Tick-Tock

"I'm sorry Boss... We tried to salvage the situation with everything we could. But he was too powerful, Boss. Our every effort was thwarted." Oswald's assistant was quaking in his boots, ready to take the next blow.

" You idiot! Do you know what may be the consequence of this. I might never be able to set my foot outside jail. Oswald was so infuriated that he walked up to his assistant, poked on his forehead and shouted," CALL HIS ASSISTANT NOW!.

"Yes boss." His assistant nearly tripped on his feet while running outside in fear."

*********"*******"*******"*******

Meanwhile, back at the hospital...

Michael was busy working on his laptop when his gaze fell on Ann.

She was sleeping soundly like an angel. He put his laptop down, went and sat beside her and fondled her head.

"Why are you stroking my hair, Mr. Smith?", she asked in a husky voice with one eye open."

Michael hadn't expected her to be awake." I was not stroking your hair, my dear. I just.. I just wanted to know what you wanted for lunch? It is already noon."

"Anything is fine with me," Ann replied closing her eyes again, a hint of a smile on her lips.

Michael shook his head smiling and began to leave the room, when his phone rang.

He looked at the phone and a smirk appeared on his face while answering it.

"Well Well Well... Look who is calling this mere supplier. It's the great Oswald. It has not even been twenty four hours. Are you ready done with "finishing me"?"

" Please stop joking, Sir. I am just a small fish in a small pond, but you play in the big leagues. How can I even compete with you? I am sorry for yesterday's night, Sir. It was a mistake. Please forgive me for it. I really need to meet you, to apologize in person."

" Oh really! Now you realize that, right? Very well then, I will come straight to the point. I guess you now know that I have found out about all your dirty work... I will give you two choices. One - you have to give all your shares to your wife and child and flee from this country, out of my sight. Or Two, I will get you a lifetime imprisonment sentence and naturally, all your fortunes will go to your wife and kid. So what is your choice? I'll give you one hour to think. Ticktock tick-tock... tick-tock..."

"Please don't do this to me sir. I beg you. Please sir, please ...I don't have anything else."

"Now you know how to beg. Well, I don't care a damn. Do you realize how many families you have torn apart? How many lives you have destroyed? Just consider this as your karma biting back".

"Time is running out... I will expect your call after an hour." Saying this, Michael ended the call.

"Is he such a bad person?". Ann was now wide awake.

" Yes sweetheart, he is."

"Stop addressing me as per you wish."

"But you said that I am your husband, didn't you?"

" Er...Stop it already"

"Ok..ok...", Michael said laughingly. "It's actually fun to pull your leg".

Ann stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Ok, I am going to buy lunch now"

"Mr. Smith, where is my phone?

"Ah... I had put it on charge, here you go. And one more thing, stop calling me Mr.Smith. Please call me Michael."

" But.."

"Or you can call me 'Love', like before. Which do you prefer?"

"Michael is fine".

Ann's heartbeat was rising every second.

"Very well...À bientôt". A smile crept his face showing his dimples.

"With just a smile, he makes me blush like an idiot", Ann thought.