I know i've been away. Life, school and work has kept me busy but i'm back and hopefully won't be away for too long.

Until Next time...Muse xOxO

Previously:

He turns on the nightstand light, and Olivia's head falls on his shoulder as she waits for him to read.

"There are truths still left untold.

Like how my love for you continues to unfold.

I was on the brink of sinking

feeling the enormous weight of my dreams leaking.

Waiting day after day while life flew away,

Floating absently into disarray.

I became one with the sea,

Oh how sanctified is thee.

The serenity that lies beneath the shore,

My heart began to beat once more.

A shooting star flew over me, like the speed of light

and I began to see my inconsequential plight.

The troubles of our past do not always have to last.

So I read you this poem in hopes that yours too shall pass.

The world is yours to take,

so create the world you wish to make.

Hold it firmly and use your power

And know that you are my light in my darkest hour."

Olivia becomes quiet for a minute, drowning in the depth of his words and the meaning of it.

"It's lovely Fitz."

"Thank you."

"Can you tell me about?" she ask softly

"Of course" he smiles at her, turning more towards his side so he can look at her better "it's about me, wasting all the opportunities life has offered me. I was drowning though self-induced, but then I met you and I began to see that the trajectory of my life. This time of my own accord. I just wanted to tell you how much I love you."

She's beaming at him like he hung the moon and stars, her eyes misty with the overwhelming emotion moving through her. She buries her face in his chest, kissing the breast bone that contains his heart.

"I love you." She tucks his unruly curl behind his ear, her fingers trail down his neck until her palm rest on his heart, feeling it beat in sync with hers.

X

"How's it going with Charles Winston's case?"

She sighs heavily annoyed by Daniel's intrusion in her office.

"I have a door, for a reason." Olivia quips refusing to look up from her folder as she reviews some of her cases.

"I knocked but you didn't answer."

"So the obvious explanation is to come in my office and make yourself comfortable?" She lifts her head finally, her face anything but pleasant.

He looks at her "It's my job to oversee this company, and Mr. Winston is a high profile case."

"I am well aware."

"Good, then you can give me an update."

Olivia turns her head slightly "The case is going fine."

"You are stalling on it."

"Fine." Olivia sets aside her folder "I am."

Daniel stares at her, pleased with her answer of truthfulness.

"I hate that you have assigned me to take this case, when the man is nothing but a complete monster, who I do not support and who's actions I do not condone."

"I put you in charge because I believe you can set aside your feelings and help a man, help a client. You more than anyone else can take charge."

"Give it to someone else."

"I want you." Daniel shakes his head

"But I don't."

"You realize that if you refuse and I give this to someone else, this case can be the case that aligns you with the legends. This is the case, Olivia. I will give it to someone else but just realize that this could be the case that makes you or breaks you." He looks at Olivia, watching her play a thousand scenarios in her brain. He waits anxiously for her response.

"Do you want the case?"

She stares at him, as her finger plays with her ring. She shakes her head without a word before moving to stand up and walk to her window.

"Have you met him?"

"Excuse me?"

"Have you met, Charles?"

"No."

Daniel stands up too "You will fly out this week and meet him in California."

Olivia doesn't say anything instead she looks out the window and plays with her rings absentmindedly, she didn't join the criminal justice field to do this, she made the sacrifices to become an attorney to help, to make a positive difference.

"New ring?"

"What?" Olivia turns to Daniel.

"You have a new ring. You use to wear the way too big bloodstone ring on your finger, and now that one is gone and you wear this one instead."

"I didn't think you noticed." Olivia jokes softly

"I pay attention to you." Daniel says softly "I'm guessing this new ring came from your new boyfriend."

Olivia doesn't respond but her silence confirms what Daniel already knew.

"Do you love him?"

"It's none of your business." Her voice emerges, strong, bold.

"I'm just asking." Daniel says simply

"I do." Olivia acknowledges.

"You said you loved me before."

Olivia shakes her head "you were my first serious relationship with someone I thought I would marry. But I see that I said those words too quickly and that I didn't know what love actually is supposed to feel like."

"So you are saying you regret telling me that you love me?"

