Chapter Thirty-Six

“Are you ok?” Annie asked Eddie. 

Eddie’s heart skipped, she could hear her heart pound so loud. Worse still, she missed the call.

Annie squinted her eyebrows. She searched her friend carefully and saw the sudden change in her. Eddie turned red and her breathing became unsteady. 

“Excuse me.” Eddie said and left Annie, who stood rooted to the ground in confusion. “What just happened?” She wondered.

Eddie went into her room, locked the door securely and sat down on her bed. She was so scared once again. Why did she seem to forget easily that she’s under someone’s command. But, why is he after her? She broke into uncontrollably tears when she didn’t have an answer to all these questions. It weakened her to know that she’ll betray the one she loves so much.

Eddie cried so much that her eyes was so swollen and body scarlet red. Then, she began to feel sleepy. She lay down on her bed, covered herself with the duvet and coiled under it. But the thoughts kept coming. That man kept haunting her. 

Her phone rang again, immediately she closed her eyes to sleep. The name that flashed on her screen was written in capital letters, “So called Master” 

Eddie picked the call nervously. “ How is it going? Hope you don’t have issues on the way?” To Eddie, both the voice and the questions sounded like the dead talking to her. She couldn’t run away because the man knew her every movement. Eddie wished she wasn’t the one for the job. 

“Don’t forget, I’m always by your side. So, do not play with me!” He said when Eddie remained quiet and then he ended the call.

 The so called Master stressed the last statement so loud, enough to break one’s eardrums. Eddie wrapped her hands around her knees as those words kept resounding in her ears.

SMITHS RESIDENCE.

“ This is very risky.” Valerie said to Albert. They went to a shade within the compound. Albert nodded in affirmation at what Valerie said.

“I don’t even know, how I’m going to explain this to Dad.” Albert added. 

Valerie never wanted the relationship formed by her, Albert and Melissa. Moreover, she don’t like to be ordered around. She prefer to be at the head giving out orders. 

Worse still, Melissa is a sister to Gregory and Gregory is the family’s enemy. The whole issue was just getting the both of them weak. They sat down thinking of how to deal with the issue. 

“You know what?” Don’t tell Dad about her. We’ll look for what to say. I will, so don’t worry. But, how do we escape Gregory?” Albert asked again, making it worse. The duo thought for a long time, sharing their opinions and contradicting them with other questions. 

“We’ll fight it out, when time comes.” Valerie finally said before they dispersed to their rooms.

Sofia went to the swimming area in the compound. She swam for a while till she was breathless. Then she moved and rested her head on the pool bank. She was still there with her eyes closed when she heard a loud splash. Her eyes flew open and she saw the water moved upwards and then back into the swimming pool. 

“Who was that?”  Sofia thought to herself. She stared with eyes open and ready to know who the intruder was because she also felt movements in the water. Then, someone grabbed her feet downwards into the pool and upwards for both of them to see each other. They stared into their eyes for so long, not even when Lady Lily and Mira came did they notice.

Lady Lily and Mira walked towards the swimming area discussing on their way. As the pushed open the door to the swimming area, they saw a shocker, Sofia and Albert were inside the pool, with hands locked together and eyes fixed to each other.

The duo (Lady Lily and Mira) quietly left the room and went to the window to peek on the two inside.

“Wow!”  Mira was the first to exclaim. She blinked her eyes several times looking at the duo inside.

“ Shhhh. Let’s go.” Lady Lily told her. Mira was reluctant to go but she had to obey Lady Lily and both of them left.

Inside the swimming area, Albert held Sofia so tight. He looked deeply into her eyes and moved his face forward to meet her face but she tilted her head to a corner.

Albert frowned when Sofia rejected him. Then, Sofia hugged him. Albert smiled to himself, he had earlier thought that Sofia didn’t want him but she was hugging him and he liked it.  Again, Sofia pushed him unexpectedly and swam out of the pool.

