TO LOVE A GIRL

　　In the morning, the first thing Camilla and Lisa did was to go check on the dog, Lisa had claimed to give the pie the previous day.

　　Camilla's heart is beating in her stomach. She woke up with a bad feeling in her guts and as they got closer to the security post, the feeling got worst. The moment Lisa mentioned a dog, she had been feeling bad about it. She had stayed longer in that estate and she had never seen a dog.

　　The two friends walk till they get to the security post. There they meet a large crowd of workers and men in suits. There were guards, the kitchen staff, and even Peter gathering around the place.

　　Lisa and Camilla exchanged looks wondering what was happening.

　　"She is the one !" One of the guards says the moment he sees Lisa. The two men in suits and the rest of the people all turn to stare at her.

　　Lisa touched herself, checking if she was truly the one they were referring to but the guard insisted. She turned around to see if there were maybe someone else behind her but there was no one.

　　"Lisa?" Peter's brows meet in disbelief as he looked from the guard to a very confused Lisa.

　　"Are you sure?" Peter asks the guard again. Peter turns to look in their direction. His eyes look clouded and hurt but he had a case before him. In his heart, he wanted to run to Lisa's side and tell everyone else to go say that she was innocent but that will cause more harm than good.

　　"Lisa, did you come here last night?" Peter asks her.

　　Lisa not knowing what is happening admitted it openly. "I came here last night and I brought a pie here," she shrugs her shoulder. She doesn't understand the gravity of what is happening. To her, she brought a simple pie to a dog. If it died, why were they making a big deal out of it?

　　Peter face palms himself as the crowd starts murmuring following Lisa's answer.

　　"Since she is admitting it, I don't see the reason why we have to set up a panel? Let's call the police!" One of the men in the suit says.

　　Camilla seems to be even more confused than Lisa. And now she is hearing talks of calling the police, based on what?

　　"What is going on here?" She asks.

　　"Ma'am we woke up this morning and we found Simeon dead. I saw your friend bring food to this place last night and now one of us is dead. She has just openly admitted it even. Why don't you ask her?" The guard hisses, returning his attention to the men in suits.

　　"If Ethan can control his guests then it will be best to have them leave the packhouse! Imagine what this morning has brought to light! They may even be hunters and we have no idea!" The other suited man says.

　　Camilla is shocked. She looks at Lisa and her heart increases its tempo. Lisa is in a trance. She hears everything happening around her but she is unable to react.

　　Camilla ran to Peter's side. "Lisa didn't kill anybody! She gave the pie to a dog! How can they call the police because she killed a fucking dog!" She cries out.

　　Peter holds her shoulders firmly but doesn't respond to her question. Rather, he turns to the people guarded around the security post, "An investigation will still be carried out to be fair. For now, I request that everyone return to their positions and wait." Peter orders and slowly everyone disperses except the suited men.

　　"How long do you need for the investigation?" The first suited man asks Peter.

　　Peter checks his wristwatch before replying, "Give me two hours."

　　"Okay," they chorus, retiring into the house.

　　Lisa is still frozen in her thoughts but she tries to stay strong as soon as everyone leaves the place, she collapses to her knees.

　　Peter is the first to reach her side. "Lisa, please don't do this. I'll find a way out of this. Do you understand?"

　　Lisa raises her hands to her face and they tremble. Her lips quiver as she tries to open her mouth. "I didn't do it. I didn't kill anybody. It was - it was a dog!" She cries out.

　　"I understand your point completely but there is no dog here. One of the men ate it. The pie was poisoned." Peter tells her.

　　Camilla starts running her fingers through Lisa's blonde hair to calm her down.

　　"Camilla, where did she get the pie?" Peter asks her.

　　It is as the question settles in Lisa's head that she remembers where she got the pie in the first place. So if they had eaten the pie, they would be dead!

　　"Jessie!" Lisa exclaims. Jessie brought the pie to them saying she wanted to make peace. If they had taken it, they would be dead.

　　Peter looks at her thoughtfully. He isn't the least bit surprised that Jessie gave them a poisoned pie. That girl is capable of anything.

　　"Yes, it is Jessie. Last night she brought us a pie and said she wanted to make peace with us and that she was tired of fighting every time. " Camilla recounts the whole scene to Peter. "When she left, we refused to eat it so, Lisa brought it out here."

