A Cruel Plan

Mr. McNeil became conflicted. Mr. Cole was as cunning as the devil.

This wasn't something he could just agree on because he demanded management over the company. His wife was against it and so was his daughter, Kate.

Kate didn't like the concept of getting married at that pace, considering her age, she was just two years above the legal age and was still in college.

Mr. Cole knew for a fact that Mr. McNeil would not concede to it if his daughter was against it, and he came up with a second strategy.

Being his only offspring, Mr. McNeil's assets were in his daughter's name. She was likewise the exclusive benefactor of his life insurance policy and in his will, this report generated a deadly greed in Mr. Cole driving him more than ready to make Kate, his son's wife.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucy was given a mission. She was to become a maid for an average household of three and assassinate them in the midnight's dead after retrieving all the evidence the family had on the Riggs Universal Holding's history.

There was a public detective named Robert Carter, he was a country agent who among the sea of other detectives like him, loved to investigate and expose to the world how dirty the hands of the affluent people in society were; he had experienced firsthand how the rich escaped punishment from the law much after doing the most horrible things. He abhorred they could get away with it because of their status.

His colleagues consistently warned him, and he got rebuked by his director practically all the time for his 'righteousness' in investigating without prejudice and demanding to dig deeper much after a case has been closed.

"Do you know you can get you dismissed? Stop involving yourself in matters that doesn't concern you and let the prosecution do their work".

"Quit digging into cold cases".

"Why do you choose to get involved? That case is not in our jurisdiction", these were some sentences thrown at him every day.

Riggs Universal Holdings was his target this time.

He had crossed many legal boundaries, trying to dig up the truth about the history of the rising financial service company until they targeted him back, and they greeted him with a fatal fate.

On the night that Lucy was to accomplish her mission, her cover got blown up, but before Mr. Cole could get to her, she was warned by her colleague and she plotted her escape, she wiped out the Carter family sooner than she was supposed to, plundered a few things including the evidence Mr. Robert had gathered and was about to run away when she heard the tender cry of a baby, 'Wasn't she asleep?!'. Lucy thought heatedly.

She resolved to leave behind the infant but after taking three steps out of the house, she went back inside to pick her up, she didn't understand why but, she couldn't just bring herself to give up the now orphaned toddler alone with the lifeless remains of her parents, what if it takes more time than predicted for the police to locate them?

Amelia ceased crying instantly, as Lucy lifted her up from the cot. Lucy vanished with her that midnight with the aim of abandoning Amelia in front of an orphanage.

****************

'Why won't they let me visit the dean', Amelia wondered as she walked leisurely around the mansion.

Today was the third day, and she has not yet received any feedback concerning her request to see the dean.

She had a lot of things to tell the dean, things had been going on well for her these past couple of days, she couldn't wait to enjoy them with the dean.

Delilah was now her closest friend. At first, Amelia and Delilah were complete strangers, each living their own separate lives. However, as time went on, they realized that they had a unique connection and shared many similar interests and passions. Amelia was drawn to Delilah's sophisticated and confident nature, while Delilah admired Amelia's intelligence and creativity. They spent more and more time together, exploring new hobbies.

Their friendship grew stronger with every passing day, as they discovered they were not just characters that actors play, but two halves of a whole. They became inseparable, understanding each other in a way that no one else could.

It was evident that they were not just friends, but soulmates. Together, Amelia and Delilah embraced life with a newfound zest, encouraging each other to chase their dreams and strive for greatness. Their journey taught them the power of self-discovery and the magic that can happen when you embrace and befriend your alter ego.

Amelia stopped in her tracks. She heard a racking sound coming from the door inches away from her.

She walked into the fitness center. It contained a gym and a massage pa lour.

"Hmm,"

Amelia exclaimed, she hadn't explored this place before. It felt like it wasn't part of the house with its wideness.

There was working out equipment , especially the type you would see in the gym and other foreign equipment she couldn't name or recognize.

Wondering if she needed all these, she wasn't the type that loved excersing, mother nature provided her a slim stature, and she didn't quite feel the fun in excersing, the hardships she went through were enough to keep her body in shape but, she would love a good massage.

"What are you doing here?".

Amelia heard someone ask behind her, which caused her a frightening shock. She had thought all the time that she was all alone in here.

"Ahhh". She exclaimed as she turned to her back.

Her eyes were met with a topless and sweaty John.

Tiny threads of his hair glued to his forehead, gazing at her with those honey-brown eyes, made her take an inch back.

Amelia's views traveled around his bare chest without her control, scanning his lean-muscled body lost in thoughts and tension. He had black knuckle gloves, making him look like a fighter as he folded his palm into a fist.

'Was he trying to throw a punch at her?'.

She heard him scoff, and she immediately shot her eyes back at his face, glaring at him with a straight face.

"Come back later if you want to work out, I will soon be done". He spoke and turned away from her stare, exposing his back to her as he walked.

Amelia came back to her senses. She wanted to ask him a question, but something caught her attention instead.

She stared at the tattoo on his left shoulder, at his rear and wondered why it looked familiar.

'Who did she see this same symbol on?' She questioned herself.

"I didn't know you staying here. I don't see you around, especially when we are eating". Amelia spoke out.

