As if her image defamation wasn't bad enough, Joanna's boss of over five years called to officially inform her that his services were no longer needed in the company, effective immediately. She was asked not to bother coming down to the company, stressing that her stuff was currently been transported back to her home.
While Joanna was still trying to digest the unfair termination of her employment, she received an eviction notice from her landlord with a court order giving her only two weeks to vacate the premises.
As if that wasn't enough to give her high blood pressure, her oil and gas mogul boyfriend of over two months, called to end his relationship with her over the phone while explicitly calling her a whore.
Joanna clenched her chest, gasping for breath at all the bad things happening to her when she finally received another call that instantly made her pass out.
It was a call from her bank stating that her investment of over four years had suddenly crashed due to unexpected inflation.
Back at the Stevens mansion, Eunice was almost running mad with panic as she tried to convince her husband and son that Tina could be in danger.
But none of them seemed interested in listening to her, especially after she stated that she heard a man's voice over the phone.
"Give it a rest woman." Rowland Stevens barked at his wife, unable to shake the image of that old fool's head buried in his only daughter's grey area. "I'm done listening to you whining about that useless daughter of yours. If you want to go out and kill yourself while finding her, be my guest."
"Rowland!" Eunice cried out, staring at her husband helplessly.
"Mom please let it be. Tina knows her way home." Kelvin sided with his father, his narrowed gaze as cold as ice.
Just then, Kelvin received an emergency call from his commanding officer, which caused his face to turn white with horror.
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry sir. Okay, sir. I'll be taking the next available flight tomorrow morning to base, sir."
Rowland, who was about to exit the drawing room tilted his head sharply toward his only son, his eyes widened in horror.
Kelvin ended the call, his hand trembling vigorously.
"Dad, there is a problem."
"What problem!" Both father and mother asked simultaneously.
"That was a call from my commander."
"Yes..." Rowland encouraged his son to keep talking, his right hand already on his chest.
"I have been asked to report back to base tomorrow morning unfailingly."
"But you're supposed to be on leave for ten days. You've only spent roughly two days with us." Eunice complained, forgetting about Tina momentarily.
"What else did your commander say?" Rowland asked knowing this wasn't the reason for his son's place look.
"You remember that issue I told you about?"
"Is it the one about the erroneous discharge of a firearm that killed your partner?" Rowland asked.
"You killed someone?!" Eunice placed both hands on her head.
"Shut up woman and let him talk." Roland barked at his wife, before turning to his son for a response.
"No." Kelvin shook his head, tears pulling at the corner of his eyes.
"The one with the drug smuggling?" Rowland's breathing became laboured as Kelvin nodded his head.
"Drugs!" Eunice whimpered, her forehead breaking in a cold sweat.
"Let's discuss this in my office." Rowland gestured for his son to follow him not wanting Eunice to be involved in whatever bad news he was about to break.
"Rowland, don't shut me out. I'm still Kevin's mother." Eunice ran after them but was denied entrance into the office.
"Tell me what did your commander say?" Rowland asked, unable to ease the tightness in his chest even with continuous inhaling and exhaling.
"My team and I are being court-martialed tomorrow and my commander thinks we might be in serious trouble. He said if we were found guilty, some of us would be facing imprisonment and others including me would be sent to the battle zone in Icurus."
"Good Lord!" Rowland gasped, plopping on the double seater behind him, his lungs threatening to collapse as he struggled to breathe.
"Dad!" Kelvin hurried over to his father's desk and picked up a paper bag, which he brought over to his father to assist him with breathing.
Upon freeing his airways with sweat dripping from his forehead, Rowland turned to his son, his reddened eyes clouded with threatening tears.
"Icurus is as good as the death penalty, Kelvin. I can't afford to lose you. Is there any way out of this mess?"
Kelvin thought briefly, his heart racing fast. "The commander said the general, stumbled upon some short video clips of the drug smuggling transaction, incriminating me and my team. If we can make that evidence disappear before the court martialing tomorrow, there might be hope for me. Maybe imprisonment for a year or two. But certainly not Icurus."
"Who do you think we can call for this? Breaking into the military database to erase that file without being caught is not something anyone can easily pull off." Rowland pointed out.
"But I know someone who can." Kelvin turned his face sideways, his expression turning grim as a name crossed his mind.
"Who?" Rowland's eyes lit up with hope.
"An old friend of mine. His name is Echo. He's an elusive hacker and can make that evidence disappear. But according to some of my Intel, he now works directly for Blaze Anderson."
"Oh God! Tina!" Rowland clasped his head.
"Exactly. From everything that happened so far, it's obvious Tina has ruined us before Blaze. I haven't spoken to him since Tina left him and I don't think he will take my calls now." Kelvin's shoulder slumped, looking up to his father for help.
"I think it's high time we see him and apologize to him for what your sister did to his wife," Rowland suggested after a deep thought. We could go through his mother.
"That sounds like a better idea."