After Mr. Ban was done inspecting his niece' wound, there was an awkward silence between them as he looked at her carefully. He had paid heavily for the video that he leaked into the internet by himself, to suddenly disappear, and he was glad he did so. ''That ugly video of you is no longer online!'' Mr. Ban said to Lucy proudly. When he said these words, knowing her uncle, Lucy raised her head up slowly, to look at him. For him to ignore the fact that talking about that video might trigger her to be mad at him again, and go ahead to talk about it, she knew that it had to be because he was the one that saw to it that the video was taken down. ''Yes. It's disappeared. Did you do it?'' Lucy asked interestedly. Mr. Ban scoffed. ''What did you expect?'' He asked Lucy. ''You thought that I would leave such a nasty video of my lovely niece online for perverts to be happy to watch?'' He asked Lucy again. Lucy's eyes shone. ''Uncle Damien!'' She exclaimed. Mr. Ban turned to loo
''Ma'am, we are making his special dish today. How coincidental it is for you to show up and consider him as special as we woke up considering him,'' the chef said to Laura politely.Laura smiled and nodded.She pretended to thoroughly inspect the kitchen and the food that was being prepared, but at the same time, her eyes were darting around, looking for anything that could pose a threat to her ploy, and then she started to leave when she confirmed everything was fine. ''Now that I am here already, I'll just take my meal now,'' she said to the chef on her way out.''Oh, yes ma'am,'' the chef replied and hurried to serve Laura.Within the next hour, Laura was having Lunch.She smiled with satisfaction after she finished eating because her plans were working. Everything that Laura had planned out in a bid to escape, was working, apart from one part.She needed help from outside, and she had not gotten any yet. As far as that city was concerned, she had to rely on people for a while
Laura swallowed hard. This was a defining moment for her, and she knew it. Whatever she told Alina now, would make her or mar her in regards to her effort to run away from Mr. Ban's house. ''Hello? Have you suddenly become mute?'' Alina asked Laura when she had waited for a while for Laura to say something, but Laura was silent. ''No...no. I...I want to...'' Laura started to say to Alina. Alina was all ears, and the fact that Laura was scared, made her impatient and irritated. ''What?'' Alina yelled at Laura. She was getting very upset.After Laura had interrupted the quiet time she was having with herself, she could not say anything. It seemed ridiculous. ''Can I see you? Please. I need to see you, and it's urgent,'' Laura hastily replied when she saw how upset Alina had become. At this point, Alina tossed the cigarette away again and leaned back up from her seat. She looked very interested in what Laura had to say. ''And how do you intend to do that?'' She asked Laura. '
At the junction that led to the Bueno's hotel, Laura diverted and headed for the outskirts of town. Her legs were nearly bleeding at this point. She had some money with her, quite alright, but the position that she was in at the moment, was not one that would allow her to spend impulsively. She had to save whatever she had for the right time.Under the scorching sun, Laura walked briskly without looking back. It was a dreaded thing for her to look back towards where she was running from because she suffered from some paranoia. Laura's eyes remained ahead of her, fixed on the horizon. Soon enough, she arrived at Alina's house. The house was familiar, and Laura was sure that she was in the right place, but for some reason, her heart thundered nervously against her chest. She was afraid. She slowed down her steps as she got to the small inn-looking house, and abruptly stopped when she was in front of it. Laura had waited there for a while, and just when she was about to summon
Mr. Ban chatted with Margaret and Lucy for a while before he left. In a while, he had not been this happy at all. The fact that Lucy was no longer mad at him made him think he was the happiest man in the world currently. Hopefully, she won't get triggered in the wrong direction again and change her mind. He left, grinning from ear to ear as he entered the back of his Bentley and asked the driver to take him back home. ''Boss, back home? It's three in the afternoon sir,'' Barter reminded Mr. Ban, but Mr. Ban was in a very different mood than usual and he was feeling different. ''I know. I want to go home to Laura. All of a sudden, I feel like being around her,'' Mr. Ban replied to Barter. Barter was dumbfounded. Since when did this sort of thing ever happen? But what could Barter do? He had to keep quiet and watch Mr. Ban grin from ear to ear like a toddler that had just been gifted chocolate. The ride back to the house was short. Before they got home, Mr. Ban asked the dri
Alina and Laura's eyes landed on the phone screen at the same time. ''Barter''That was the name of the contact that was displayed on the screen.Laura's heart stopped, and she held her chest because of the sudden pang of pain that she felt. ''They have found out, you are being looked for,'' Alina said to Laura with a straight face as both of them watched the phone vibrating aggressively on the table.Alina raised her hand and was about to pick up the phone when Laura snatched the phone from the table.''What are you going to tell him?'' Laura asked Alina with tears gathering in her eyes.Alina looked at Laura in disbelief. ''What gave you the audacity to take my phone from me?'' She asked Laura.Laura's eyes flashed desperately. ''I apologize,'' she said as she put down the phone that had now stopped ringing, back on the table. Alina was still staring at her in confusion. Barter grunted helplessly when Alina didn't pick up, and then he called her back. While he was doing this,
''I know. But, we can stall. See if he actually intends to hurt Barter. I doubt that Damien can...'' Laura was saying this when Alina interrupted her.''Who's Damien?'' Alina asked impatiently.Laura swept her eyes on Alina's face.''My husband, and your brother's boss. Mr. Ban,'' Laura replied with a low tone.''Oh! Is that his first name? Damien?'' Alina asked.Laura nodded. ''Wow. Nice name. Nice name for such a man that I have heard so much about. Is he really as violent as people say he is?'' Alina said and asked.Laura scoffed.''If he were not violent, would I be running away from him? From that huge house and comfortable bed?'' Laura asked Alina, scoffing at her question in the first place.How could anybody ask if Mr. Ban was violent? Of course, he was.''That means I cannot help you, Laura,'' Alina said and shook her head with a worried face. Laura fell to her knees.''Please. Please, I beg you. I can't go back there, and you are the only person I know with any means to he
Back at Mr. Ban's house, Barter was frantically calling everybody he knew in the city. ''No, I have not seen her!'' ''I don't even know what she looks like. Does Mr. Ban have a wife?'' ''Which of Mr. Ban's wives are you talking about? I see that man with different women every day,'' These were some of the responses that Barter received from his comrades whom he called for help gave to him. ''Fuck!'' Barter muttered and gazed into thin air. So far, his hopes of getting Laura back were looking bleak. The only hope he had was his sister, Alina. She was like a cockroach. She could squeeze in anywhere and get whatever she wanted. He had seen her do it on several occasions. Once, there was an elite function that Barter attended with Mr. Ban. The security at the function was so tight that there was no way anyone without an invitation could have access to the venue, but to Barter's surprise, when he entered the venue with Mr. Ban, he saw Alina there. She was dressed like an e