HE HAD JUST returned from his workout when he saw the warden standing near his cell with a transparent bag in his hand—a set of familiar clothes and a wallet. His wallet. He furrowed his eyebrow as he neared them.

"Uh, what's going on?"

"Get changed, son. You're free to go."

"What?" Ty spluttered. He didn't know what to say...or feel. How was this possible? He stood there, stunned. No words left his mouth. His heart and mind were filled with questions he didn't know how to ask. Slowly, he took the clothes in his hands and changed into them. They smelled horrible yet familiar. He stepped out of the prison and tasted the sun as a free man. He didn't know where to go...what to do. Until he found a familiar face waiting for him.

Her blonde hair slapped against her face as she was leaning her hips on the car, arms folded on her chest. She had the most genuine smile on her face. He approached her.

"Van Burke and his gang members were arrested three days ago for the murder of your parents and their other crimes. Once I found that his alibi was fake, it was easy to place him on the scene of crime. But the question is, why did you confess to the crime you didn't commit?"

"I was threatened to do it," he said. He kept his face neutral.

"By whom?"

"Doesn't matter anymore. What are you doing here?"

"I figured I at least owe you a free ride. C'mon." She opened the door of the police vehicle.

"You don't owe me a thing. I will find my way back."

He left without a word—anger pumping in his veins.

***

The city had changed quite a lot in the last five years but it wasn't hard finding his penthouse. He expected the security guard to be surprised but he was nowhere to be found. He hadn't seen a familiar face in a long time and he was aching to be with someone who knew the whole truth. He didn't want to explain why he was in jail for five years and why he was suddenly free.

He opened the door of his penthouse, his password still unchanged—and was only greeted with emptiness. He looked around the place that he no longer found comfort in. The two people that made this place home had died right in front of his eyes and there was nothing he could do to bring them back.

Seance was always an option but he preferred not to visit uncharted realms.

He walked up the stairs towards his bedroom. It was still clean with not a speck of dust anywhere. He opened his closet and grabbed a pair of sweatpants and hoodie. The maid had been cleaning his apartment regularly even though he was never going to come back. For a moment, he felt a warm feeling embrace his chest. But then reality sunk in as quickly as a forest on fire.

He went into the bathroom to take a shower. The cold water stung his face as he raked his hand through his hair. The glass around him had blurred from the water droplets yet he could feel the emptiness seep in. He leaned his back on the cold glass and sat down under the shower. He placed his hands against his ears and let the sound of running water drown him. He didn't know what else to do to shut his mind off. There was always some voice blabbering in his head and the sound of water buried that voice. He wasn't aware how much time had passed but the cold water was finally affecting his body so much that he started to shake. He wrapped himself in the towel and looked at himself in the mirror. He had no interest in shaving his beard but he had always been a disciplined child. The five years were...hell. But it was worse in his mind.

He walked out of the bathroom wearing sweatpants when he saw a silhouette of a man staring at the window. He turned around when he heard Ty's footsteps. Fox stared at Ty—an unexplainable feeling swirling in his eyes. He slowly, almost carefully let out a relieved breath. A huge smile cracked on his face as he lunged forward to hug Ty. Ty didn't know how to react but eventually he gave in and hugged his best friend. He relaxed himself in his embrace until they finally decided to let go.

Fox Quinn smiled at him once more and then jabbed at his chest.

"Hey, easy!" Ty called out.

"Easy?" Fox smacked his chest again. "You mother—"

"Fox!"

"Right, sorry. But you"—smack—"are an absolute"—smack—"shithead, you know that?" Fox huffed. "You left me alone, man. You lied your way into jail because of your crushing guilt and then refused to let us visit you! Do you know how torturous these five years have been?" Ty remained silent and watched an intensity of emotions roll on Fox's face. He stretched both of his hands against Ty's chest and pushed him again. This time, Ty retreated back by his strength. "Say something, damnit!"

"What?"

"I don't know!" Fox yelled. "Just—" He slouched and clenched his jaw. "What the fuck were you thinking confessing like that? Do you know how devastating it was to know that your best friend is going to jail for absolutely no reason?"

"Go," Ty whispered, his ears turning red.

"Excuse me?"

"Leave." His breath turned ragged. "I don't want to see you right now."

"Not this again."

"Go."

Fox took a step back, unsure whether to listen to Ty or not. Ty lowered his gaze to the floor, denying to let Fox read what Ty's face was trying to convey. When Fox turned to leave, Ty sulked down to sit on the edge of his bed. He swallowed and waited to be alone again when he heard Fox spin on heels again and say, "No." His best friend sprinted forward and sat beside Ty. "I am not leaving."

A chill ran down Ty's spine. A beat of silence later Ty looked into Fox's eyes—knowing that his eyes were turned red. His lips twitched and Ty crushed into Foz's arms. "I am so sorry. I didn't know what else to do." Ty murmured painfully. "My parents died right in front of my eyes and these cops were constantly grilling me with their questions and I just wanted to mourn and scream so I confessed. I—"

"I wish you would have just asked for my help and hadn't traded your life like it was nothing."

"It feels that way without them—" he pulled himself back from Fox. "I am back now, aren't I?"

Fox smacked his head. "You were lucky that the detective showed even an ounce of trust towards you or you'd still be rotting in jail."

Ty scrunched up his nose at him and rubbed the back of his head. "They may have arrested the hit man but I still don't know who wanted mom and dad dead." He lifted his chin up at him. "You're the CEO now. Who wants you dead?"

Fox let out a dry chuckle. "Stop trying to solve a case that's already solved and no one wants me dead, moron. You're not a detective but you are meant to be the heir of Archer & Co."

"You're right." He turned his gaze from Fox to the window. "I am not a detective."

"But you're ready to show up at the office and convince the BOD to vote you back?"

Ty smirked.