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2024-10-29 19:42:56I saw Ken rush into the office building. The pocket side of his shirt was stained with blood, though he tried to conceal it. I followed him as he rushed to Marvin’s office. He did not notice I was following him. As he approached the door, I asked if I could help him clean up. He did not say anything. He entered the office and I followed him.
How did you know I was stained?” he asked me. Of course, I was not going to tell him I killed people for a living or I was used to seeing blood and concealing it.
“I am a cleaner,” I said. I took off the clothes and put them in the bag I had. “What happened?” I asked.
“We were attacked by a hired assassin. I think Marvin is marked. He is a target for the Contractor, I - - I - - I am not sure, you will not understand,” he said.
I knew Ken was a spy or a hire, he just gave away his identity, but I must continue to secure my cover as a cleaner.
“I am so sorry, but I don’t understand. No one would want to hurt Marvin! Why would an assassin want him dead?” I asked, acting very surprised.
‘You are just a cleaner, go do your goddam job,” he shouted at me.
I went out wondering what my next move would be. I needed to prevent Marvin from being killed by any hire except me. I also needed to know who placed a hit on me.
I took his clothes to him and he still looked shaken by the assassination attempt. “Where is Mr. Marvin, sir? Is he okay?” I asked, feigning ignorance and being nervous.
“Don’t you give up? He is in the safe house,” he said. I could see that he did not mean to say that. He looked at me as if he had revealed the most kept secret in the world.
“You did not hear that from me, and if you keep acting like this because of Marvin, you will leave here and not have a job. You can leave, that will be all,’ said Ken.
I was sure he was not a hire. No assassin would give up all these details just because someone tried to kill them.
I needed to find out who he was working for. I wondered why I took this contract. It is getting more complicated than I thought. I made up my mind that I was going to kill Ken, no matter who he was working for.
I pitied Marvin all the more. All these around his life and no one to trust. I felt sad because it looked like I had killed the only person that would have been a protector to him and I would make up for that by killing him. A wave of emotion flowed through me and tears started rolling down uncontrollably. I had not cried for anyone or anything since I was twelve!
Marvin entered the storeroom and saw me in tears. “Are you okay?” He asked, looking so concerned.
“I thought you …” I did not finish the sentence before he asked again. “You thought what Cassie? He asked. This time he looked furious. “What did Ken say to you? What did he say?” He asked me.
“I thought you were injured. He told me someone tried to kill you.” I said and started sobbing as the tears flowed like a river. I had to act the part. I could see that this was not something he had not experienced before.
I stood up, and he took me into his arms. I noticed the warmth and concern in his eyes. I needed to move my plan on quickly. I was now sure he was fond of me.
I asked him to tell me all that happened. He told me everything and did not hold back. His bodyguards were killed, and by the description he gave me, the assassin was Josh. I told him he was very lucky. I meant it, though he did not know. Josh was ranked second on the hire list and I considered him a better assassin than the person ranked number one.
“I need to find a wife and I need you. I cannot marry you and I don’t want someone else,” Marvin said.
I was shocked this was somebody who was almost killed today, switching quickly from that to finding a wife. I told myself that things were not the way they seemed. I assured him we could work on it together and that, though I liked him, I knew he wouldn’t want somebody of my status.
I packed my things and was ready to leave for the day when I saw Marvin standing in the doorway. I smiled at him. “It’s time to go home and after all that happened today you should be leaving early too,” I said. I noticed he was just smiling sheepishly at me.
Okay, what is it?” I asked.
“I want you to stay with me today. I will be staying at a hotel and your companion will make a great difference,” said Marvin, moving closer to me.
I wanted to say no, but I think my heart was thinking faster than my brain. I threw my arms around him and said, yes I would love to. I followed him as he showed me a secret door in the inner chamber of his office.
“Take this key, it is the key to the secret door and not my heart,” he said. I laughed as I took the key from him.
“We are staying for at least a week,” he said to me as the driver drove off following paths I never knew existed before.
I thanked him for trusting me and said that I could never repay how much love he had shown me.
“Trust no! I usually don’t trust anyone. My father always told me not to do that, and I am tired of not trusting,” he said.
“I am truly sorry for your loss, your father was truly a great man,” I replied, acting very concerned about the death of his father, and then I received the shocker of my life.
“Dad! No, he is not dead,” he said, smiling at me and holding my hands as if I were his strong confidant.
“You must not reveal this to anyone or you are dead,” he said. It looked like a threat rather than a warning.
I sat there shocked. The scene replayed over and over in my head again and again. I was sure I shot his father. No one would have survived those shots. The Contractor even confirmed him dead. Three bullets! a bullet to the head, a bullet to his heart, and a bullet to his stomach. I became confused and sat there dazed.
