Chapter 3 Broken Trust
Everything felt like a cruel nightmare. Marcus wished he could snap awake and discover the last twenty-four hours had been nothing but a twisted joke.
Just yesterday he had been rushing to celebrate Elena’s birthday, now he sat in a
cold holding cell, staring at the gray walls.
Footsteps echoed down the corridor. He didn’t bother looking up ,he had no one left who cared. Until he heard his uncle’s voice.
“Looks like you’re adjusting already,”
Reginald said smoothly. “I spoke with the officer handling your case. You’re being charged in court tomorrow. He suggested I arrange a lawyer for you. What do you think?”
The concern in his tone almost sounded genuine.
Marcus lifted his head, eyes hollow and exhausted. He studied his uncle’s face but found nothing readable.
“What game are you playing?” Marcus asked weakly.
“You’re not here to help. Just say what you came to say. You orchestrated all of this even though I did nothing wrong. If this is about Elena, you can have her. I’ve let go.”
“I’m simply teaching you a necessary lesson,” Reginald replied, dropping the act.
“You’ve always been stubborn, just like your late father. My sister raised you poorly. I brought you to the city and mentored you hoping you’d become useful. It’s not too late. I can clear these charges, get your job back, and make everything disappear within twenty-four hours, if you cooperate.”
Marcus’s eyes widened. So this was the real reason.
He stood up slowly and approached the bars. “What do you really want? It must be something big for you to go through all this trouble.”
“The Codex of Vitalis , the ancient herbal compendium,” Reginald said, a greedy glint in his eye. “Your mother mentioned it before she passed. I brought you here because of that book, but I never found it. I asked you once and you brushed me off. Tell me where it is and this nightmare ends.”
Marcus laughed bitterly. “The Codex? It was passed down from my grandfather through my father. It contains generations of rare herbal formulations and healing techniques. I entered medicine to blend modern practice with that ancestral knowledge and you expect me to just hand it over?”
“Don’t be a fool like your father,” Reginald snapped. “He refused to partner with me. We could have dominated the medical world but he chose to die poor in that village. Give me the book and I’ll bail you out, plus give you a cut of the profits. You’re only twenty-five and you don’t want to rot in prison for something you didn’t do.”
“I’ll even build a new big hospital and make you the director. What do you think?” Reginald added temptingly. “We could rule the industry together.”
“It’s too late, Uncle,” Marcus said, voice steady despite everything. “If you hadn’t betrayed me with Elena and framed me, maybe I could have trusted you. But I know you’d eliminate me the moment you got what you wanted. Thanks for bringing me to the city but I’d rather rot here than let you touch that book. The book deserve a honest person not a dumbass like you”
Reginald’s face twisted with rage. “You’ll regret this. I’ll make sure you rot, and I will find that book.” He stormed out, cursing.
“Go! Go to hell! Like I care!” Marcus yelled after him, watching his uncle storming out.
He took a deep breath after he had left.
“Did I do anything wrong by trusting my only uncle? How would I get out of this for goodness sake!” He thought loudly as he went back to his cell.
He sat do
wn, waiting for the faith had in store for him.
