sideways, as if he didn't want to full on acknowledge who he was with.

"In there is everything you need. I expect the best of the best. Of course, without revealing where it came from."

"Otherwise you'd do this on your own instead of hiding behind me, right?" Flipping open the folder with one finger, the journalist ignored the heated stare Terrence held for him.

"Listen, if it hadn't been for the recommendations, I would have taken care of that smart ass mouth of yours, kid."

"Ace."

"Excuse me?"

"Well if you're going to threaten me, the least you could do is say my name." The feeling he felt was reminiscent of how he felt towards Nayely sometimes. For the first time, he really took a moment to commit Ace's face to memory.

"Are you going to do it, or what? Ace?" He said the name with disdain. Taking a moment to finally look at what Terrence had brought, Ace's eye's brightened when he read the name on the file.

"Nayely Polite is who you're after? What'd she do? Dumped you for someone with a little more hair up top?" when he saw the blurred black and white copy of an old newspaper clipping, Ace stopped dead in his tracks as he took in the title.

Police Announce Connection Between Recent Murders

"I want you to write this thing as damning as possible. I've invested way too much time into this ungrateful bitch for her to think she has the right to air out other people's business. I'm going to show her that two can play that game. She's not going to get away with what she tried to do to me." The vitriol Terrence spoke with spoke of a long-time hatred of the person he once used to get what he wanted.

"Which is?"

"She-" Showing some constraint, Terrence cleared his throat." That's not important for you to know. Just do your damn job and see this through." He slammed his palm against the table, bringing the attention of other guests to them.

"Simmer down, Mr. T." Ace reminded him, coolly sliding the folder back to his side. "What makes you think digging up an old murder case will hurt her?"

"The top runner in the country who is swimming in million-dollar endorsements-thanks to me-being the daughter of a convicted murder who has been on the run for the last two decades is sure to get a buzz going. Who knows if she's been siphoning off money to keep him out of the news all this time."

Sitting back in the chair, Terrence shook his head. "Eight years...eight years I wasted on her and she never spoke up once about her family or her past. All that does is tell me there's something she doesn't want revealed. I don't care how it gets done, but I'm going to knock her from the little pedestal she's gotten comfortable on."

Ace watched as the other man seethed as thoughts of the woman who had slighted him ran wild. One thing that many didn't know about Terrence and his standing within his family was that out of all of the Thompsons, he sat alone at the bottom of the rungs. Just before he took on Nayely as his athlete, he was dealing with controversies that had been kept quiet with the help of his father and Judge Stewart. His early departure from the world of sports as an athlete was sold as being the result of an injury that would keep him from running again.

When the truth was he had been accused by multiple female sports trainers of attempted assault and bribery. Nothing about Terrence's actions were new to those high enough to cover them up. It didn't take long for him to be known as truly being his father's son in that regard.

Building his wealth behind Nayely's brand was the only thing that had kept him relevant.

Standing from the table, left the folder on the table as he made his way to leave.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Chasing after him, Terrence made sure to bring the folder with him." So are you walking out on the job?" He asked exasperated.

"I'll do it." Ace answered sharply."You can keep that. I'll go with my own plan." Nodding to the information that was brought before him, Ace knew it wouldn't be necessary.

"What do you mean? If you don't take this, there's no way you're going to remember what to write!"

Tapping a finger to his temple, Ace put his confidence in his memory. "I've got it all up here. Now, don't call me and I probably won't call you." With a single head nod, Ace left the restaurant. He wasn't the type to be micromanaged during his work and something told him that's exactly what Terrence would do if they exchanged contact information. He could hear the shouts of demands following him as he walked down the street.

For someone who didn't want to be identified when this article dropped, Terrence sure wasn't being discrete.

Discrete was the only way any of this would work.

Moving along, Ace left a bewildered Terrence behind.