Even if I wanted to pretend, I could not. I knew I was now in danger. Marvin saw how confused and frightened I was. I could not hide it. The man who tried to kill me flashed in my thoughts. So which of the Marvin placed a mark on me or was it the Contractor? Who wanted me dead?
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The Shadow of Deception CHAPTER 6: MARVIN OR MARVIN
I laid in bed tired, not that we did anything, I was tired of the whole contract. I have so many opportunities to end this but I do not know where the documents were. I have asked myself over and over again why a document would matter. Who initiated this contract does not only want Marvin dead but wants something more.Marvin came in with a cup of coffee. “You slept like you deserve a thousand nights of rest, my dear,” he said.“Hmm. You could say that again,” I replied.“Looking at you again, you look too beautiful and well-kept to be a cleaner,” Marvin told me climbing on the rare side of the bed holding my legs.“Would it be out of place for a cleaner to look clean and beautiful? That’s my job!” I exclaimed.“Tell me about yourself,” he asked.I knew he was going to ask this, doing the kind of job I have done over the years had prepared me to be able to read people’s intentions. I had a planned story to tell my dear Marvin. I also need him to believe that I am interested in us as m
The Shadow of Deception CHAPTER 7: KNIVES AT WORK
I sat with Marvin as we drove off in two cars to his house. There was not much discussion on the way except the introduction that he had with the head of the bodyguards. We got to his house pretty quickly.Marvin ran upstairs while I sat in the living room admiring the beauty before my eyes. I loved what I saw. The Marvins were very rich and could have easily given me the fifty million dollars if I had told them my mission. I was sorry for Marvin because one way or the other, death was sure and it was not going to be natural.Marvin came down, smiled at me, and poured himself a glass of wine. I stood up and joined him. “Why don’t you want me to touch you?” he asked.“Nah, I don’t want to give you silly impressions,” I said.“And you agreed to stay with me? What were you thinking?” he asked.“You wanted a companion, not a sex toy,” I said.He smiled at me. I was a little embarrassed, this was Marvin, the most shy guy I had ever met, trying all he could to make love to me. I thought i
The Shadow of Deception CHAPTER 8: COMPLEX.
Marvin was still shaken when we got to the apartment. He hurriedly went to the bathroom and I knew he wanted to be alone. I undressed and wore something light. I decided that I was going to wait for him to recover from whatever he was feeling before engaging him.This contract is unbelievably complex and, once again, I have come to believe there is more to this than just killing Marvin. Is Marvin Simpson Senior a Mafia Lord? Did he cross paths with other Mafia Lords? Why would almost every person in this part of the world want him dead?I could understand why Uncle Jonah sent those bodyguards to kill Marvin. He was next in line, with Marvin gone he controlled everything. I also thought he had an insider feeding him exact locations and other information about Marvin. I felt that there must be more people trying to get rid of this gentle soul, Marvin. I counted the people after Marvin’s life and found them to be, Me, Josh, and the other assassin from the Contractor, his Uncle, and prob
The Shadow of Deception CHAPTER 9: ANOTHER TRY
I was brought to the office first from the secret path. I went to the store and changed clothes. No one would have believed me if I had told them about the wonderful weekend this cleaner had. I enjoyed every bit of it. I loved the acting, the thrills, and, of course, the lovemaking. I was still thinking and smiling to myself when Ken came in shouting.“Cax! Don't pretend to be deaf, I have been calling you,” Ken shouted at me.“I am sorry. How can I help you sir,” I said.“Do your job, just do your job. Go and clean Marvin’s office and please get your acts together,” he continued in a very high tone as he left the store. I hurriedly gathered my things and left Rose in the store who had come to ask me for some cleaning items for her work downstairs. I could have given her, but I did not want Ken’s trouble. I sensed something must have triggered this.I had just started to clean Marvin’s office when Ken stormed in. He looked like he was not happy to see me today. I thought it was bes
The Shadow of Deception CHAPTER 10: THE DATE
I was not happy that Marvin was going on a date with whoever it was. I did not know why it seemed jealous, but that was the way I felt. I could not explain this, though I needed the distraction to think clearly.I lay down on my bed. I was going through the documents again and wondered why Marvin did not go through them properly and thoroughly. He was so trusting and I felt very sad about it. Though he claimed his father had told him many times not to trust anyone, he kept making mistakes. I concluded that it was his nature to trust easily.I thought about the best way to get him killed without it coming back to me. I decided I was going to do it while he was on the date. I was going to poison him while he was on his date. I called Larry, who gave me the location of the date. Larry’s men were his personal bodyguards and Larry warned that I should not kill any of his bodyguards.Marvin’s date was Shantel. She worked for Marvin’s father for a little while before working for Uncle Jonah’
The Shadow of Deception CHAPTER 11: THE ALTERNATIVE
I was preparing for work. I did not want to wake Marvin, so I was doing everything quietly. I thought he needed rest from all that was happening to him. They were happening so fast and could easily throw off anyone very quickly.I looked at him as he slept like a baby. I bent down and gave him a kiss on his cheek. He grabbed me and threw me on the bed.“I thought you were sleeping,” I smiled as I planted a kiss on his mouth.“No, I was watching you,” he replied, laughing.“So I was only fooling myself by walking about like a thief not wanting to disturb you, my dear, That’s not fair,” I said, and kissed him again.“Where do you think you are going?” He asked.“Marvin, I am going to work. That I sleep with my boss does not mean I should not work,” I said smiling at him.“Okay, your boss is ordering you not to go to work,” Marvin said.“Sorry, my mistake. You are not my boss. I report to the Administrative Manager who happens to be your Assistant,” I said, holding his ears.“That would
The Shadow of Deception CHAPTER 12: MY MAN
I went to Marvin’s bedroom to wake him up and saw one of the cleaners coming from his room.“Where are you coming from?” I asked, staring at him intensely. He knew I was suspecting him and that my next move would depend on his answer to the question.“I am sorry, I was ordered by Ken to station at the master’s bedroom,” he said.“Ken, don’t give the orders here, I am your boss and you did not think you would clear that instruction with me?” I asked.“I did not know you were not aware. I thought you agreed with Ken that someone with some form of security details should be in charge of the master’s room,” he said.
