A day after the arrest of Matthew Briar, the campus ran abuzz as word of an associate professor was apprehended for drugging and raping a freshman.
The entire student body was in shock and the university administration denied the allegation. The admins struggled to keep the issue under wraps due to the nature of the event, and Ein and Matthew's names spread like wildfire as the students were deeply angered by the incident to add fuel to the fire, the university was adamant of the cries of its students.
Hearing about the plight of Ein sparked courage to some of the students and alumni that Matthew had preyed on from the past.
The police had a breakthrough with their investigation two days later, as several students and alumni came forward to file sexual assault, coercion, and rape charges against Matthew Briar. They discovered that the professor would prey on freshmen, take advantage of their naivety and would manipulate, coax or drug them into performing sexual acts. Matthew would then blackmail his victims to silence or coerce them for lewd favours. South Kensington Police's investigation team was overwhelmed by more than a hundred valid cases filed against Matthew Briar in 72 hours. It was an unprecedented development that the investigators did not expect.
The scope of Matthew Briar's crimes shook the city of London and it eventually spread throughout the country.
The incident blew up in a week and became a national scandal. A public inquiry was raised and was helmed by the patriarch of the Moss Family who was part of the upper echelons of the House of Lords.
Lord David Moss, Monique's paternal uncle incited that the criminal must be punished to the full extent of the law. They also encouraged their peers to revisit and expedite additional LGBT legislation in the House of Commons to protect citizens from such acts in the future. Five days later, a trial was initiated by the Crown Prosecution Service against Matthew Briar after collating all of the necessary cases raised against him.
Justice was moving forward with great speed, however, one of the key witnesses for the trial remains unconscious.
Two and a half weeks have passed since Matthew's assault on Ein. According to the doctors, some complications arose from the drug that Matthew injected on Ein. It turns out that the components of the drug had an adverse reaction with his blood, causing Ein to go into shock and fall into a coma. Doctors were still flushing out the drugs from Ein's body, he had been intubated and strapped on to life support due to his fragile state. A gentle cacophony of medical equipment filled Ein's room.
Despite Monique and Diether bringing in fresh flowers to brighten up Ein's hospital suite, the strong smell of disinfectant remained inside. Diether was napping in a chaise lounge by the windows and Monique sat on an armchair beside Ein's bed while reading the local newsprint.
The news about Matthew's sexual assault was still on the front page of the paper Monique was holding onto. Her face would cringe and scowl with disgust every time she sees Matthew' face plastered on newsprints, magazines and the TV. She then puts down the paper and stands up to check on Ein, who was still unconscious.
Monique reached for Ein's left hand and gently held it, she felt Ein's warmth and pulse as she wrapped and tangled her fingers with his hand.
"Hey, sleepyhead." Small beads of tears lined Monique's blue irises. "You should wake up soon so we can send that bastard to hell." Monique lets out a soft whimper as she speaks to the sleeping Ein.
"I never got the chance to tell you… But, Diether and I got engaged!" Tears started to drench Monique's cheeks. "That day when we were supposed to meet for lunch… We wanted you to become our Man of Honour!" Monique's hold on Ein's hand tightened.
"If you don't wake up soon, I… I'll... change it to a Maid of Honour! I'll m-make you wear make-up a-and a dress and I'll i-introduce you as my sister!" Monique breaks down on Ein's bedside, her tears dampen the blanket as she cries her heart out.
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Diether woke up to Monique's whimpers, he got up from the chaise lounge and went on over to Monique's side. He then wrapped around his arms around her and gave her a gentle hug. He then gazes at Ein's sleeping face.
"He'll wake up soon Monique… The doctors did say earlier that Ein's condition was improving as they were almost done removing the drugs from his system." Diether pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wipes Monique's tears.
"B-but… what if he doesn't wake up?! What if… Will the drugs disable him for life? What if-"
"Shhh." Diether then presses Monique's lips with his index finger. "What if Ein hears you? He'll be troubled you know… you know Ein hates it when the people around him overreact and dote too much." A gentle smile was etched on Diether's face. "I believe in Ein… I just know it, he'll wake up soon." Diether then cups his hand on Monique's cheeks and kisses her on the forehead.
Monique then felt Ein's hand twitch. She was still holding onto his left hand, her eyes widened as she felt Ein's fingers slowly clasp onto hers. She then looked at Ein’s face, she noticed that his eyelids were twitching too.
