The awards began and each of the students received a monetary reward based on their performances during the competition.Maria, the beautiful blonde girl that had tried to talk to Richard at the start of the competition turned out to be the first prize winner of the competition. She had gotten several medals and she stood with the available dignitaries in the occasion, alongside other winners, to take pictures outside the hall.Elise had been very tensed the moment that the moderator was announcing the results from the competition and as soon as Richard had been announced as the winner of the competition, she felt a warm feeling rush through her and she became giddy with excitement.That moment, she became proud of herself for being a student of her university as one of the top winners of the competition had come directly from her university. Due to the taking of pictures that happened after the results has been announced, Elise decided to explore the city. She had initially wanted to
The early evening rain had just ended when Richard arrived at the restaurant. The streets were wet and only a few people moved around with umbrellas because there was a light drizzle that still persistedThere was also traffic on the road as most office workers were now returning. Noise of conflicting car horns pierced through the night, mingling with the shouts and loud voices of the people on the street. Almost everyone seemed to be hurrying up to somewhere.The restaurant that Richard had dropped at had a set of glass revolving doors that opened up on its own. While staring at his wristwatch for the time, he walked through the revolving door and was hit by the cold air of the restaurant. Outside the restaurant was cold but he interior we almost at freezing temperature because the air conditioning units inside had all been switched on.He scanned the busy restaurant with his eyes and saw Maria. She was seated with crossed legs at a table in the middle of the restaurant. There was a
As soon as he arrived at the hotel, he went straight to the bathroom and had a nice shower. It had always worked for him. Whenever he felt really stressed out and he desperately needed to calm himself down, if he was at home, usually had a bathe.After he stepped out from the bathroom in small briefs—with his muscled chest, bare—he picked up a clean pair of shorts that he had left on the clothe railing earlier and wore it. Then, he remembered the call that he was yet to return to Elise’s father and, with a freshly made cup of coffee in his hand, he grabbed his phone and went to the swinging chair that was at the corner of his bedroom.He climbed into it and relaxed into its next. It was warm and almost dark inside the seat.A grown human could fit into the seat and it was sturdy enough to carry any weight as it was hung from two, strong iron poles that were connected to the ceiling of the room.The swinging chair rocked on its own each time Richard shifted within it. He dialed James'
The following morning, Richard had woken up quite early to call Niko. It had been almost 24 hours since he last heard from Niko and he kept wondering what could have happened to prevent Niko from reaching out to him to tell him what was going on at the company. He dialed Niko’s number several times but it wasn’t reachable.At this point, he was running out of patience and he desperately needed a reassurance that everything was alright. To do away with the uneasiness he felt about not getting any information from Niko, he decided to take a stroll around the hotel.Ever since he had been lodged in the hotel some days earlier, he had not payed attention to his surroundings because he was constantly in a haste whenever he got out. This time, he strolled out of the hotel premises, stopping at the windows of a see through gift shop to admire the expensive Jewelry that were kept on the shelves.There were several grades of jewelry on the shelves and he could recognize a few. The years he spe
“Elise?” A calm voice called her, seeping into her unconsciousness. She was still; she didn’t budge or move. The warm darkness that had blanketed her made her unresponsive until she felt a light tug on her arm.“Wake up, Elise” The familiar voice called again—this time, it was firm and commanding. Then, she felt the tug on her arm. She slowly stirred and her eyes fluttered open.At first, she squinted to the brightness that was all around. When her eyes got acquainted to the eyes, she blinked rapidly, trying to remember where she was. She saw people. So many people who sat in chairs around her. Then, the voice came again. “Finally, you’re awake. Elise”She craned her neck and looked sideways at the smiling face of a man who stared down at her.“Do you still feel the cramps?” He asked. He was no longer smiling as he now had no iota of emotion on his face.It all came rushing back to her. She was in a plane, seated next to Richard—her personal security guard. The last thing she had rem
As he stood at the busy road, he realized how much time had past. It was almost 5pm and Richard’s ached with weary. He needed a cold shower, a warm and tasty plate of food and a long sleep. But, he had already made up his mind to find out, directly from Niko, the reason that he was called up out of the blues at the competition.He decided to pick a cab to his old apartment which was on the other side of town. While in the cab, he texted Niko, asking him to come over to his place. Richard knew how sensitive the role of the CEO of the company was and he always tried as much as possible to avoid being seen with Niko in public. He wasn’t ready for people to start drawing lines of connection between him and Niko. He did not want people to figure out that he had something to do with the director of the multinational company.Richard arrived home with an anxious mind. His staff at the apartment greeted him but he only threw a small nod at them. He strode towards his room as swiftly as he co
“Are you serious about this, Niko?”Niko was solemn. “Let me show you a few pictures of the destroyed part of the company. I took pictures” He picked up his bag that was lying besides him and searched through it.Richard watched in stillness. He knew the amount of money that had left his account during the first few months after which his company had rented that space in the middle of the city. He had spent heavily to refurbish the entire place. All along, everyone assumed that it was Niko who was providing the funds. It was better that way as Richard wanted to remain as anonymous as he could.Niko finally found his phone and he went through it, checking for the pictures while Richard waited. He passed the phone to Richard after about a minute. Shock gripped Richard as he stared at the pictures. He looked at a few before pushing the phone into Niko’s hands again.He wanted to react but, he cautioned himself to be calm. “Is that all that happened?”Niko nodded. “There’s a part I’m yet
Some minutes after he left, Richard’s phone rang from the glass shelf where he had left it earlier. He was almost falling asleep on the couch and he shot up from his seat to get the phone from where it was.The caller ID showed “Master”He gasped under his breath.Why was his Master calling at past 9pm? He was almost hesitant in picking the call because he had a slight feeling that his Master wasn’t calling on good note. Perhaps, he called to caution it reprimand him on something.He drew in a deep breath and braced himself for whatever his Master had to say. He answered the call and the sharp voice of his master floated over to him.“Richard!”“Yes, Master. Good evening”“Where are you right now?”Richard scratched his bead, wondering what his Master was up to “I’m in my apartment. I returned from the competition today and I can’t go to the school’s hostel right now”“Okay, Boy. What is this news I hear about your company?”“My company?”“The fire incidence! Since yesterday, it’s bee