RED NOTES AND KISSES
Chapter 128: FRIDA - 128

Chapter 128: FRIDA: Chapter 128

The sky burned with streaks of gold and pink, the cityscape below their balcony fading into shadow as the sun dipped lower. Frida leaned on the railing, a glass of champagne in hand. Beside her, Laz reclined in a deck chair, his feet propped on the edge, his posture deceptively relaxed.

"We did it," she repeated, her voice tinged with disbelief. "She’s actually...gone."

Laz glanced at her, his ever-present smirk softening into something warmer. "Don’t sound so surprised. You had this in you all along."

Frida chuckled, swirling the champagne in her glass. "Did I? I feel like I’ve been reacting, surviving. Not...winning."

"You faced down Evelyn Michaels and walked away intact," Laz said. "That’s not just surviving, Frida. That’s victory."

She gave him a sidelong glance. "And yet, I can’t shake the feeling this isn’t over."

---

A Lingering Threat

Her words hung in the air like a storm cloud, unspoken fears seeping into the moment’s quiet. Laz straightened, setting his drink down.

"You think she has another card to play?"

Frida nodded slowly. "Evelyn doesn’t lose, Laz. Not without a fight. What we’ve done—what we exposed—it’s only a matter of time before she finds a way to strike back."

The next day, her unease deepened. As Frida scrolled through her phone, she noticed an uptick in anonymous messages. Most were celebratory, commending her bravery, but others were darker. Threats and insults mixed in with cryptic warnings.

She showed Laz. "This can’t be random."

Laz skimmed through the messages, his jaw tightening. "She’s planting seeds of doubt. Trying to make you paranoid."

"Well, it’s working," Frida muttered, setting the phone aside. "What’s her endgame?"

---

Unexpected Visitors

That afternoon, a knock echoed through the apartment. Laz, suspicious as ever, reached for the bat he kept near the door. When he opened it, a young woman stood there, her face pale and drawn.

"I need to speak to Frida Michaels," she said, her voice trembling.

Frida joined him at the door. "I’m Frida. Who are you?"

The woman hesitated, glancing nervously down the hallway. "My name’s Sofia. I used to work for Evelyn. She...she sent me to deliver a message."

Frida’s stomach churned. "What message?"

Sofia fumbled in her bag, pulling out a small envelope. "She wanted me to give you this. And to warn you...she’s not done."

Before Frida could respond, Sofia turned and hurried away, disappearing down the stairwell.

Laz shut the door, locking it twice. "I don’t like this."

Frida opened the envelope. Inside was a single piece of paper with a typed message:

"This isn’t over. Enjoy your hollow victory while you can."

---

Fighting Back

That night, Frida and Laz strategized. Evelyn’s message wasn’t just a threat; it was a declaration of war. They needed to anticipate her next move.

"She still has resources," Laz said. "Even if her reputation’s in tatters, she’ll have loyalists."

Frida tapped her pen against her notepad. "We need to find them. Cut off her support."

They spent hours compiling names—former employees, business associates, and anyone who might still owe Evelyn a favor. Laz reached out to his network, while Frida prepared statements for the media. They weren’t just defending themselves anymore; they were going on the offensive.

---

An Unlikely Ally

The following day, Frida received another unexpected visitor. This time, it was a man in his late fifties, impeccably dressed, with a weary but determined expression.

"Miss Michaels," he said when she opened the door. "My name is Richard Lang. I believe we have a common enemy."

Frida arched an eyebrow. "Evelyn?"

Richard nodded. "She ruined my career years ago. Cost me my company, my family...everything. I’ve been waiting for someone to stand up to her."

"And you want to help?" Laz asked, stepping forward.

"I have information," Richard said. "Details about her offshore accounts, hidden assets, and the people she’s bribed to stay in power."

Frida’s heart raced. "Why now? Why come forward?"

"Because she’s vulnerable," Richard said simply. "And because I’ve had enough."

---

The Turning Point

Armed with Richard’s information, Frida and Laz launched their most aggressive campaign yet. They exposed Evelyn’s financial misdeeds, leaked documents proving her involvement in illegal activities, and enlisted the help of whistleblowers willing to testify against her.

The media frenzy was relentless. Headlines painted Evelyn as a corrupt, manipulative tycoon who had finally met her match. Public opinion turned sharply against her, and even her few remaining allies began to distance themselves.

But Evelyn wasn’t going down without a fight. Late one night, as Frida and Laz reviewed their progress, her phone rang. The number was blocked.

Frida hesitated before answering. "Hello?"

"You think you’ve won?" Evelyn’s voice was icy, laced with venom. "This isn’t over, Frida. You’ve made an enemy for life."