"You weren't the person I was meant to say that too. And I wasn't the person you were meant to say that too."

Daniel's head falls sadly.

"I'm not trying to hurt you Daniel, I think we should move on. You should be happy."

"I'm fine. But I want a debriefing on when you come back from California. I want this case, done. You silence that witness and we all move on."

/

"How was work?"

"The usual cases, but Daniel just annoyed me." She flops on the couch beside him, moving whatever he was reading on the table as she climbs in his arms.

"What did he do?"

"I have to fly out to California this week to meet Charles Winston."

"Charles Winston? The philanthropist ?"

"You mean the rapist?" Olivia sits up as she looks at Fitz "If I tell you this then you have to promise not to say a word…are you in?"

"I'm in." Fitz turns to look at Olivia, giving her his undivided attention.

"a young women has come forward to say that Charles raped her, but the thing about it is that she is a software engineer at his business, she says he fired her after he raped her and gave her a severance package but she knows that what he was doing was writing her a check to keep her silent, and he gave the money under the disguise of termination. He raped her, Fitz. And I get to defend him."

She looks at Fitz who seems miles away from her.

"Fitz?"

"Yeah?" he turns to look at Olivia

"Where did you go?"

"I was just thinking about him being brilliant."

"Brilliant, wasn't exactly the word I would use to describe him."

"Olivia, there is no denying the man is disgusting but he used the money from the company as a form of silence, he never gave her money to silence her rape claims, she is only a disgruntled former employee. It's brilliant which is why we have to stop him."

She turns to him, confused by his statement?

"We?"

"I'm going to California."

"Fitz." Olivia laugh nervously

"Olivia, this is a monster, in order to beat him we have to join him and I don't want you near him by yourself."

"You honestly think he would rape his lawyer?"

"Men like Charles Winston do not accept or see boundaries. Everyone can be bought and you work for him which makes you an employee of his service."

"I don't work for him."

"You represent him. "

Olivia stares at Fitz annoyed. "Nobody owns me, he does not get to touch me or claim to own me."

"I know that but he doesn't."

"Why do you want to go?"

"Why not?"

Silence fills the room and Fitz knows exactly what Olivia was worried about. "I'm prepared to go to California, I know my last time there wasn't what I had in mine or even planned but I'm ready.

"What if you see someone that knows you? What if Charles recognizes you?"

"You honestly think that Jerry Grant says my name better yet has my face associated with his."

"I remember seeing an article about you."

"Then you must have been searching for a long time." Fitz laughs at Olivia's confession.

"Are you sure about this Fitz?"

"I'm ready."

X

They stare at each other for a second before knocking on the door at the Grant Tower penthouse suite.

"I forgot your dad, has luxury hotels."

"How can you forget? His name is everywhere." Fitz says annoyed as he looks around the extravagant furniture.

"Please, come in. Mr. Winston will be with you shortly." A young women says opening the door for Fitz and Olivia.

"It's hard to imagine Jerry like this." Olivia remarks taking note of the furniture and décor.

"He's surprisingly not about flaunting his money unless it comes to paying someone off. Jerry does dress modestly which is odd considering his personality is anything but sincere, but that's how he lures his victims in." Fitz whispers in Olivia's ear as they walk around the massive living room of the penthouse.

"I know he's a monster." Olivia looks to Fitz

"They all are, Liv." Fitz responds softly

"Miss Pope!" Charles Winston emerges from a room dressed moderately casual, wearing khaki pants and a wool sweater, he screams average but Olivia knows all too well that his attempt at dressing is to downplay his actions, to showcase his down to earth persona he has mastered.

"And who's this?" Charles Winston looks at Fitz.

"This is my associate." Olivia turns to Fitz.

"Thomas." Fitz shakes hands with him

"You look familiar."

"Likewise." Fitz jokes attempting to downplay Charles thoughts.

Olivia and Fitz sit adjacent from Charles who rest comfortably on a gray suede chair.

"Let's start from the beginning."

"Well, Rachel worked at my company, her numbers were abysmal and she simply wasn't producing new material. I fired her, she received her severance package and next thing I know I am being informed of this outrageous claim that I raped her."

"Who fired her?" Olivia asked

"I did."