Sofia went to a dressing room and changed into the house wear, Eva gave her. She then headed towards the main house to her room.

…

…

“Hey you!” A voice called Sofia. Sofia pretended not to hear it and the second time, the voice called again, so Sofia stopped.

Valerie was pissed off when Sofia stood at a place. She was supposed to retrace her footsteps to where Valerie was but she didn’t. It was Valerie that walked up to her. Valerie slapped Sofia the moment she faced Sofia. That really hurt Sofia. One side of her cheeks turned red and began to swell up because of the slap. 

Sofia’s facial expression made Valerie excited. She wanted to get even with ‘this Sofia girl’. Sofia remained firm. She fixed her gaze at Valerie in a way that made her uncomfortable. The anger that boiled in Sofia’s heart knew no bounds. She couldn’t believe that the legal wife of a family was been treated like a maid. Sofia eyed Valerie from head to toe and left her standing alone.

“ What is giving her the morale to do whatsoever she wants?” Valerie thought inwardly. Before she left the place, her eyes caught someone approaching from the other end. She stared with squinted eyes at the person and to her realization, it was Albert. And, he was coming from the same place Sofia came out from. Valerie realized that the duo, she had seen were earlier together.

Valerie hid at a corner and watched Albert come close and bypass her. His body was still dripping with water though his clothes wasn’t wet. He had on one hand, a nylon bag containing soaked swimsuit. Valerie got so irritated thinking about the two, she came out of her hidden place and went to her room.

EDDIE’S RESIDENCE

“Eddie began acting strange after that call.” Annie thought. Eddie didn’t want to tell her what she was going through and that really bothered her. 

Eddie also did not want to eat. She rejected several meals after that call and also developed a slight illness. Annie was there for her friend. Despite the fact that Eddie distanced from her. Annie went again to meet Eddie.

She opened the door to Eddie’s room. Eddie was looking out through the window when Annie came in. 

“ If you’re here to ask me questions again then forget about it.” Eddie said.

Annie exhaled loudly. She didn’t know how to convince Eddie to talk to her, moreover, she wasn’t happy that Eddie started developing an illness.

“Eddie, let’s go.” Annie suddenly said.

“Where?” Eddie asked her.

“Let’s just go.” She dragged Eddie to her side and they left the room. As they stroll round the compound, Annie began to advice Eddie on how to endure. She didn’t want to force Eddie anymore, but she’ll stand by her side to comfort her. 

Eddie was touched, she stooped to the ground crying. But she wouldn’t speak up. Annie patted her on her back and held her up to face her. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. But whatever be the reason, please do not allow it to get to you.” Annie advised again. “ If you die now, I won’t be able to live alone. I’ll have to leave this  place to another smaller house, so cheer up babe.”

They duo went to sit at a corner after a while. They had some cakes with them which they ate as they chitchatted. 

Annie’s phone rang and she saw on her phone, “Ella babe.” 

Annie picked the call and put it on speaker.

“Hello babe.” Annie said to Ella.

“Hello Honey. Your babe I’d getting ready for tonight’s club, so I thought of inviting you and your friend.”

Eddie gestured to Annie to reject the offer.  Annie wanted to spend some time out but she had to stay with her friend, Eddie.

Annie rejected the offer to Ella’s disappointment.

“ Talk to you later, I felt you’ll come but it’s fine.”

“Ok.” 

The call was ended and Annie enquired why Eddie refused to offer.

“I’m sick.” That was her answer but deep down, it was because of the 'so called Master.'

“It’s fine. Let’s go inside now.” Annie told her and they retired to their rooms.

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

WILLIAMS RESIDENCE.

William sat down in his sitting room drinking to stupor. He thought about himself and his business. Ever since the Williams Corporation fell, Williams became a drunk. It was Festus who was always there to stop him from certain actions.

*Knock*Knock*

“ Come in.” Williams spoke.

Festus came in and bowed in respect. “ Master, I received this from a post man.”