Frida’s grip tightened on the phone. "You’ve already lost, Evelyn. It’s over."

Evelyn laughed, a cold, bitter sound. "You’ll never escape me, dear. No matter how far you run, no matter what you do, I’ll always be there."

The line went dead.

---

The Final Blow

In the weeks that followed, Evelyn’s empire crumbled. Her assets were frozen, her reputation irreparably damaged, and her legal troubles mounted. Richard’s testimony, combined with the evidence Frida and Laz had gathered, proved to be her undoing.

But even as Evelyn’s influence waned, Frida couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. Evelyn’s final words echoed in her mind, a haunting reminder that some battles never truly end.

One evening, as she and Laz prepared dinner, Frida turned to him. "Do you think she meant it? That she’ll keep coming after us?"

Laz set down his knife, meeting her gaze. "Maybe. But we’ll be ready. Together."

Frida nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. For the first time in weeks, she felt a glimmer of hope.

---

Moving Forward

Months later, Frida and Laz stood on the balcony once more, watching the city lights twinkle below. Evelyn was gone, her empire in ruins, and for the first time in her life, Frida felt free.

"What now?" Laz asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Frida smiled. "Now, we live. No more looking over our shoulders. No more battles to fight."

Laz chuckled. "Sounds like a plan."

As they clinked their glasses together, Frida couldn’t help but feel a sense of closure. The war was over, and though the scars would remain, she was ready to move on.

For the first time, the future felt bright.

----

Frida stirred her soup absently, staring into the swirling broth as if it held the answers to her future. Though Evelyn’s empire lay in ruins, the older woman’s voice still haunted her, a ghostly whisper that refused to fade.

"You’ll never escape me."

Laz entered the room, his energy as grounded as ever. "You’ve been staring at that bowl for ten minutes. Did it insult you or something?"

She looked up with a faint smile. "Just thinking."

"Let me guess—Evelyn?" he asked, sitting across from her.

"Who else?" Frida sighed, dropping her spoon. "She’s gone, but it doesn’t feel like it. I keep waiting for something. A bomb to drop, a knife in the back."

Laz leaned forward, his elbows on the table. "You’re not wrong to be cautious. People like her don’t just disappear. But sitting here waiting for doom isn’t the solution."

Frida smirked. "You have a solution, then?"

"Yeah," he said, grinning. "Let’s hunt her down before she hunts us."

---

The Hunt Begins

Frida wasn’t entirely sold on Laz’s plan, but the idea of taking control appealed to her. They started by digging through the last remnants of Evelyn’s network. Laz worked the streets, using his connections to unearth whispers and rumors. Meanwhile, Frida handled the digital side, combing through data dumps and piecing together Evelyn’s movements.

Three weeks passed without any leads. Then, one night, Laz burst into the apartment, his face alight with excitement.

"Got something," he announced, tossing a folder onto the table.

Frida opened it, revealing a series of grainy photos. Each showed Evelyn, disguised but unmistakable, entering and leaving a nondescript building in the outskirts of the city.

"She’s still in town?" Frida asked, her stomach churning.

"Looks like it," Laz said. "Word is she’s holed up there with a skeleton crew. Nothing like the fortress she used to have, but still dangerous."

Frida stared at the photos, her mind racing. "We can’t just walk in there. She’ll be expecting us."

Laz smirked. "Who said anything about walking?"

---

The Infiltration

The plan was simple but risky: Frida would pose as a courier, delivering a fake package to the building. Laz would stay nearby, ready to spring into action if things went sideways.

Frida’s hands shook as she approached the door, a nondescript box clutched to her chest. A burly man opened the door, his eyes narrowing.

"Delivery," she said, forcing a smile.

The man grunted, taking the package and motioning for her to leave. As she turned, she noticed a sliver of movement behind him—a glimpse of Evelyn’s unmistakable silhouette.

Her heart pounded as she walked away, knowing Laz was watching from a distance. The second she was out of sight, she pulled out her phone.

"She’s there," Frida whispered.

---

A Dangerous Game

That night, they watched the building from a nearby rooftop, planning their next move. Laz wanted to storm in, but Frida insisted on a more cautious approach.

"She’s desperate," Frida said. "That makes her unpredictable."

Laz nodded reluctantly. "Then we flush her out."

Over the next few days, they worked to isolate Evelyn further. Laz spread rumors about her location, forcing her to relocate multiple times. Each move chipped away at her resources and morale.

Finally, Evelyn made a mistake. In her rush to escape, she left behind a laptop containing sensitive information. Laz intercepted it and brought it to Frida.

"This is it," Laz said, setting the laptop on the table.

Frida hesitated, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. "What if there’s nothing on it?"

"There will be," Laz said confidently. "People like Evelyn always have something to hide."