"You personally?" Olivia questions

"Yes." Charles looks at Olivia "she was a long term employee who worked directly under my team and I felt it was important that she heard it from me than anyone else."

"Why is that?" Fitz speaks up

"Why? Because I care about her. She was a good employee and I hated having to do that."

"Was she on a action plan before her firing? Any write ups to show her decline in productivity?" Olivia asked

"I don't have them on the top of my head."

"This is Rachel's file from Human Resources." Olivia throws the folder on the table and watches as Charles opens the folder to find it empty.

"What is this?"

"Nothing." Olivia says simply "Your case is nothing. Your claim is nothing. This case will be over before you can blink unless we start being real and stop with these theatrics, you think you can be real Charles?"

He stares at Olivia before looking at Fitz who remains silent but clearly listening.

"Fine." He gives up

"The first rule when I take you on as a client is do not lie. You can lie to world, but you do not lie to me because if you lie then I will not protect, I cannot protect you, so do I make myself clear Charles?"

"I understand, Olivia."

"Good." She smiles annoyed "now tell me the real story."

"You raped her." Olivia confirms after listening to the awful story , she was tempted to look at Fitz who refused to say one word throughout his story, not even a question or sigh of frustration.

"I wouldn't call it that."

Olivia shakes her head "That is not your place to say, you violated a women who told you no. that is rape. Did you cum inside her?"

Charles's smile drops with fear as he looks at Olivia with fear he has never felt before.

"You don't know? Or you don't remember?"

"Both." Charles whispers

"How many?"

"Excuse me?" Charles turns to Fitz

"How many women have you raped or sexually assaulted?"

"I haven't!"

"Liar." He whispers out coldly "A man like you doesn't forget how many women you have slept with mutually or raped. A man like you gets a high off of raping women, you feel powerful, because they rejected your advances, it's not the sexual pleasure that you find consuming but the look of fear on your victims faces. So tell me….how many women have you such much as looked at? And where do I find them."

"I am a married man."

"The biggest sinners are those who claim innocence." Fitz responds coldly

"Charles, when the world finds out about this, you will be done. Every women will come forward and explain how you raped or assaulted them, remembering every detail and memory that comes to mind. They will come forward and your kingdom, your family, your reputation will be no more. You will be in jail where the guards will walk away as you are raped by the prisoners as they will feel they are giving you what you deserve. You can claim innocence all you want but the truth is that you are guilty, so how do we fix it?"

He stares at them, before getting up and walking to the back of the suite, closing a door loudly as he retreats.

"Are you ok?" Olivia looks at Fitz who looks disgusted.

"I'm going to be sick." Fitz confesses

Olivia rubs his back soothingly as Charles rushes back to the room and Olivia removes her hand from Fitz's back before Charles can witness.

"Here." He hands Olivia his long list "That is every women I have slept with or touched." He rubs his face nervously "the bottom half of this list, I have not paid off with a non-disclosure agreement. Can we offer Rachel, more money?"

"Money is not always the answer. But Charles you are not to say a word about myself or my associate, do not even mention his name even to your friends, do you understand me?"

"Yes." He promises and Olivia believes he is being truthful

"Is there anything else you wish to tell us before we go?"

"Just make sure this doesn't get back to my family."

Olivia stares at him "You should have thought about your family long before this."

She walks out the door with Fitz following closely behind.

/

"I can't find some of these ladies, Fitz? Can you?" Olivia shouts from the bedroom but she is met with silence.

"Fitz?" she calls for him again, but is still met with silence. She walks down the long hallway of the suite and finds him sitting at the table with folders stacked around him.

She touches his shoulder and she watches him jump with fear.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I've been calling you."

"I'm sorry." He wipes a single tear from his face before Olivia could see.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He smiles at Olivia before getting up and walking away.

"Fitz, what is this?" she looks at one folder.

He sighs heavily before walking back to the table and grabbing the folders. "Stephanie Hardin." He throws the folder on the table "Lauren Curtis." He throws another folder on the table. "Tiffany Nelms." He throws another folder "Amanda Tanner." He throws another folder on the table "Amber Holmes." And another "Adrianna Garcia." Another folder "Mariah Smith."