The Shadow of Deception CHAPTER 13: THE BIRTHDAY ATTACK
As I left Marvin’s room, I met two of the bodyguards at the entrance, well stationed.“Hey,” I whispered. They turned and looked attentively at me.“Did Larry tell you who I was and how you were hired,” I asked.“Yes,” they echoed.“You should be protected as primary principal at all times before Marvin, Ma,” said the leader.“Perfect! You always take your second information from me. Every information passes through me first, is that okay?” I asked. They nodded in the affirmative.I sent Larry a text informing him about the birthday
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- The Shadow of Deception
CHAPTER 132: THIS IS NOT THE END
I sat down in Marvin's office as we looked at all the options we had for ensuring that our future and that of the twins were secured. He was not sure whether I agreed with him or not as he presented his plans. I looked straight at him with no emotions, and I was wondering whether it was because I had become the most dreaded Mafia Lord in town or that I just couldn't marry him."You are still married to Ms. June," I said immediately after he finished his speech, "or do you want me to take care of that too?" I asked."How do you mean, Cassie?" He asked, not sure if he understood what I meant."She looks like someone in the middle of our dream,"I said."She works for you," he replied.I told Marvin that we might have to wait for Ms. June's contract to expire, or he could talk to June to cancel the contract and pay her off if he wants us to be together. He agreed to talk to June. We did not know why June didn't want to cancel the contract even when she knew she would be fully paid as agre
- The Shadow of Deception
CHAPTER 131: MY TABLE MY MOVES
I sat at the table as the head of the gang for the first time and this time was to sort out issues that were arising due to me being selected as their leader. I told them how I had led this gang to this particular height single-handedly and could, even in my pregnancy, still take on any of them.Larry came late due to the task I had given him and one of the table members wanted to raise an objection to that, but I was not having any of that. I told him to sit his ass down, and it brought the quietness I had wanted to drive home my message.Larry's revelation about Cally's involvement was unexpected and unsettling. I leaned forward, studying the information he brought. "Cally hired Jasper? What does he gain from orchestrating my kidnapping?" I wondered aloud.Larry sighed, "It seems like there's more to this than meets the eye. Maybe he sees you as a threat, or perhaps he's trying to disrupt our operations. I'll dig deeper to find the motives."I nodded, acknowledging Larry's commitmen
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CHAPTER 130: THE SUPREME LEADERTH
Entering the Martinez Gang Headquarters, the room fell silent as all eyes turned towards me. Sancho, who is the current head of the gang, stood up, relief evident on his face."Cassie, we were worried," Sancho admitted, his concern reflecting in the eyes of the other members.“What happened, and where have you been? We could not carry on without you when Larry told us you were indisposed,” Sancho said.“Sancho, do not worry about me. I am fine. It will take more than pregnancy to hold me down,” I said, knowing that everyone was expecting to declare that I was pregnant so that I would not be made the leader of the Martinez Gang.“It is the reason we want pregnant women to sit out of business till they are ready,” Sancho said.“And the men who got them pregnant?” I asked.“It is a man’s world, Cassie. Anyway, we were worried about you,” Sancho said."I appreciate the concern, but we have a bigger problem," I began, looking around the table, "I was abducted this morning and Jasper, Rose'
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CHAPTER 129: UNDETECTED BOSS
The car moved steadily through the darkened city, the rhythmic hum of the engine accompanying the weighty silence that enveloped us. My eyes were fixed on the passing scenery, but my thoughts were tangled in the web of recent events. The events of the unexpected abduction, the revelation of Jasper's involvement, and the unsettling connection to the Contractor."Larry," I finally broke the silence, the question lingering at the forefront of my mind, "How did you not know I was kidnapped?"Larry's gaze remained focused on the road, his features shrouded in contemplation. "Cassie, I... I didn't have a clue. The whole thing took us by surprise. We were on high alert after everything with the Contractor and the Martinez Gang, but this... It was a blind spot."His words carried a weight of genuine concern, and I understood the complexities of the clandestine world we navigated. The shadows held secrets and the clandestine maneuvers of those we sought often unfolded in unpredictable ways."B
- The Shadow of Deception
CHAPTER 128: IT WAS JASPER
"We have been paid to do a job. Why don't we just get on with it Must we wait for him? It is getting late, and we have not heard from him now. Guys, what do we do? This is a very great asset, and keeping her alive more than now puts us at a great risk," said one of the members of the gang, who seemed irritated that they were keeping me more than normal.I stood still at the back of the truck as I listened to their conversation. They were waiting for instructions to get rid of me and that was how I got my first knowledge that it was not the Martinez Gang. I needed my gun, or would I say that I needed any gun I could get my hands on?I was waiting for the perfect time to strike. I knew I had to be strategic because it was a fight where the guns were fighting with the object I had used to free myself."If Jasper was not coming, then let's kill the woman and ensure that he knows where we buried her body so that he can mourn her," said one of them who was already laughing at his own joke.
