Keeping a truth from her.

“She refused to do as I told her to. She just backed out. What should we do?” Kon says,

“What you gonna do is solve that shit! Run behind her until she accepts the offer. She's our only medium right now.”

“And his wife?”

“Don't you dare trespass, if not you'd be killed, before anything. Do as I say. I know Patricia will do anything to find out who her brother was. Use more convincing words, or make her deliver something to him as a gift.”

“I'll see what to do.”

“Come back to me at once. Keep it simple. He may have his men behind you.”

“Yeah. I'd do just that, Chief.”

...

“Mmm,” Myla hums as she opens her eyes to a very sunny day.

Music echoes from the next door and a shirtless man walks in.

“Hey, pretty.”

Myla is still awakening from a very long night, and half a day.

He stoops down and kisses her naked body, descending and ascending to her head.

Myla feels heavy that she can't move a limb. She hums again at the sweet feeling emanating from his touch.

“...What's time?” asks Myla, turning to face her husband.

“Guess,”

She frowns, saying gently. “Please, just tell me already. My head aches.”

“You are at dusk. You slept for almost 17hrs. I almost called the doctor to check if you're still alive.”

“What? No way. I had a meeting with... Ms Gray. D–did she come to see me?”

He rest his head against hers. “Yes, she did. I told her to pass by in the evening. Which is already.”

Myla holds her head as a slight headache troubles her.

“I can't believe, I slept this long.”

“You seem tired. I'd get you some medications, after you take your lunch, or should I say...soon dinner.”

She giggles a little, but a sharp pain changes it to a subtle smile.

She holds unto her stomach, and takes a deep breath, while trying to seat upright.

“I can't wait to eat what you cooked, hubby.”

He smirks and leans in to peck her lips. But it elongates to a passionate kiss.

He feels her drawn in, so loosens himself up. “Let's not make this any longer. You must be really...tired. I'd transport you to the bathroom. And bath you like the sweet little baby you are.”

She smiles sweetly and he jerks her into his arms.

...

“I can't believe I came here at pass 10AM and Jamal told me you're still sleeping. Did you jubilate all night, or what?”

Myla rest her cup of coffee on the stool at her feet, and stares at her manager.

“Maybe, I did. I couldn't have enough rest after a very long night like that,”

Ms. Grayson nods, while studying her gently.

“I see...”

“So, are my schedules fix now?”

“Yes, they are. France, here we go! You'd get interviewed for the movie as well.”

Myla ruminates on what Jamal told her. She can't quit now. Not after she signed a contract with them.

She takes up her cup of coffee. “Sure. I'm still working on the singles of last time. The one taken by Jessie.”

“Jessie was there with you?”

“Yeah?”

“No, nothing. Just surprised she's being such a good friend.”

Myla chuckles. “Off course she is. Giving her private time to visit me.”

“Anyone can give his/her private time for what they want. That doesn't make them good.”

Myla scoffs. “I've heard this. Let's not judge people by the cover. Maybe she had been a bad woman or wife to her ex-husband, but she has a good heart.”

“You're supposed to meet with the whole cast director, producer tonight for the TV show.”

“Oh. I forgot. I'm still exhausted...as f-ck,”

“You look weird though.”

Her brows knit. “Weird?”

“There's some kid red stuff on your face.”

Myla touches her face, then looks through the glass stool.

“Oh. I see... I must've scratched it over again.”

“You should use a promad there to heal the inches.”

“Yeah, I have to. Before my husband doesn't recognize me,”

“I don't think, Jamal is the type that won't recognize his wife. It's good you won't be there for it, so you can have more sleep.”

“You think? I mean... they'll surely screw me when next we meet.”

“Rather, you won't get the chance to be screwed, because you'd attend it live. You just need to change and return downstairs.”

Myla stands quickly, then almost looses her balance.

“Be careful there...”

She renders Ms. Grayson a faint smile. “Woaw...what a night.”

She walks off to her room, and returns down after a few minutes.

“Does this look good on me?”

“It's perfect! Just run down, we're below time.”

On descending the stairs, she trips and Jamal appears from behind, snaking his hands around her, pulling her to himself.

“Hey, slow down.”

She holds his arm as an anchorage, while he leads her down.

“Going out?”

“Just want to go live for a program I was supposed to attend this evening.”

He nods. “I need to do a run down with Amid. I'd be back soon.”

He kisses the crown of her head and walks away.

Myla looks at Ms. Grayson. “Let's get this done, before he returns.”

They walk towards the couch, where Ms. Grayson had set everything for her.

...

Patricia has been thinking all night about what her mom told her.

‘Your dad was a good man. He just wanted to do the right thing.’

Her eyes wonders up the sealing of her room as she reflects.

‘what went wrong?’

‘He–listened to his friend. Alexander, poisoned his mind, because he kept hanging around him.’

‘What do you mean poison his mind. Did he force dad to do anything?’

‘Yes. But, he refused doing it, so he got rid of him.’

‘You mean he did nothing wrong to Alexander. Yet, he got killed?’

‘...well, it's complicated. But, what I know is that your dad loved me and I loved him, too. I didn't listen to all the rumors about him. I knew Alexander was just trying to spoil his image, just as they're trying to do to our family now.’

‘He must be very wicked. How could he kill his own best friend,’

‘That's an understatement. He is the devil. Not in disguise. He's one of the biggest killer the world knows.’

‘You must've known his in and out to speak such of him.’

‘Not really. I mean... Everyone knows who he is. He's popular for evil. You don't have to stay with such a man to know. You can't even stand his presence... Patricia you need to believe me. Your dad was great. Don't believe in anything they tell you, because they are not true.’

Patricia feels her mom is still keeping a truth from her. Like a secret she has sworn to go to the grave with.

She sounded scared about... something.

‘I understand, mom. But, still why did they come there? Did Jamal have something to do with them in the past?’

‘No, no, no... He didn't. He's a good boy. Not like... Alexander. The thing is, Benjamin is his nephew. And they think Jamal murdered him, after that incident.’

‘How is that possible? How could he be a nephew to that evil man?’

‘Patricia, sometimes things happen purposely. Benjamin had been sent by his family to spy on us through you. So, I'm grateful you didn't end up together.’

‘Then, who killed him? His family?’

‘I think the kid must've been into some trouble with another group or someone? I don't know. Just stay away Kon. Please,’

‘And, Jamal? What has he been doing all along?’

‘He seek to revenge his dad's dead. He...killed a lot evil people in order to secure his dad's properties. But, that wasn't enough. Alexander was on his back. He had more power than Jamal, then. I didn't want to loose my son. So, I told him to stop fighting.’

‘Is that all?’

‘Yes. He opened his own enterprise and made it what it is now.’

‘What about Gabriella's Family, and Latif's? Don't you think all they wanted was dad's enterprise?’

‘Maybe they wanted that, but...they couldn't get through after Jamal worn the space no one had gotten in the history of our friendship.’

‘Do you think that's why they sent Gabriella to us, and Latif as Jamal's fiancee?’

‘Yes, I know that. But, they had a good intention. Any family will think that way after such an opportunity. All I wanted was for Jamal to be happy. And, finally he is happy with Myla,’

‘Don't you think there's more to that? What if they betray you just as Alexander?’

‘They can't. They supported me when I was down. They were against Alexander for my sake. Do you think I'm stupid to have kept the friendship all along, if they did nothing good for me?’

To be continued...