culpables years later

Nick

When I saw the photo that Noah sent me, I smiled. I felt like a proud father. Andy was the same age as I was when I started playing soccer. Unfortunately, I couldn't answer Noah because I had to go to an spontaneous meeting. 

Take a deep breath in and out. That was my motto. Simon's also in the meeting now, and we were in great spirits. Not. With a serious look on my face, I walked into the meeting room and shook Roggers' hand just because he was sitting next to me. "Nick, good to see you." "Hello, Simon." We nodded to each other and sat down at the front. The meeting seemed like an eternity, but in reality it was only an hour. At the end, all that was discussed was the location options in Hamburg, who would run it, and what the plan was for the future. 

Simon would have agreed to go to Hamburg to start with and keep an eye on everything there. That was actually pretty good, because it's hard to find someone you can trust. 

Also because I didn't really want him here. I didn't want him anywhere near Noah. I like to have him a few thousands of miles away. The meeting was over, and I was on my way to my office when someone stopped me by the shoulder. "Leister, would you have a second to talk?" "Come to my office." He followed me, and I took it. The sooner, the sooner he's gone. When he got to my office, he sat down on the chair and I sat down in my boss' chair. "So what's going on, Simon?" "Because of the new company in Germany, who's going to run it in New York? We had switched places with LA and New York." He was right. He and I had swapped stays at the time so I could live with Noah in Los Angeles, and he was okay to live in New York. Only if he's in Germany, who's doing the office in New York? 

"Would we have one of the other partners willing to go to New York? Frankly, I don't want to look for anyone else to take over the office." He smiled at me and saw the back of the photos on my desk. "Not really. But I'd be willing to look for new ones, and then I can tell you. What do you think?" 

It wasn't a stupid idea. "It's fine to me." He nodded, and it seemed like he was going to say something. I knew something, too. He was blinking at the pictures of me and Noah and Andy. He wanted to know how she was doing. Noah told me once, after she had finished this between them, that he had helped her with a job, and that they were going good. "She's fine." He looked at me in surprise. "What do you mean?" He was foolish with me. I was so mad. "You want to know how Noah is, she's fine." "I didn't want to ask, because it's weird." "I'm not mad at you. Noah is my wife, and she explained to me what happened between you and how you helped her and were a gentleman."  

He seemed amazed and relieved. "I'm glad she's happy. She's always loved you." That statement seemed weird to me. On the one hand, he wasn't resentful, on the other hand, if he knew it all the time, why was he with her? People knew Noah from Simon at the opening ceremony of Leister Enterprices. And when she was always by my side at parties and events, people realized she wasn't here as my little sister. 

The looks of the staff made me angry. But Noah's presence made me softer. Every time someone looked at us, I kissed her, and my hand on their waist tightened. Everyone should understand that Noah belonged to me and I loved her as my friend, wife and mother of my child.

"I've got to go in a minute. But, Nick, thank you for not having a grudge or anything like that. I hope we're all good. I'll get back to you." He got up and we shook hands. "Have a good trip." 

I watched him leave my office, and I lowered myself more into my chair. My eyes went to the photos. My family helped me calm down. Always. Tonight, we would tell them. Also, that we're moving out of the house.

But what Noah told me about Lion and Jenna worried me. They were perfect for each other, and that's why I put them together. If they were to break up, we should all break up. And Lion didn't answer his phone either. Jenna had answered the invitation, and Lion had no sign of him. And I thought. I'd like to go and see him, but I couldn't leave. Not yet. I had some things to do first, and then I could go and see him.

Michael

Everything went as planned. He made contact with them, and he's going to fall into my trap. "He's in debt and he's delivering for me. He's trapped with his brother in this scene. We don't think his friend Leister knows about this." The end was getting closer. I could have taken revenge on anyone, but that wasn't enough. I was after something big. 

"All right. Leister will be joining us soon, and then you can let off steam. My contact will be joining us soon, too. Then the final part begins." We were standing in my apartment, and I looked out the window. My mind went to Noah. I loved her, but she couldn't let us be happy. We were perfect for each other. She hurt me and betrayed me. Instead, she gets pregnant and marries her brother.

She ruined everything for me. My job and my family. Everybody turned their backs on me. Everything would be over for the two of them. In the end, they're dead, one way or another there's no escape.

But I think it's about time I went to see my dear Noah. A smile crept on my lips, and I lit a cigarette.