He turns away from the table and looks at Olivia "these are the victims of Jerry Grant. Seven girls, who Jerry either sexual assaulted or raped. Their ethnicity ranging from Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American. Their age group though is something they all have in common 18-22, young, innocent, children. My father did this! The man who created me, destroyed the life of seven young girls who will never get their life back, never feel peace, safe. He took from them something that did not belong to him. And when I heard Charles talk, I was disgusted and reminded about what I failed to do."

"Fitz, what happened?"

He stares at Olivia, his eyes red and his face obviously pained. "I joined the military after graduating from Harvard Law School. Jerry had big plans for me and I wanted to be free of him so I enlisted and joined, and I was part of this secret task force that I did not want to be a part of but I was stuck…I called Jerry and he got me out of there and I was appreciative of him and he was proud of me for thinking outside the box. The next thing I knew he wanted me to run the firm so he can focus on his other deals and companies. I willingly agreed because I wanted it but also because I owed him one. I enjoyed being there, I felt like I was doing some good, and once a month I would have lunch with a different department- interns, assistants, human resources, and one day after everyone left a young girl came to me and confessed that she was raped and that it was my father who did it." Fitz moves to sit beside Olivia though not touching her.

"She told me she went to HR and after that, Jerry confronted her and told her that if she does something like that again, he would kill her." Fitz stops talking for a second "but she told me, and I walked into HR and demanded to have every case against Jerry and this is what I found, these young girls voice and truth lies hidden in a file bin. I personally sought these women, some still worked at the company after their encounter with Jerry and others disappeared, and some came forward that were not reported."

He bites his lip "Jerry silenced some with non-disclosure agreements and others he forgot about. I decided that I was going to take him down. These young ladies came forward to give their side of the story and find their peace in the world that Jerry robbed them of. I had the evidence, I had the victims, I had the case, but then something happened…Jerry came to my office one day and he clapped for a minute and I knew he found out. Those seven girls all signed a non-disclosure agreement written by Daniel and refused to testify and participate which meant I no longer had a case and I was subsequently fired." Olivia stares at Fitz, shocked.

Fitz stops talking for a moment, as though the memory is all too fresh even after the years.

"There was a girl, that I grew close to that worked at the firm, she was a victim that Jerry sexually assaulted, we grew close working on the case but Jerry confessed to me that she was the one who told him everything, even the victims who didn't work at the firm, he found them because of her. Her name is Amber…she said he blackmailed her, and he probably did but I just became numb after that. I lost everything that day, but it was nothing compared to what those ladies have lost...I wanted to do the right thing, but when you play with the devil you typically get burned."

Fitz smiles sadly at the memory.

"I tried getting a job at another firm, in another state but Jerry is powerful. He has police, judges, politicians in his back pocket, I can't fight against a man like him so I gave up. It broke me, Liv. " he looks at Olivia clearly hurt "I tried to do the right thing and I lost everything. I was angry with them, angry at her, Jerry, Daniel, everyone at that firm who hid and condoned Jerry's actions, how can we turn a blind eye on such grotestue actions?"

His head bows in sadness. "I lost everything by trying to do the right thing. I was angry and I fell into a deep depression. I just didn't care anymore about anyone or anything. Jerry won and I lost. But one day Amanda Tanner, wrote me a letter before committing suicide…she regretted taking the money and that she thought she was making peace by moving on but it seems its easier said than done….She was the reason I went back home after all those years. The day I saw you at the ranch was also my first time seeing Jerry in years, and Daniel has known about Jerry and has condoned his actions which means he is implicated and guilty. I've been trying to move on with my life, but you have no idea how evil they are. My family, the rich gets richer and more sinister but they look at those beneath as being the sinners." Fitz laughs sarcastically.

"I won't be like them."

Olivia climbs in Fitz's lap and she holds him, and he holds her. They don't say anything for minutes. Both clearly overwhelmed by the information Fitz unloaded.

"You were fired for trying to take Jerry down?"

"Yes. Jerry, told me that had I not been his son he would have sent me to prison for the rest of my life, but he needs me and in his sick twisted way he respects me."

