Chapter 26

A day had passed and on a Monday morning, almost everyone in the McDonell mansion was up and getting ready for a busy day ahead. Leo, Eric and his father were at the table eating their breakfast. Diana soon came to join them.

"Morning, everyone," Diana greeted the three as she took a seat at the table.

"Morning, mum," said Eric.

"Morning," Leo and Mr McDonell replied at the same time.

"Will you be going to the office today?" Diana asked her older brother.

"No, Leo and I will be going to meet some clients," Mr McDonell replied. "We have an early appointment."

"That leaves me going alone to the office," said Eric as he sipped on his tea.

"Don't worry, Eric, I have something I need you to to do."

"Is it meeting new clients?"

Leo smiled at his cousin sitting across from him. If there was one thing Leo knew Eric enjoyed, was meeting new clients. He loved being interactive with people, especially if his clients were women. Leo wondered if his cousin was really serious about Angel. In the past few days, he hadn't been flirting with any lady Leo knew of.

"Yes, but that will be later," Mr McDonell replied. "I'll need you to go through some paper work that will be delivered to you at the office."

"Sure thing, uncle," said Eric.

"Speaking of which, I have to go with Carly to her college to get on with her transfer."

"What time will you do that?" Diana asked.

"After we meet our clients. Though I might leave a little early, Leo, so you can handle things along the way."

"Sure thing," said Leo as he finished his breakfast. "Seems like you're going to have a busy day."

"Mondays are always busy, son."

After breakfast, Leo and his father with Eric left the dining table, and got ready to head out for work. Leo went with his father in his car and Eric went in his own car with his mum as he was dropping her off at the mall. As the two cars headed out of the premises, Amanda, who was already awake, was looking out of the window from her bedroom at the two cars until they left. In her wheelchair, she rolled out of her room and approached Angel's.

She knocked at the door. When she didn't receive a response, she opened it and saw Angel still fast asleep. Amanda rolled her wheelchair into the room and got closer to Angel's bed. It looked like the medication she was on had knocked her out again. Amanda looked on at her with a smile. She couldn't help but notice that Angel was beautiful, even in her sleep. She had that radiance that attracted Amanda to her a lot; like an angel. Angel was a beautiful person inside and out. She reminded Amanda of Angel's late mother whom Amanda had grown very fond of over the years.

Amanda stretched out her hand and moved aside a strand of Angel's dark red hair on her face to the back of her ear. Angel moved for a moment, but she didn't wake up. Amanda thought it was best for her to leave the room to let Angel rest for a couple of hours.

Just when she was about to turn the wheelchair, she noticed a rose on the small drawer next to Angel's bed. She wondered where it came from. There was a small note folded beside it. Amanda stretched her hand a little to get it. When she unfolded it, she noticed it was from Eric. She recognised his hand writing even when he didn't leave his name on the note. Amanda smiled. It was the least he could do after all Angel had been through. An angel like her needed the best in life and Amanda couldn't help but feel grateful for Eric's little gesture.

Amanda then realised that her grandson might be into Angel. She noticed the way he was always by Angel's side and the way he looked at her with stars in his eyes. Amanda chuckled as she remembered how Eric was staring at her when the three of them were sitting on the porch behind the kitchen, yesterday afternoon. How she had wished Leo was there with them. They had quite a conversation.

Thinking of Leo, Amanda couldn't help but feel worried about him. Ever since Angel and Carly came to live with them, he had been more closer to Carly than Angel. Those two were so close that people would think that they had known each other for a long time. Not that it was a bad thing. It bothered Amanda in a way because Leo didn't seem to care for Angel despite putting her through a rough patch with the accident. Even after talking to him about it last time, he still hadn't changed. She hoped that he would be more responsible for Angel and try to take care of her like Eric did, but he didn't.

She also noticed that there was always a different kind of tension between Angel and Leo every day. Whenever they were in the same room together, it felt like they still couldn't stand each other. But why? Was Angel not fond of Leo because of the accident? It didn't seem like her at all. Or was it that Leo still had a problem, she wondered.

"Amanda?"

Angel had brought Amanda back from her thoughts as she looked at Angel, who was staring at her with sleepy eyes.

"Morning, dear," said Amanda as she smiled at her.

Angel smiled back. "Morning," she replied as she rubbed her eyes and gave out a yawn.