"That's because I eat separately and settle away from you guys". John replied as he sat on a bench.

Amelia walks up to him.

"And why is that? You don't like me, or you love being alone".

"I am busy, can you go?". John asked, entirely ignoring Amelia.

"Your tattoo looks familiar". Amelia chipped in, overlooking his seriousness.

John nodded but didn't utter a word. He just glared at Amelia like he was waiting for her to leave.

The stare-down went on for seconds, with none of them wishing to give up. Amelia stood her ground, not intending to lose this stare contest.

Getting fed up with her, John rose, inched very close to Amelia, and towered over her.

Looking her in the eye, he said.

"Ms Amelia, you are not supposed to be this daring with a man you barely know. Please leave".

"Do you know why I am here?". Amelia asked, hiding her nervousness. Delilah had taught her to be brave. 'Never show your weakness in front of anybody, you owe yourself that dignity', she would tell her through the mirror.

John wanted her to answer her question, so he tilted his head to the side with an interested look.

"I am carrying the child of a man I barely know".

John gazed at her, no expression on his face.

Amelia tried her best to read him but got nothing. That was a bold thing for her to say back.

They stared at each other, hiding their different thoughts with blank faces....

"Amelia, food is ready", Basra broke the silence as she announced, making the duo fall backward to reality.

Amelia cleared her throat and turned her head to her side.

"I am coming".

John went back to the bench and laid on his back.

"I want to see you at the table. Come eat with us," Amelia uttered and walked away.

Although it sounded like she was ordering him, she was just being her normal self, but who, knows, maybe Delilah was the one talking?

—

As she chewed on her food, it hit her. The dean! She now remembered where she saw the symbol on John's shoulder. It was on the dean's ankle. The dean had the same tattoo as John but, why?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joan gazed at Calvin with a wild smile on her face. She twirled the syringe with her fingers before dropping it on the picture laying open on the table in front of her.

She gazed at the middle-aged woman's image in the picture like she was trying to memorize the face. In the picture was the face of Lucy.

Pressing the tip of her index finger on the woman's neck, she smiled sinisterly as she peered at the syringe.

"This is potassium chloride. When this enters a person's body through the veins, it strains the heart, causing an instant death that will only be reported as a result of a heart attack, leaving no suspicious trail…,".

Then she raised her head to gaze at Calvin.

"I realize I am not supposed to ask, but why would you want me to execute this innocent-looking woman this way? You know, I charge a premium for taking out decent people", Joan smirked coquettishly.

"She was once like you. I don't think the word decent would befit her". Calvin answered.

"Aww, that kind of hurt. What do you mean by that?". Joan inquired, doe-eyed.

Calvin dumped some files on the desk.

"Go through that, and you would learn what I mean".

Joan went through the files, and her expression changed.

"She was part of the Silver Seal? A traitor! What's this?". Joan demanded as she plunged the files on the table and faced Calvin.

"She wanted to sabotage my grandfather because she thought he killed her lover".

"Do I know this lover?".

"Reid Sutherfield also known as Silver, the founder of Silver Seal".

"Wow…," Joan exclaimed as she stared at the picture of the woman they assigned her to kill, but the smiling youthful girl hugging Lucy in the picture made her have more questions.

"Is that young lady her daughter…? Why would your father want to assassinate her now, when she has been quiet all these years? What if she has let the past go? I don't think she is a threat now that you have found her, she must have moved on".

"She called her 'grandmother' and she's an orphan…", Calvin muttered.

"Who's that, the young girl?".

"Ms Amelia Carter, that's the name of the young girl besides Lucy. Her parents were the last mission Lucy was assigned before she disappeared. The Carters were assassinated and their twelve month - old daughter kidnapped, that's her".

"What a history, I bet she knows nothing, sometimes it's better to be kept in the dark. She looks happy". Joan stated with a warm smile.

"And is clumsy". Calvin added.

"You have met her?".

"She's carrying my child".

"What!".

---

"She hasn't given up on her revenge, I know for a fact," Calvin continued after dropping the bombshell on Joan, not allowing her the time to digest what he had just uttered.

"She's still with the evidence and has a strategy to execute her plan even though she has been quiet for over twenty years…, I went through her old stuff at the apartment she lived in with Ms Amelia and found nothing of substance".

Joan bent her head to the side as she focused.

"Is Mr. Riggs aware of this?".

"No".

"What's going on?". Joan inquired.

"Will you stop interrogating and let me finish"? Calvin asked in a calm tone.

Joan scoffed. She had already made a guess on what's happening.

"One of these two things is possible". Calvin started his explanation.

"Lucy either has it with her, or She has given it to Amelia, there should be a flash drive hidden somewhere containing those evidence, for a fact she wouldn't hold on to the hardware for twenty years, it would be easier to carry or hide, if it is stored electronically".

"You want me to get the evidence?".

"No".

Joan had a confused expression because of Calvin's answer.

'Then why is he telling her all these things?'

She asked herself.

"She's not with it. I know whom to meet to find it. Just clean Lucy out of the picture, I need an excuse to pay someone a visit".

"You think she gave it to her?". Joan asked as she pointed at Amelia's face in the picture.

"I know".

"You want to take advantage of an innocent girl that just lost a mother figure?".

"Shut your mouth and do your job".