2 CHAPTER 1: IGNITE THE FIRE

At dawn, Eloise was still curled up in bed snoring gently, forgetting she had an interview to attend. Her phone vibrated right beside her, disturbing enough to make her slide her eyes open. Without opening her eyes, she traced the sound of the phone with her hand, sliding it sideways for an answer without checking whom it was.

"Eloise, you need to get there as soon as possible, by 11:00 AM to be precise. Remember first impressions matter." The voice at the other end bussed in shifting the half-awake Eloise into a scramble.

With a different flash of unpaid bills flickering into her faint imagination, reminding her fully well that she needed to save up for her dad's surgery.

"For how long would she wish to save up 3 million anyways," she thought to herself.

"Eloise, this has always been what you wanted. A job right? Then move," another thought flowed but with the willingness of going for the job.

Slightly smashed her lips as she uncovered herself from the duvet as fast as she could, storming into the bathroom for a quick shower. She had barely left the shower when she realized she didn't take along her towel.

"Damn shit!" She squealed, veering her exposed dripping body into the room, forgetting the use of a towel. She strode towards the wardrobe pulling the doors open in a force trying to explore her collections but she discovered none to suit her outing except for that which she received from Jane the previous year as a birthday present.

Getting herself dressed in that white jean trousers wasn't so easy that she had to forcefully slip her legs into the trouser, combined with a blue chiffon top.

She had slung her crossbar across her neck a little far away from home when her stomach rumbled with the commotion of hunger. Walking as fast as she could to meet up with the train. She had soon gotten to the railway station when she met a long Que.

'Jeez, this is gonna be long," she made a slight sigh heading towards the queue, pleading with those at the rear end to give her a space in between. After getting rejected severally, a middle-aged woman with a charming expression offered her space before her. She couldn't help but nod in appreciation.

Within a couple of minutes, the next train came to a halt before the unending Que. Offloading passengers who were at their point of stop. The disembarking passengers seemed too slow in taking their exit that she had to smuggle herself amongst them finding her seat close to the window side.

Checking her wristwatch, she silently prayed that the train moved fast enough. She had barely finished the prayer when she felt a slight discomfort across her tummy accompanied by a spill on her panties. "Gosh! I hope this isn't real," she mumbled with a line across her brow, reaching out to her phone from her bag which seemed uneasy to move its zip. Hastily dragging the phone outside at an instant to confirm her calendar.

"Oh my, oh my. How could I forget such an important thing? Today's gonna be a mess," clasping her head in between her palm in a bow. Instantly finding her way to the standing row to prevent further stains.

Silently praying and wishing the train reaches Naiden in a couple of minutes while she makes several cautious checks on her pants.

"Sorry, I am so sorry," tendering her apologies to the woman behind her whom she hit in the process of checking out her pants.

"Finally," she made an exasperated sigh as the train came to a halt smuggling herself through the offloading passengers, tendering several faint apologies to those that were hit in the process.

The fastest place she could head to for help was the mall, which was some kilometers away from the railway station. Her legs carrying her as fast as they could, checking her wristwatch at intervals. Reaching for the toiletries rack was no stress compared to what she had faced since she left home.

She chose a sanitary pad and was about to leave when her stomach rumbled again reminding her that she hadn't filled it up.

"It wouldn't be nice enough if you rumble in the interview room. I'm sure you wouldn't want me to fail." She whispered, hastily taking a stroll for the drink section.

She went further and chose a specific drink when something unique on the pad she was holding flickered into her sight, which she couldn't help but take a glare with a lot of thoughts.

"No wonder it's much more expensive than the one back home," she had mumbled to herself, still focused on more information from the sanitary pad, that she couldn't notice when an important figure walked into the mall with everyone paving way for his passage.

Completely immersed in satisfying her curiosity about the difference between the pad she just purchased and those she was used to at home when she bumped into Thomas Lexington, the most powerful man in North Hill.

Earlier before she bumped into him, he noticed her upfront and warned especially when she was 20- 30cm away, but she was too carried away to notice any of it, one of his burly men tried cautioning her but he stopped him with a dismissive wave.

She didn't realize he was close and bumped into him abruptly, unknown to her the drink she held was half open, causing a spill on Thomas's shirt with her sanitary pad falling to the ground.

"Damn! The fuck, Why wouldn't you remain focused especially when you are amongst people," he yelled within him with a vicious frown on his face.

"So sorry," she pleaded with a faint voice bending over to pick up the fallen pad when her eyes fell on her wristwatch and all she could see was 10:30 AM.

"Am sorry ok," she dashed out without lifting her head. The burly men and several shoppers were in awe because she never knew whom she crossed paths with. The most powerful in North hill! No one dared to cross paths with him.

"Sir, do we go after her?" One of his burly men with a vicious look was quick to ask.

He was about to dismiss the words of the burly man when a 4-year-old kid walked into the scene, taking out the lollipop in his mouth and commenced extensive giggles pointing to the stain on his chest making a jest out of him. Some people scoffed and smirked alongside in audible whispers as a result of the kids' laughter.

His ears tingled with the earnest reaction from different angles.

"Argh, what a huge humiliation," he yelled. "Just before I was thinking of letting that girl go scot free but now! she's going to pay for this," he yelled indiscriminately.

Earlier on, he had received a call from home to attend the family anniversary of the year. And he had taken it upon himself to get the wines before he headed straight down to the Lexington family house. And now! Here he was with a stained shirt facing such humiliation.

"Dan!" He called with a vicious look.

Soon enough, Dan found his way before him trying to note every single thing he was about to say.

"Dan, get me every single bit of information about that girl. Her family, background, friends, siblings, and hometown. Every single thing I should know about her. She needs to pay for this," he finally added with a faint but aggressive voice.

"And! Get me that kids," he commanded with a violent tone blaring enough to haul down a wall.

His men took no time in reaching for the kid. The extensive yank from his voice commanded a quick hush in the hall with shivers from a different angle.

"Mama, mama," the young kid's voice pierced the atmosphere, with tears trickling down his cheek.

He turned around to leave with his men when a middle-aged woman crawled into his path, begging with shivers.

"Sir please let my kid go, he was overwhelmed being in the mall for the first time." Earnestly pleading with tears.

"Get out of my presence," he commanded with a resounding voice.

"Sir please, please, pl- -," her voice shaky in the plea.

Clasping his legs in between her palms with her head positioned downwards. He sneered releasing a vicious look with his hands balled into fists and his veins coming into the display.

With full strength, hoisting the woman out of his way. With the child wailing as loud as possible. The persistent mother followed up squealing in tears. Thomas and his men moved towards their black-colored vehicles and here was the kid's mother holding tight to the vehicle's door.

"Push that woman off my car," Thomas commanded. With the vehicle ready to take off.

"If you want your kid back, be ready to pay the price," his voice pierced the atmosphere with the vehicle leaving dust in the air.