"The meds knocked you out, didn't they?"

"Ya, they always do," said Angel as she sat up on her bed.

"Well, at least you're getting better," Amanda smiled at her. "You might find yourself going to work earlier this week."

At the mention of work, Angel looked a little pale.

"Does Leo and Eric know that I'll finally be joining them?" Angel asked as she stared at her fingers on her laps.

"Not yet," said Amanda looking at Angel with a worried look. "Is something the matter, dear?"

Angel looked up at Amanda. "No," she answered. "The person I'm most worried about when they find out that I'm working at their company is Mrs. McDonell."

Amanda smacked her lips. "I already know that and she's the least of my concern, and yours. There's something more to this, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're more worried about Leo's reaction, aren't you?"

Angel swallowed thinking of what to say next.

"No," she answered quickly. "Remember you suggested that to him and I didn't mind what he thought."

"To him, it was all a suggestion. I bet he has forgotten about it. But it won't be long till that suggestion becomes a reality."

"And you think that I'm afraid of how he's going to react?"

"That's exactly what I was asking, dear."

"Well, I'm not."

Amanda pretended to smile at Angel like she had accepted it but there was a lot more she really wanted to know.

"I wanted to know why it seems so hard for the two of you to get along," said Amanda. "That's why I asked."

"What do you mean?" Angel asked. Amanda noticed her blush a little.

"I mean, you and Eric have grown to be friends. Carly and Leo seem more than close friends, which to me seems a little strange."

"Strange?" Angel almost chuckled. "How?"

"I mean to say, I've noticed a tension between you and Leo and I mentioned it last time. People in the house might not see it, but I do."

Angel continued to look at Amanda, trying her best not to fix her eyes somewhere else or else Amanda would know that something was wrong.

"Leo is Leo, Amanda," said Angel. "He's a hard person to come by and he so happens to get along with Carly and not me."

"Which seems strange. Leo didn't put Carly into an accident, but you. You're right, Leo is a difficult person to come by, but I thought he would be a lot more closer to you because he has a responsibility over you."

"Wait, Amanda," said Angel, the word responsibility ticking in her head and making her a little upset. "He isn't responsible for me. He might have caused the accident, but I didn't really need his help. If he really did care about me, then he was going to be visiting me at the hospital like he should, but instead he was..."

Angel stopped herself at the right time. She would have blurted out that Leo had been visiting her sister instead of her when she was in hospital. Who knows what Amanda was going to make out of it if she had said it out loud.

"But instead he was what, Angel?" Amanda asked.

"Instead, he was thinking about himself and staying far away from his responsibility as possible," Angel finished.

Amanda sighed. "I'm afraid you and I think the same. He can be a little selfish sometimes, but he's a good person. What disappointed me the most was that he didn't live up to his responsibility. And for that, I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologise, Amanda," said Angel as she reached out for Amanda's hand and held it. "Eric already did so on his behalf. And you forced him to apologise last time."

Amanda chuckled. "Eric has always been a sweetheart."

"He is, actually." Angel noticed the rose by her bedside. Amanda noticed Angel's eyes on it.

"It's from him," said Amanda.

"Who?" Angel asked as she looked at Amanda.

"Eric."

Angel smiled as she went back to staring at the rose. "You see, he's sweet."

"I just wish Leo could be the same," said Amanda as she stared sadly at the rose.

Angel didn't know how to answer to that. It felt really awkward with Amanda looking on sadly at the rose.

"I guess, he's sweet in his own way, Amanda," said Angel still holding on to Amanda's hand.

The corner of Amanda's mouth went up into a smile. "You're right on that one," she said. "But I wish he could be more sweeter towards you. That's what I meant."

Angel swallowed as she scratched the back of her head with her free hand. "He will in due time," she said.

"I really hope so. Time could be such a burden sometimes. And I don't know how much I can stand all this."

Angel gave Amanda an encouraging smile. "Hopefully, sooner than you think."

"You're so sweet, dear," said Amanda as she smiled at Angel. "I hope it's soon."

There came a loud thumping noise of heavy footsteps upstairs and the two ladies looked up towards the ceiling. Amanda couldn't help but chuckle for she knew who it was.

"Looks like someone is late for school again," said Amanda. "I always tell his mother and the house help to help him get out of bed early."

"I can help him get ready," said Angel as she pushed her bed covers aside so as to get out of bed.