　　Peter is in a dilemma. He wants to save Lisa and clears her name but he also has to take responsibility for the people in Ethan's absence. The council representatives won't let this matter go even if he told them that Lisa is inky being framed.

　　"Camilla, take her inside. I will try and investigate and see if there is a way to clear her name." Camilla nods. Peter helps to put Lisa back to her feet and Camilla takes her back into the house.

　　"I didn't kill the guy... I swear it... " Lisa mumbles and Camilla tries to soothe her by telling her that everything would be fine. She runs her fingers through her hair again and they sit in the living room. Waiting for the outcome of the investigation. If Lisa's name isn't cleared she risked going to jail for murder.

　　Peter heads to the kitchen to find out who had made the pie or was the pie from outside?

　　"Mary, did you make any pie here last night?" Peter asks her since she is the head chef.

　　"Yes, my lord. Last night when everyone returned to their rooms to retire after dinner, Miss Jessie came to look for the ingredients for a pie... she said it was for something special," Mary says as she is lost in thoughts trying to comprehend how Lisa got involved in it. "Sir, I don't understand how Miss Lisa got hold of the pie. How come the guards are saying they saw her there?"

　　"Lisa did go there. It seems Jessie gave them the pie..." Peter sighs, the matter is getting more complicated by the second. But he is at least grateful Mary has confessed that Jessie was the one who asked for a pie. "Mary, can you please get Lisa and Camilla something to eat before the council calls for judgment?"

　　"Of course sir, anything to help," Mary answered. She liked Lisa and Camilla, she hated this situation that had befallen the sweet girls.

　　"Thank you, Mary. You have been extremely helpful." Peter says as he leaves the kitchen and heads to Jessie's room. He knocks hard on the door. And Jessie pops her head out glaring rudely at him.

　　"What do you want?" She yawns.

　　"One; why did you get pie made last night and two: why did you hand it to Lisa?" Peter's voice is firm and it echoes in the corridor which attracts Sandra.

　　"Why are you questioning her? The evidence and witnesses, all point out your favorite, girl, Lisa. Why not do the needful. Or are you incompetent?" Sandra taunts.

　　Peter is certain Jessie is responsible but since he has no proof his hands are tied. All the evidence does point at Lisa. But with the attitude Sandra is showing, he can swear half of his life that she is the brain behind it.

　　"I know you two are involved in this and I will expose you. I will get to the bottom of it!" Frustration seeps through Peter as he walks away from them. How is he going to show Lisa and Sandra's involvement? Especially since Sandra is a member of the judging panel.

　　How can he throw Lisa in jail?

　　He promised to take care of her because she was Damon's sister!

　　How can he do this to her?

　　Peter didn't know what else to do. He paced around his room trying to look for counter questions he can ask Jessie during the panel round to prove Lisa's innocence or at least put some doubts in their heads about it.

　　In the room, Lisa and Camilla stare at their food not knowing what to do. Camilla chews on her finger and Lisa just watches like she had lost her memories.

　　"Lisa, why did you take the pie to the security post. Why not just thrash it since we already concluded that it was bad?" Camilla asks Lisa.

　　"I thought there would be a dog there. How was I supposed to know there was no animal there!? I didn't want to trash it because I wanted to prove to you that Jessie had poisoned the damn pie!" As she explains a lone tear escapes her eyes.

　　Camilla feels bad for her actions and runs to Lisa's sadness, wiping the tear away. "I am sorry Lisa. I just can't think straight anymore... I am sorry. We'll get through this, together as always..."

　　She places her head on Lisa's shoulder and they stay like this until the door opens slightly and a very worried Peter comes in.

　　"Lisa whatever happens when you come to face the council, just plead that you didn't know about the guard. Don't mention the dogs they will take it as an offense," Peter tells her.

　　Lisa nods and Peter helps her to get to her feet. Two hours has passed so fast, they didn't even realize it until Peter came to get them. They walk till they get to the living area where the panel had set up a table and chairs for them and the staff gathered in a circle around them.

　　Lisa sits still on the seat provided for her, staring into space. She can't go to jail. Especially for a crime, she didn't commit. If anyone should be going to jail. It should be Jessie and not her.

　　Camilla sees that if she seats still her friend will be arrested and she will be sent to jail if she doesn't do anything. She slips out of the living room to make a call to Ethan. He is the boss around here, he should be able to clear Lisa's name.