"...E-Ein?! Ein! Can you hear us?" Monique's voice became frantic and her eyes were imbued with relief. "D-Diether! Call the doctor! Q-Quickly! I think Ein's waking up!"
Diether then rings the nurse call button just above Ein’s bed. “I’ll also go to the nurse’s ward, just in case Ein’s doctor is there. I’ll be back quickly!” Diether then darts off from the room, leaving Ein and Monique on their own.
“Ein? If you can hear me… can you hold on to my hand tighter?” Monique’s eyes glimmered with hope as she watched Ein’s fingertips gently clench onto hers. Ein repeated the motion twice as if to tell Monique that he’s awake.
“Oh… my goodness… Ein!” Tears of joy now drench Monique’s face, she then sees Ein gradually open his eyes.
“Ein, you dolt! Welcome back.”
-----
Henry’s face was dismal, his eyes had gone bleak and were in a stupor as Monique narrated the gist of Ein’s terrible youth. His lips quivered in shock whenever Monique described Ein in a pitiful state, Henry even cried a few tears when they got to Ein’s recovery after the assault.
Monique did notice something strange with Henry’s demeanour, his eyes would be filled with rage whenever Matthew’s name was mentioned.
“...By the way, what happened to Matthew Briar after?” He glances at Monique inquisitively and takes a nervous sip from his bottle of chamomile tea.
“He’s incarcerated for life at Belmarsh.” Monique groans as she recalls Matthew’s trial.
Henry’s jaws dropped and his eyes dilated in shock. “You mean Prison Belmarsh? Holy shit! Is he that dangerous?” Henry drank and finished his tea, then put down the empty bottle by his feet. “I thought sexual offenders here in the UK are just sentenced to a prison somewhere?”
“It was the first in this country… To have a criminal accumulating a total of 289 counts of sexual assault, 138 counts of rape, and 4 counts of attempted rape. Monique scratches her head as she recalls the day of the verdict. “Oh, and also attempted murder too.” She then stares at Ein who was sleeping soundly in front of her.
“Now that you know the truth, I hope to not see you act like a thirsty bastard in front of Ein.” She then stands up from her seat and turns her attention towards Henry. A condescending smile appeared on her lips.
“Also, I would like to know… Why did you return here to Hotel Citron after four years?” Monique crossed her arms as she awaited Henry’s reply.
“About that…” Cold sweat trickled Henry’s nape, his voice trembled and he hesitated to answer Monique’s question.
“Emery told me things about you and your enthusiasm to work here in my hotel.” Monique chuckles as she remembers Emery’s stay in Hotel Citron.
“Four years ago, you accepted a month-long position as a dishwasher here, and when your contract ended you went back to school to acquire higher management credentials… Emery sponsored your education. Am I right?”
Henry nods in silence, his face was etched with nervousness as Monique dug through his information. “Chef Emery was my mentor after I left Ell Bolli… He also wanted me to grow beyond the confines of the kitchen. I simply accepted his offer of genero-”
Monique interrupts him. “But you see, my gut tells me that you’re hiding something,” Monique smirks as she sees through Henry’s apprehension. “My intuition is usually on point too, so just think of this as a trade. I gave you a secret, so you must pay in kind.” Her smirk then turned into a sly smile.
“Emery recommended you as his replacement, he placed his trust on you and vouched for you the moment you entered these premises.” Monique opened her bottle of tea and took a quick sip from it.
“Yes, and I plan to do better than what he has already presented to the table.” Henry then stared at Monique sharply. “That is all my aim here in Hotel Ci-”
“Is it because of Ein?”
Henry’s golden irises dilated in shock, his ears flushed red and he felt like a thief caught red-handed in the act. “I-I’m n-not sure… w-what do you mean by that?”
“Aha! So it is related to Ein.” Monique giggled as she saw Henry look like a youth who was confronting his first crush. “Did you get acquainted with him by any chance? I don’t recall Ein hanging out with other chefs beside Emery and I don’t recall setting him up with chefs on his blind dates...” Monique scratched her head as she tried to recall if Ein had other friends besides her.
“It’s not that! It’s just that…” A bashful smile appeared on Henry’s face.
“What is it then? If you’re here to work and also play then-”
“...I-I’m here to p-pay a debt!” Henry’s face was as red as a ripened tomato. “E-Ein… Saved me once, and I’m here to return the favour.”
Monique’s eyes glisten with excitement.
~~~~~
To Be Continued.
~~~~~