Amanda moved her wheelchair back a bit. "Are you sure, dear?"

"It's not a big deal. I used to wake Carly up whenever she was going to school and college." Angel stood up from her bed and wore her blue sleeping gown over her purple pyjamas. "Speaking of which, I have to wake her up too."

"Alright, dear."

After Angel wore her white bed slippers, she left the room, leaving Amanda behind. Amanda couldn't help but look at the rose and wondered how she could bring Angel and Leo closer.

***

The finger tapping upon the steering wheel followed the tune that was playing on the radio. Mr. Walters was in the front seat of his car listening to the radio. It was one of those early morning shows that played really good jazz music and he was enjoying himself.

The passenger door at the back flew open and the car moved slightly at the weight of the person who had come in. Mr. Walters knew there was someone at the back, but continued to tap his fingers as though he was lost in the moment.

"I don't understand how you get to listen to such in the early hours of the morning," said the man behind Mr. Walters.

"Good morning to you too," said Mr. Walter's as he stared at his visitor through the rear view mirror.

The man shook his head at Mr. Walters. "Any update on Carly?"

Mr. Walters stopped his finger tapping and sighed. "Like I told you, she doesn't answer any of my calls."

"You know that's not what I meant," said the man as he came from behind and held Mr. Walters' shoulder. "I want to know about her whereabouts."

"Well, she's now staying at the McDonell mansion, if that's what you're asking."

"What? Did you just say the McDonell mansion?" the man sounded surprised.

"Ya, you heard me. Do you happen to know them?"

The man leaned back in his seat and sighed. "This is bad. How did this happen?"

Mr. Walters raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want to know?"

The man looked back at Mr. Walters with a murderous look in his eyes. Mr Walters gulped.

"Okay, I'll tell you," he said. The man behind him relaxed a little. "Remember the day the club was out of business for a day?"

"The day you told everyone one else that robbers had come to the club and trashed the place?" the man asked.

"Well, ya. That's what everyone outside the club know, but only a few people who work there know that that's not what happened."

The man raised an eyebrow at Mr. Walters. "What actually happened?"

"Carly's sister is what happened. She went there looking for her sister. The thing I don't understand is who had told her where Carly was. Someone must have or else she wouldn't have been there."

"Wait, are you saying someone had ratted Carly out?"

"Seems so. And that isn't the only part. Carly was meeting a client who demanded to see her. That person must have known that Carly was meeting the client at the club."

"Seems more like it. But I don't understand how Angel could have turned the place into a massive havoc."

"She didn't need to. The guy she was with who also happens to be related to the client, defended her when I tried to slap her."

"You hit women, Walters?" the man sounded surprised, yet pissed off.

"If you find them annoying, you put them in their place. Then I got into a fight with him and we kind of tore the place apart. So, Angel went to get her sister and then, a lot happened. I was knocked out and I woke up on the floor with the workers all around me. At that time, Angel had gotten into a car accident and their mother had passed away that same day. A few days later, I heard they had moved out of their house."

"What happened to it?"

"The bank took it. Looks like their late mother had pending debts."

"And now they are at the McDonell mansion," the man said as he rubbed his chin.

"Aren't you going to ask how they got there?"

"I don't need to. Now, how are we going to bring Carly back?"

Mr. Walters tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "I'm working on it. Carly is really important to us and we really need her back. Things aren't going so smoothly nowadays with our dealings."

"I know. You better bring her back fast. If you don't, I'll have to do it myself."

"Wait, what?" Mr. Walters looked at the man through the rearview mirror with a questioning look on his face. "What happened with me working on it?"

"Well, Walter's, you're pretty slow if you don't mind me saying it."

Mr. Walters felt a little offended. "She will be back before you know it. But it isn't going to be easy."

"I don't care. I'll give you till Friday. We have the Cartel coming in and I don't want our deal going south because she isn't around. She's our key player here and I'm not going to let you ruin it."

"Okay, okay. Friday it is."

The man leaned against Mr. Walters' seat and smiled at him. "That's what I like to hear. I better find her this Friday or else it won't be that difficult for my men to bring your club down to the ground."

The man opened the door on his side and walked out of the car. Mr. Walters sighed in relief as soon as the man left. Mr. Walters knew that the man he had always been partners with wasn't one to mess with. He would go through with his threat even when it seems like he was bluffing.