“It was nice having you here,” Nathan told Roderick before shaking hands with him.It was a few minutes past 9 p.m.“It’s my pleasure,” Roderick replied. He was standing by the door.Mike turned to Roderick. “We will keep in touch. Have a good night’s rest and let me know if anything goes south.”“Of course!” Roderick smiled and walked out.Nathan turned to Mike. “I just got an update from my guy, Wayne.”“Charles’s cousin?” Mike demanded with a quirked brow.“Yes. He told me that Kelvin and Derrick have been meeting with Corrigan lately.”Mike moved to the couch and sat. Nathan settled beside him.“I guess the boys are looking for alliances. They can’t cry over spilled milk.” Mike responded.“But we can’t overlook that,” Nathan said.“Of course. My main target is Corrigan Morales so anything that leads him to me will not go unnoticed.” Mike replied. “Did Wayne find out anything else?”“For now, he doesn’t know much just for the fact that the boys are meeting Corrigan and Wayne knows

“I think they are here.” Nathan spat after he sensed a movement outside. He quickly stood up and hurried out with Mike.They made their way to the backyard where the Alcantara private jet had just landed. Nathan couldn’t wait for his parents to step out of the jet. He kept rubbing his palms against each other vigorously as he stood meters away from the landing space.After the jet was parked to a halt, Mr. and Mrs. Smith stepped out, following the train of bodyguards in front of them.Nathan hurried toward them. The bodyguards gave way and Nathan immersed his parents in a group hug.“Welcome home, mom and dad!”His father chuckled and gave his back several taps. “It’s so good to see you son.” Mr. Smith then proceeded to speak with Mike who was smiling at a corner.When Mrs. Smith pulled away from the hug, she began to study Nathan. She noticed how broad his chest was, how firm he stood, and how long his hair had grown.“Why do I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages? You’ve changed rap

“Go after her!”Nathan’s eyes widened in horror. He turned to his mother.She blinked at him. “Your girlfriend is sad. Go and cheer her up but as Alex thought.”“Your mom is right.” Mr. Smith said.Nathan stood up with a bright smile and dashed out.When Avery got out of the hall, she moved to the parking lot and stood before her family’s G-wagon with her arms folded across her chest. She was considering whether to head out and take a cab or ask the chauffeur to drop her at home.“You should be at the party!”The hairs on Avery’s neck went up. She quickly turned around and saw a figure standing behind her. She walked up to him.“What are you doing here Alex?“Well, I should be asking you. What are you doing outside? The performers just arrived.” He replied.Avery sighed and gave her forehead a mild scratch. “I just needed some air.”Nathan arched a brow.“I needed a walk I guess. I’m not used to such events and I was kind of getting bored because I was…” she sighed. “You know?”Nathan

“It’s such an honor to have Alex Alcantara at our table,” Henry remarked with a slight bow.Nathan sighed and sat up. “Cut the crap.”Henry then turned to Charles with a straight face. “Aren’t you honored to be in his presence? I mean look at all the renowned people in this hall. They go to meet Alex but now, it’s the other way round. He came to settle with us. Wow!”Charles broke out laughing while Nathan shook his head.“Thanks for showing up anyway,” Nathan said.“We wouldn’t miss this party for anything in the world,” Henry replied and reached for a glass of wine from the table.Suddenly, a waitress arrived with a platter of grilled turkey. She placed it on the table before them.Charles rubbed his hands against each other vigorously. “Time to dig in.” He was about to reach for his cutlery when he caught a glimpse at Nathan, looking quite lost.“What’s the matter, bro?”Nathan turned to Charles with a frustrated sigh.“You look awful. What’s going on?” Charles maintained.Nathan c

At 9:30 p.m., the Alcantara homecoming party came to an end. While the Alcantara staff were taking the gifts into the store room, Mike accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Smith to their quarters.Mrs. Smith was exhausted so she decided to take a shower and go to bed while her husband settled for a chit-chat with Mike. Mike and Mr. Smith sat in the lounge.“I watched the news about Fredrick’s detainment. It was delightful news for me judging by what he did to us and other innocent people out there.” Mr. Smith said and then resolved to take off his jacket.“My experts also informed me that the state government has an upper hand in the drug dealing case so there’s a bigger sentence coming but for now, he should stick to spending 2 years in jail,” Mike replied.“I’m so proud of you Mike. I don’t know how my son would have navigated this city and his responsibilities without you.”“To be honest, you have to give it up to Nathan. The boy is vibrant and has matured in the shortest time. I was gone for