Chapter 242: Justice Beyond The Law
[Music recommendation: Sam Tinnesz X Tommee Profitt X brooke - Forbidden Fruit]
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SHOCKING DISCOVERY: Prominent Businessman Jacob Grant Unmasked as Serial Predator!
Aliana’s eyes widened in disbelief.
The colour drained from her face as the remote slipped from her trembling fingers, hitting the floor with a dull thud.
Gavriel, who had been quietly watching her every reaction with composed eyes, simply leaned forward, picked up the remote, and increased the volume, where the news anchor continued:
"Last night’s shocking discovery has sent shockwaves across Astoria as former Acting CEO of Van Empire, Jacob Grant, has been exposed as the prime suspect in what authorities are calling one of the city’s most horrific serial murder cases.
Police uncovered a hidden basement beneath Mr Grant’s luxury apartment, where investigators believe he lured, imprisoned, and tortured young women after meeting them at local bars. Authorities say all known victims were women in their twenties, many with little or no close family.
The investigation began after the brother of a missing woman filed a report two weeks ago. Detectives traced her last known contact to Jacob Grant, ultimately leading to the discovery.
An anonymous tip later directed police to nearby woods, where they recovered not only the most recent victim but the remains of numerous others believed to be connected to the case. Investigators are now reviewing hundreds of missing persons cases from the past five years after discovering many victims shared one final point of contact - Jacob Grant.
Authorities have also revealed that several police officers are under investigation for allegedly accepting bribes to keep suspicion away from the businessman. Jacob Grant, who disappeared shortly after being removed as Acting CEO of Van Empire, remains missing, and a nationwide manhunt is now underway."
The words from the broadcast echoed through the room, ringing loud in Aliana’s ears, as she sat frozen, locked in place by the weight of the revelation.
A moment later, a warm hand gently enveloped her icy ones.
Feeling that heat, Aliana turned her stunned face to Gavriel, who frowned slightly at how cold her hands had become.
She could only stare at him in silence, watching as he wordlessly rubbed her hands, attempting to warm them.
When she finally gathered enough air to speak, her voice emerged as little more than a whisper. "This... did you know about this?"
Gavriel met her bewildered gaze before giving a small nod. "I found out last night."
Aliana’s lips parted, then closed again. It took her a moment before she managed to ask, "Did you... find out through the news?"
"No," Gavriel replied quietly. "The person I had hired to investigate Jacob informed me."
She frowned in confusion, "What... what does that mean?"
Instead of answering directly, Gavriel asked softly, "Who do you think gave the police that anonymous tip?"
Realisation slowly dawned on her. She shook her head ever so slightly. "It was you..."
Gavriel simply gave another nod before reaching up to cup her face.
"Didn’t I tell you that you did nothing wrong?" he murmured. "If anything... what you did ended up saving countless other women from that monster."
It wasn’t until Gavriel’s thumb brushed gently across her cheek that Aliana realised tears had been streaming silently down her face all along.
Internally, Aliana felt like an emotional wreck, simply because she did not know how to feel about any of it.
One part of her was appalled to discover that the man who had worked closely alongside her for years was committing such depraved acts behind the closed doors of his home.
Another part of her recoiled at the chilling realisation of what had almost happened that night. She had come terrifyingly close to becoming another one of his victims, someone he had intended to lock away forever after declaring his intention to take her and keep her for the rest of their lives.
And then there was the final part of her... the part that wanted to feel relieved that such a monster no longer walked the earth.
Yet her moral conscience raised questions.
Was it justified to take a man’s life with her own hands even when he had inflicted such horrific atrocities upon those poor women?
As a woman, she felt nothing but disgust towards Jacob for what he had done to those innocent victims.
Yet having been a law-abiding citizen her whole life, she wondered whether it would have been better for the authorities to capture Jacob rather than take matters into her own hands.
Gavriel could sense the storm raging inside her.
Even if he proved that Jacob was the lowest of the low, he knew Aliana held a line for herself that she never believed she would cross. Even having done so unknowingly, she still possessed a guilty conscience like any normal human, doubting her actions even when those actions eliminated monsters like Jacob Grant.
So he spoke softly. "Aliana, I know what you are thinking. I know you believe that even if he committed such acts, it was still not right for you to do what you did. You think handing him over to the police would have been the proper choice, don’t you?"
When she offered a small nod, he replied, "Then would it make a difference if I told you that Jacob meeting his end by your hands was the most satisfying outcome for every single one of those victims?"
She looked at him in confusion. "I don’t understand..."
Gavriel held her gaze. "The police and the media know they were all victims of Jacob Grant. But one detail has not been disclosed to the public."
He paused. "Every single one of those women had blonde hair."
Aliana’s heart slammed against her ribs. The colour drained from her face as a sickening feeling settled deep within her chest.
And then... that night came rushing back. Jacob’s voice echoed in her mind.
’You have no idea how much I wanted you. How much I needed you with me. Even all those other women I took to bed... they were always chosen because they had your exact golden hair, just so I could pretend, at least for a moment, that I had you in my arms while I fucked them.’
"No..." Her head shook weakly as the true weight of his words crashed over her.
Her trembling hand flew to cover her mouth as tears blurred her vision. "He... he wouldn’t have done all that because of... me."
She looked at Gavriel, shaking her head in denial.
Gavriel let go of her face and held her hands as he went on, "That’s the kind of man he was. All those women suffered because of the sick obsession he had with you. Do you think any law or justice system could have given him the kind of punishment he truly deserved, the kind you gave him... even if it was unknowingly?"
A sob escaped her lips as her fingers reached out to clutch the front of Gavriel’s shirt. "They suffered because of me... Gav."
"They suffered because of a sick monster who liked to hunt and prey upon defenceless women," Gavriel corrected firmly.
"What better way to offer those women justice, Aliana? The ultimate justice was for that monster to meet his brutal end at the hands of the very woman he lusted after and used as justification for those crimes. Those souls must be thanking you for delivering the punishment he deserved, something that no court of law could ever provide."
He took her face in his hands, forcing her to look directly into his eyes. "I am proud of you for what you did, Ana."
And Aliana threw her arms around him, burying her face against him as she wept openly. Gavriel simply wrapped her tightly in his arms, holding her close as he let the storm pass.
This was his wedding gift, hoping it would finally give her the closure she deserved and free her from the guilt she had carried ever since she unknowingly took Jacob’s life.
And he was right.
Aliana could feel the raw, bleeding wound within her spirit beginning to mend.
Taking a life had left a scar on her conscience.
She knew Jacob was far from innocent because of everything he had planned and done to her. But the thought of what he had done to all those women finally brought her a sense of validation, making her realise that he truly deserved the worst.
He was a stain upon humanity, and while he would forever be remembered as one, she had helped erase that stain with her own hands.
Gavriel’s words made her feel liberated.
While taking a life was something she would always view as wrong, it finally sank in... that she had acted to protect herself.
She had given peace to those poor women who had suffered unimaginable horrors at the hands of a monster named... Jacob Grant.