19

After a long week of endless work, Oz got a chance to go home, to the family mansion that was left behind for him by his mother after she had died. It was a large Mediterranean-style mansion with wide lush green gardens. He drove by himself and sent Caser for the weekend as well because he too had been working hard all this week. By this time of the night, most of the servants had left and the mansion was as empty as it could be. He parked the car at the door of the mansion and gazed out at the garden where the lights were on illuminating the green grass and the small drops of water on them.

He got completely immersed in the scene and thought of the times when he was young and his mother would play around with him, The time when his father hadn't turned his back on him, The time when they were happy.

While he stared out at the GArden with resentment in his eyes he didn't notice the old butler standing out of his car door. He knocked on the glass to get his attention. Due to the sudden sound Oz flinched and looked in his direction with a frozen expression that only softened when he realized who it was. A brief smile appeared on his face and he opened the door and got off.

"Good day, Son." HE said in a soft voice to which Oz smiled.

"Good day? It's pitch black out here." HE said as he looked around.

"Well, you are right somehow." HE smiled too. "It took you days to return to the mansion. I was getting worried sick," he added, his voice was concerned. And why not? Oz was like a son to him, he had taken care of him ever since he was a little boy.

"You shouldn't worry too much, It isn't good for your health. Come on now let us go inside, the wind is getting colder. I don't want you to fall sick, and you are well aware of what would happen to this house if you get sick." He made a funny statement and decided to head inside when he heard him speak.

"I am getting old day by day, ANd sooner or later I will not be able to hold this place up anymore. You should bring in someone who will take care of you and this house like your mother used to do," he said in a deep meaningful voice making Oz stop in his steps and turn around.

"I don't think anyone else can take care of me and my house the way you do. I suppose I will have to somehow make you live longer and healthier so that you can manage this place for a long long time." Oz replied to him in the same manner and went inside.

The mansion was lit with dim lights that were easy on the eyes at night. He silently made his way towards his room. The tall walls with expensive paintings and the wide hallways made him feel way too lonely. The marble down his feet gave out a lonely clank when his feet hit them making cold shivers run down one's spine. He started to take off his tie and shoes before taking a shower. All along his face was as stiff as a block of ice, Neither a smile nor a frown was seen. Just like a soulless body he got to his bed and dropped on it like a corpse and closed his eyes. The tiredness and the anxiety from months that had been eating him away took over him and he fell into a coma-like sleep.

Candles flickered and shed their light on the white cake underneath.

Small hands of a child tapped the table restlessly, waiting to blow out the candles. Low chuckles and clatters rang in the back while his eyes were fixed on the cake until a thunder roared and the candles were blown off before he could even get a chance. The bright warm scene slowly darkened and cold started to creep up his body. He looked towards his mother who was sitting beside him a while ago. Rather than a smiling face of his mother, he saw a body as pale as snow lying motionlessly on a road while water poured over her body and a rusty smell made its way into his breath.

"Mom!!" A painful scream escaped his lips and his body shook violently. Oz jolted with the scream as if he had heard it for real,

His body was shaking and he was sweaty after the dream he had. His heart was racing and his palms got sweaty. HE gulped in his saliva as his throat had gone all wet. With an uneasy breath, he looked around to notice the curtains were drawn and heavy clouds covering the morning sky. It made him very uncomfortable and he couldn't help but avert his gaze from the window and back to his shivering hands. He took a few long breaths and slipped out of the bed. His phone was on the table beside the couch and he didn't pay much attention to it and went in for a shower.

The phone screen lit up once and then it started to pour in with notifications. It was very unusual for his phone to ring like that on weekends. His phone was on vibration and it buzzed for quite a few minutes. Caesar was trying to reach him through a call but Oz didn't see it until he came out with a towel draped over his head and a bathrobe tied around his waist. He was feeling hollow inside after the nightmare he had just had and couldn't help but sit down as he felt weak on his knees, it was just then he noticed his vibrating phone.

With a frown on his face, he picked up the phone and attended to Caser's call.

"What is it?" He said after attending the call.

"Boss, it's a disaster! Our investors have retrieved their investments, The production of the products has stopped." He said in a shivery voice,

Oz sat petrified, and his other hand that was resting on his knee started to twitch, "WHat?"