Nick

When I saw the photo that Noah sent me, I smiled. I felt like a proud father. Andy was the same age as I was when I started playing soccer. Unfortunately, I couldn't answer Noah because I had to go to an spontaneous meeting. 

Take a deep breath in and out. That was my motto. Simon's also in the meeting now, and we were in great spirits. Not. With a serious look on my face, I walked into the meeting room and shook Roggers' hand just because he was sitting next to me. "Nick, good to see you." "Hello, Simon." We nodded to each other and sat down at the front. The meeting seemed like an eternity, but in reality it was only an hour. At the end, all that was discussed was the location options in Hamburg, who would run it, and what the plan was for the future. 

Simon would have agreed to go to Hamburg to start with and keep an eye on everything there. That was actually pretty good, because it's hard to find someone you can trust. 

Also because I didn't really want him here. I didn't want him anywhere near Noah. I like to have him a few thousands of miles away. The meeting was over, and I was on my way to my office when someone stopped me by the shoulder. "Leister, would you have a second to talk?" "Come to my office." He followed me, and I took it. The sooner, the sooner he's gone. When he got to my office, he sat down on the chair and I sat down in my boss' chair. "So what's going on, Simon?" "Because of the new company in Germany, who's going to run it in New York? We had switched places with LA and New York." He was right. He and I had swapped stays at the time so I could live with Noah in Los Angeles, and he was okay to live in New York. Only if he's in Germany, who's doing the office in New York? 

"Would we have one of the other partners willing to go to New York? Frankly, I don't want to look for anyone else to take over the office." He smiled at me and saw the back of the photos on my desk. "Not really. But I'd be willing to look for new ones, and then I can tell you. What do you think?" 

It wasn't a stupid idea. "It's fine to me." He nodded, and it seemed like he was going to say something. I knew something, too. He was blinking at the pictures of me and Noah and Andy. He wanted to know how she was doing. Noah told me once, after she had finished this between them, that he had helped her with a job, and that they were going good. "She's fine." He looked at me in surprise. "What do you mean?" He was foolish with me. I was so mad. "You want to know how Noah is, she's fine." "I didn't want to ask, because it's weird." "I'm not mad at you. Noah is my wife, and she explained to me what happened between you and how you helped her and were a gentleman."  

He seemed amazed and relieved. "I'm glad she's happy. She's always loved you." That statement seemed weird to me. On the one hand, he wasn't resentful, on the other hand, if he knew it all the time, why was he with her? People knew Noah from Simon at the opening ceremony of Leister Enterprices. And when she was always by my side at parties and events, people realized she wasn't here as my little sister. 

The looks of the staff made me angry. But Noah's presence made me softer. Every time someone looked at us, I kissed her, and my hand on their waist tightened. Everyone should understand that Noah belonged to me and I loved her as my friend, wife and mother of my child.

"I've got to go in a minute. But, Nick, thank you for not having a grudge or anything like that. I hope we're all good. I'll get back to you." He got up and we shook hands. "Have a good trip." 

I watched him leave my office, and I lowered myself more into my chair. My eyes went to the photos. My family helped me calm down. Always. Tonight, we would tell them. Also, that we're moving out of the house.

But what Noah told me about Lion and Jenna worried me. They were perfect for each other, and that's why I put them together. If they were to break up, we should all break up. And Lion didn't answer his phone either. Jenna had answered the invitation, and Lion had no sign of him. And I thought. I'd like to go and see him, but I couldn't leave. Not yet. I had some things to do first, and then I could go and see him.

Michael

Everything went as planned. He made contact with them, and he's going to fall into my trap. "He's in debt and he's delivering for me. He's trapped with his brother in this scene. We don't think his friend Leister knows about this." The end was getting closer. I could have taken revenge on anyone, but that wasn't enough. I was after something big. 

"All right. Leister will be joining us soon, and then you can let off steam. My contact will be joining us soon, too. Then the final part begins." We were standing in my apartment, and I looked out the window. My mind went to Noah. I loved her, but she couldn't let us be happy. We were perfect for each other. She hurt me and betrayed me. Instead, she gets pregnant and marries her brother.

She ruined everything for me. My job and my family. Everybody turned their backs on me. Everything would be over for the two of them. In the end, they're dead, one way or another there's no escape.

But I think it's about time I went to see my dear Noah. A smile crept on my lips, and I lit a cigarette.