- The Shadow of Deception
CHAPTER 127: BOXED UP
“You are going to be here for a long time,” a voice of a man said. I was blindfolded, but I knew we were still in New York and that I was kept in a box, or the back of a truck, or a container. I tried to visualize where I was and who was coming and leaving the place I was."If I could see you, I would tell if you would die first before the rest of your gang, you silly thing," I replied. I was not going to allow someone who does not have the decency to reveal his face to scare me. I felt that they were already scared of me and that was why they blindfolded me. I also knew that this was not a kidnap for ransom, it was a kill-the-target situation. What they were waiting for was what I did not know. Maybe they were waiting for instructions from their sponsors, only time can tell.The person looked like a guard assigned there and, from the look of things, I think they are three. They had taken my phone and smashed it when we got there, but that would not stop Larry from using the locator t
- The Shadow of Deception
CHAPTER 126: STEPPING DOWN
Sancho called for a physical meeting. The Martinez Gang members gathered in an atmosphere fraught with anticipation. The air hummed with a mixture of uncertainty and curiosity as the announcement of Sancho stepping down as the head of the gang hung over us like a shroud. Most of them looked tired as we had been engaged for so many reasons, including our internal struggled with the Contractor.My role within the gang, though currently inactive due to my condition, still tethered me to its intricate web of relationships and responsibilities. Sancho, a stalwart leader, had been a significant presence, guiding the gang through tumultuous times. The prospect of his resignation sent ripples through the Martinez Gang, leaving everyone eager to understand the reasons behind his decision. I was not there to tell him not to resign, and I asked Larry not to let them know he was with a video camera installed in his glasses..In the dimly lit room, Sancho's commanding presence demanded attention a
- The Shadow of Deception
CHAPTER 125: NOT RIGHT NOW
“Why haven’t you considered my proposition? We need to train the kids in the best possible way we can. You also need to have a man in your life and above all I love you,” Marvin said.“What do you want me to say, Marvin?" I asked. It was the truth as I did not know how to respond to his request, yes, he was going to be the father of my kids but I did not know whether I needed him as a man. It was quite confusing because I had not taken the time to consider that this could happen.The question lingered in the air, creating a moment pregnant with implications. Marvin's inquiry about marriage carried the weight of sincerity, and I in response, couldn't help but revisit the complexities of their intertwined lives.With the echo of Marvin's question resonating, my mind retraced the complexities of my emotions. The memory of Marvin's secret marriage to June cast a shadow over the prospect of our union. Torn between love and the intricacies of their shared history, I faced the crossroads of
- The Shadow of Deception
CHAPTER 124: GETTING ALL
I sat in Marvin’s room as we plotted how to go about with the Callyb predicament. It was Marvin’s room where strategic decisions unfolded, Marvin and I plotted our next move, we intended to buy out Cally Industrials even when we knew Cally would never sell his company to us. The revelation about Cally's financial struggles became a catalyst, and we decided that a buyout might be the most strategic play in this intricate game of corporate chess.With my unwavering determination, I articulated the plan to Marvin, my partner in both business and life. "Marvin, acquiring Cally's company is our next logical step. It will not only eliminate a formidable rival but also position us as dominant players in the industry. We have the means, the strategy, and now, the insight into their financial vulnerabilities. It's time to make our move."I did not know if Marvin would buy into what I was saying because I knew that Cally would never want to sell his company. I hope he does if not the other opti
