Secrets.

“Are you going to create more awareness or let us in?”

“None of the above, because you're living this minute.” Jamal answers.

Josh, takes off his glasses. “Maybe you haven't seen this face well enough. You don't want these people suspecting something, do you? We need to talk.”

Jamal shoves his hands into his pockets. “You have no idea what I want. Maybe if you look into my thoughts, you won't think twice to leave this place.”

“Just listen to me for a minute,”

Jamal grounds his jaws. “I said, leave!”

He raises his hands up in surrender. “We weren't here for a fight. Hoping you change your mind.”

He smirks and raises his hands for his men to leave. They turn around and make their way out, whereas Myla rushes to Jamal.

“What's going on?”

Jamal looks down at his wife, clamps her by the waist and walks her away, after making a sign to his assistant.

“Its nothing to worry about.”

“What do you mean? Those men seem to know you. How do you expect me to believe that?”

“Myla, we'll have this discussion, later, at home. Where's mom? I told you to stay with her.”

This is only making her doubt him. She composes herself, trying to ignore the strong questioning in her mind.

“She was taken away by Patricia, because those men, I'm supposing she knows, almost gave her a heart attack. She spilled her glass of wine on the floor.”

Jamal tries not to express any sign worrisomeness as his wife will know something is not right.

They stare at each other and he keeps the composed face.

...

“Mom, talk to me!”

Mrs. Mehdi, wipes her tears. “Patricia... I'm so sorry. Those men—work for Alexander. The man who murdered your dad. That's why it hurts so much to see them, here.”

Patricia let go of her mothers shoulder. She walks around the room frustratedly.

“Why didn't you tell me? How could you hide something like this from me?”

“I–I couldn't. I tried to forget it, because—I didn't want y'all to think of revenging. He's a very dangerous man.”

“But, mom...this is unfair. How could they live freely, after what they did to dad? They deserve to be punished!”

“Patri—don't act like your brother, right now. We are better this way.”

“What—do you mean?”

Mrs. Mehdi, wipes her hair. “Forget about it,”

Her daughter shields her. “No. It's time you tell me everything you know. No more secrets. I'm tired of living this way! I need answers. What is it about Jamal? What's going on exactly, mom?”

“Patri—”

Jamal walks into them with Myla by his side.

Patricia turns her gaze to her brother, then back at her mom.

“I shouldn't have trusted you two.” she says and walks away angrily.

Myla gestures to walk after her, but Jamal holds her hand.

“Please, I won't get missing. She needs me.”

He nods and she walks away. He turns to his mom, who is devastated with herself.

She didn't think for a bit, before telling Patricia about the man who put an end to her late husband's life.

“What did you do?”

“I should ask you that! What are those men doing here?”

“Mom, they ain't my invitees. Why would I call them over the party? To finish up my family?”

“Do you think he's going to take back what you did to him? I'm so scared they might come for you, your little sister, and your wife?”

“Mom, they're gone. I won't let that happen. I won't let them hurt anyone else. I promise. Just tell me you didn't tell Patricia about dad.”

She rests her face down. “I'm sorry. I got emotional, and said the truth. Besides, it was time she knew what happened.”

Jamal scrubs his face. “Mom, you shouldn't have. She's only going to get convicted, that I killed Benjamin, when she finds out Alexander is his uncle.”

“What are you saying?”

“Benjamin is Alexander's first Nephew. He was after Alexander's business, so they sent him to spy on us through Patricia, for some strange reason.”

“Oh, no. No, this is not happening! What's going to happen now?”

“Someone else is behind Benjamin's dead, to bring our enemies back at us. They think I killed him, and that's why they came here, to let me know they haven't forgotten that.”

“Son, maybe if you hadn't killed—”

Jamal shakes his head. “No, mom. We're not going to the past. Just let me handle this.”

“But, you must know, at this point Patricia is up to something. You have to keep an eye on her, please.”

Mrs. Mehdi, nods. “I know she finds it had to sip this, but she'd never cross the line.”

“You never know, mom. Right now, she's with Kon, against me. You must not tell her that I told you this. I want to see where this ends.”

Mrs. Mehdi, becomes speechless. “This is all my fault! I should've told her the truth.”

“It's not your fault. It's no one's. Let's be positive. Whatsoever they want, I won't feed on that anymore. If I do, it's going to be bloody.”

Mrs. Mehdi, looks at her son as if something just possessed him.

...

“I don't want to talk to anyone, Myla. Leave me alone.”

“Patricia, I'm not going to force you to speak up. But, I'd be right here”

The young girl wipes her cheeks with a tissue from the sink and Myla just stares at her through the mirror.

“Did you know those men?”

Patricia looks at Myla, then into the sink. “They—work for the man who killed my dad. Alexander. He was a tight friend to my dad.”

Myla goes into a deep thought about Latif's past statements.

‘Everyone tried to get through his business, including my parents, and Gabriella's, before he got killed’

“Just like Latif's and Gabriella's family is to your family?”

“Yeah?”

“Make sense.”

Patricia narrows her eyes at Myla, and Myla mutters in a low tune.

“Do you think... Kon is out for good? After everything, he told you he's interested in proving to Latif from God knows what, but—it's weird. He's going to use you against Jamal. Don't you think, you're going to far?”

Patricia faces her, leaning against the white sink.

“He lied to me, Myla. And, right up to this moment, I thought he is going tell me everything. Even my mom doesn't want me to know the truth. I'm so confused, why all these.”

Myla rest her hand on her shoulder. “You need to relax. Don't over work your brain. The truth can't hide, forever.”

She sighs. “I know. It's just so different. I mean, I wouldn't have known about a thing, if not for Kon. I don't trust him, but he's a reliable source for me to find out the truth. Because, if I wait on my brother, or mom, I'll stay clueless for the rest of my life.”

“You have a point. Still, I persist that you be careful. You haven't told me about the thing he gave you.”

Patricia looks away. “Don't worry I won't do it?”

Myla pleads her forehead. “Do what?”

The younger woman returns her gaze to Myla. “He wants me to record Jamal's transaction with Amid,”

Myla's eyes pop out. “Is he insane? Why will he ask for that?”

“I don't know.”

“Off course, I know. He wants you to blackmail Jamal. To spoil his image,”

“Don't you think he knows my brother enough to do that and go free.”

Myla folds her arms. “Patricia, I think he's working for someone who is against your family,”

Patricia thinks deep for a second.

“It's not a coincidence that he came all the way to give you that, and those men walking in some minutes after. What if—there's some connection?”

“How—is that possible? He doesn't even know Alexander, or his men.”

“Everything is possible, Patricia. Besides, if he's close to Latif's family, then he automatically could have been close to this man, since they all have one objective. He has a lot to benefit from it. But the question is, why now?”

To be continued...