Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 98418 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98418 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
"What are you on about?"
He puts the paper down in front of me and steps back carefully as though it were explosive.
There's a big picture of Lilly and I leaving her offices on Monday lunchtime.
The article reads: Lilly Parker Court Case
Lilly Parker, the twenty two year old Girlfriend of Theodore Ellis is due in court at the end of the month. Miss Parker was the victim of a vicious University Date Rape scandal back in September last year, whereby she was drugged with Rohypnol and sexually attacked. She was overdosed with the drug, resulting in a week long coma after the attack. The suspect, twenty two year old Daryl Lawson was caught after another attack on Saturday night. The evidence at this stage is unclear, but sources have confirmed DNA evidence has linked Mr Lawson to both attacks.......
I stop reading. By the time I put the paper down my hands are shaking. A red mist descends as the anger and fury slowly take a hold of me. It pulses through me like a tangible force, beating away at me.
"She was raped?" I barely whisper.
"Wait, you didn't know?!" Hugo's eyebrows shoot up.
"Some bastard fucking raped her!" I roar. Suddenly everything clicks into place. Her behaviour, her mistrust of people. I've never been one to lose my temper, but I have a near desperate desire to kill the faceless man responsible for this.
"Fuck Theo. I mean, I was shocked, but I assumed you knew. Shit. I'm sorry man. I just thought you'd maybe try and protect her from it. The press are going to be all over her for this."
"She didn't tell me." I growl. "She didn't trust me enough to tell me." I stand abruptly pulling on my jacket, before striding from the room. I don't stop until I'm in the elevator. Hugo hops in with me.
"Theo, I know your upset right now, but please don't do anything rash." The doors ping open. He grabs my shoulder. "You know where I am if you need to talk."
"Thanks." I mumble as I stalk through the lobby. A few paparazzi wait outside the building.
"Mr Ellis, Mr Ellis." They shout. "How do you feel about your girlfriends up and coming court appearance?" I turn toward the pack of vultures and glare at them. A few of them physically recoil away from me.
"How do you think I feel!?" I shout. Cameras click furiously as I stalk to the pavement and hail a cab. I left in such a rush I didn't get a chance to even call James.
Once in the cab I call through to Kerry, the head of P.R.
"Mr Ellis?" Kerry's voice sounds nervous, as it should be with this shit storm getting out.
"Why the fuck is my girlfriend’s court case spread all over the fucking Sun?!" I yell.
"Sir, I'm sorry. We've heard nothing about it until this morning." She stammers.
"Well I want whatever waste of space that felt the need to write that article finished. I want to know how they got hold of the information in the first place. Is that clear?!" I seethe.
"Yes sir." I hang up.
The cab pulls up outside Circus House. I throw some notes at him and cross the pavement into the building.
I don't bother to stop and speak to the receptionist when I reach the Thirteenth floor. My anger is still very much in full effect as I walk straight down the corridor to Lilly's office. I knock once before pushing the door open. Lilly's shocked gaze meets mine.
"Hi..." She looks confused.
"Mr Ellis." Mr Walker is welcoming but clearly perplexed by my unexpected arrival.
"Mr Walker could you please give us a moment." My eyes never leave Lilly. I grind my teeth in an attempt to keep the rage contained. Walker leaves, perhaps sensing this isn't the time to question me. The door quietly clicks shut behind him.
"Have you seen page five of The Sun this morning?" I ask coldly, keeping my voice low.
"Um, no. It's not really my kind of thing." She frowns.
"Well I have. Never the best place to find out that your girlfriend was raped." I secretly hope that she'll tell me it's all just a fabrication of the press, a complete lie, but her face goes white.
She closes her eyes. "No, no, no." She whispers. Her head drops into her hands. My anger dissipates slightly at seeing her crumble.
I lean against her desk and touch her shoulder. "Lilly why didn't you tell me?" I ask.
"No-one knows. Until now." The horror is clear on her features as she lifts her head.
"No-one?"
"Only Molly and George knew." She shakes her head. "Because they were there."
"But you didn't think I deserved to know something like this?" I say flatly.
Her eyes snap up to meet mine. "No, I didn't, not yet. It's my shit to deal with Theo." She says coldly.