"Is this why Stephen's afraid of you going down this rabbit hole?"

"Yeah..." he whispers

"And why you defended me with Hollis at the Ranch?"

"Yes, but I would have done that anyways."

"And why you don't like me to go down-"

"Yes..."

Olivia looks at Fitz taking in all of his worth "did the girl break your heart?"

Fitz rubs Olivia's back "they all did but she was the knife that finished me."

"Did you love her?"

"No. I developed a relationship with her after Jerry."

"Are you okay?" Olivia plays with the curls hanging on the back of his neck

"I'm great now that I'm with you."

Olivia kiss Fitz gently on the lips, a silent token of gratitude.

"One of the girls on Charles list also has a file with Jerry."

Olivia lifts her head to stare at Fitz "is that a coincidence?"

"No." Fitz says sadly "several girls, have a history of working at Jerry's hotel, but one worked at the firm and slept with Charles."

"This is big." Olivia stares at Fitz

"Charles scandal is to coverup a bigger story."

"It explains why Daniel is so heavily involved and wanting me to spear head this case."

Fitz nods his head.

"What do you think Fitz?"

"I think that Jerry is sex trafficking and using the hotel and the young girls at the firms to solicit new clients and business ventures."

A chill runs down Olivia's spine, the nauseated feeling creeping through her soul as her Fitz uncover further corruption and decay in America. How many people have been sacrificed and sold to the rich and wealthy?

"It explains why Charles lives at Jerry's hotel."

"Easy accessibility to vulnerable women, the hotel is nothing but a coverup. This is prostitution ring and Jerry is at the helm."

"We have to meet with Charles, tomorrow." Olivia demands getting up and running towards her phone, quickly dialing his number that goes straight to voicemail "we cannot let them get away with this Fitz! We have to fight for those girls because no one else will."

"We will." Fitz promises

"We need to meet with the girl who has slept with both Jerry and Charles, she is important, and if she has a case already then she is familiar and can give us details about what's going on." Immediately Olivia grabs her laptop and starts searching.

"She won't talk."

"Fitz, I know she signed an agreement with Jerry, but she may still come forward with Charles."

"That's not it… she's was my girlfriend, the one who told Jerry everything, she gave me up and gave up every girl that wanted justice."

"What's her name again?"

"Amber Holmes."

Olivia reaches for her phone, types something and hands her phone to Fitz "is this the girl?"

Fitz stares at the brunette with green eyes, her eyes have grown colder, her face harder, her skin whiter.

"Yes, that's her." Fitz hands the phone back to Olivia, not quiet ready to see the women who played a significant role in his demise.

"She's the director of Human Resources."

/

She knocks on the door.

"Come in."

"Good morning, Olivia."

"Good morning, Daniel." Olivia smiles all too kindly

"How was the trip?"

"You tell me."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sure you called, Charles right away to ask about our meeting so you tell me what Charles said." Daniel stares at Olivia before smiling. "he likes you, actually he loves you. He said that you are amazing."

"Did he say anything else?"

"Nope, he said that you are going to fix this for him and I believe it."

Olivia squints her eyes "I can't fathom how people can condone the action of others? How they can watch someone hurt people and find it okay."

"Where's this coming from?"

"Just talking." Olivia says simply though her eyes tell another story, she glares at Daniel struggling to keep calm about his actions, how he could hide his dirty secrets from her for all these years.

"I saw the painting in your office, it's new."

"What were you doing in my office?"

"I was just admiring the painting."

"By snooping?"

"I was walking by and I saw it."

Olivia stares at Daniel questionably

"That ring looks familiar." Daniel stares at Olivia's ring again. The entire week that Olivia was gone, all he could think about was that ring, and he's unsure why but he's stuck on it, he's stuck on her.

"What are you getting at, Daniel? Why are you still concerned about my life and personal affairs?"

There's a knock at the door.

"Do not come in!" Daniel yells

But the person walks in anyways.

"What are you doing here?"

Olivia's stares at the person in shock, confusion, fear.

"I work here."

Dressed in a impeccable custom suit, he turns to acknowledge Olivia.

"Hi Olivia."

"Hi Fitz."