“Ethan,” Mrs. Maria sounded outright exasperated at that point. “Why are you doing this?Without responding, Ethan calmly inspected Alex’s chains. When he was done, he turned to the guard beside him and gave him a hard stare.“Where’s the key?”The guard blinked in surprise.“But, sir…”Ethan turned to his mother.“Seems like you have very disobedient staff on your payroll, mother. If you cannot control the people whom you pay to work for you, why then would you expect that I can be controlled?”He turned to the guard once again.“I’m asking for the last time. The key. Give it to me.”The guard bowed. “Of course, sir. Right away.”He fumbled in his pants pocket and produced a rusty key holder which held two keys. Ethan pulled it from his grasp and hurriedly attacked the chains on Alex’s wrists and ankles.Miguel was pretty sure he was experiencing a heart attack in slow motion.“Ma’am.” He called Mrs. Maria, sounding absolutely horrified. “Are you really going to stand back and watch
Camila hated the sight of blood. Just like she hated David Wyatt before today. Or not.She didn’t know why, but when that whip had landed on his back, something inside her had shifted. Something feral. An emotion she’d been trying so bloody hard to hide curled through her veins, fueling her with the need to run into the arena, snatch the whip from the guard’s fingers and burn it to pieces.Unable to control her emotions, after he was whipped the first time, she ran back to her room, not willing to sit there and watch him take the other thirty-nine strokes.It was whilst she was just sitting there and staring at the wall that she realised why she’d felt that way, why her chest felt like it would burst when she saw David chained to that wooden beam.No matter how hard Camila tried to convince herself that she hated David’s guts, she didn’t.But deep down, she knew she did not look to see him hurt. She hated that hazy look of pain in his eyes. She hated seeing him suffer.Camila knew sh
Miguel seemed to have passed out but the problem was, Philip seemed not to care. Before anyone could stop him, stormed to where Miguel lay in a pile of rubble and pulled him upwards with brutal force. Alex was shocked when the former opened his eyes and stretched his lips in a wicked smile.“What you’re doing right now, Philip, is putting yourself into even deeper trouble.” Miguel sneered, the smile on his face disappearing in a flash. “If you lay those filthy hands on me one more time, I promise I’ll make sure you leave this house today.I’m the closest to Mrs. Maria amongst all of you. Trust me, when I say something, I will never stop until I get it accomplished.”Philip’s shoulders trembled with rage at Miguel’s heartless threats.After what seemed like an eternity, he released him and stepped back.“I thought we were friends, Miguel.” He said, his voice filled with anger and hurt. “I supported you despite knowing that most of your plans were wrong.I stood with you when everyone
Alex carefully twisted the handle of his door and peeked his head inside. His eyes narrowed with suspicion when he realised that there were no signs of life in there. Nothing at all suggested that someone had gained entrance into the room. Everything was in their rightful positions.But somehow, he was one hundred percent certain that someone had come into the room… because the white powder he’d sprinkled on the door knob had mysteriously disappeared and that only meant one thing — someone had touched it.He took a deep breath and walked inside, all his nerves going on high alert. The moment he stepped inside, he picked up the object that was closest to him to use as a weapon — a pen knife he’d somehow forgotten to put away.After searching the balconies and not finding anyone or anything strang, Alex decided to come back inside and search some more.He was just about to place a call to one of the guards when he heard a slight sound coming from the bathroom.Alex froze, his heart al
Tariq stumbled backwards and landed on the cold marble floors with a loud grunt of agony.Alex swung into action immediately, holding out his hands and helping the older man to his feet. Tariq’s face was twisted in a mask of pain as he rubbed his reddened neck. “What the hell is wrong with you, boy? Damn, you almost strangled me to death.”Alex knew they were in a dire situation but Tariq’s expression was so comical that he couldn’t help the smile that curved his lips.“Why in the bloody hell are you laughing?” Tariq asked, sounding completely exasperated.That was the last straw. Alex burst into full blown laughter, clutching his sides and trying hard as possible to draw air into his deprived lungs.Tariq rolled his eyes and walked away, still stroking his bruised neck.“Good Lord, this boy damn near killed me. What did I ever do to deserve such torture?”Alex followed him out to the balcony, still trying to hold back his laughter.“I’m so sorry, uncle Tariq.” He said when he final
After selecting workers for the banquet, Mrs. Maria left to get herself ready while Alex and the rest of his colleagues positioned themselves at their assigned spots.Alex’s job was to lead the special guests to their seats. Soon enough, more guests started to arrive and he became extremely busy, directing world class business men, top politicians and even recognised government officials to their assigned seats. As he did his job, there was only one prayer on his mind — he shouldn’t bump into someone he knew.He’d just whispered that prayer for the umpteenth time when a very familiar voice called his name. Uh-oh.“Alex? Alex, is that you?”He froze, his heart beating at an erratic pace. That voice. Where had he heard it before?The tap, tap sounds of a woman’s heels came closer and closer and Alex barely stopped himself from sprinting across the garden.“Alex, I’m talking to you.” The woman said, sounding like she was standing directly behind him.He balled his fingers into fists a
It all happened in a blur.One moment, Mrs. Maria was happily giving her speech and the next, the statue wobbled, nearly giving way and falling on her head.Adrenaline shot through Alex’s bloodstream as he watched the entire scene happen as if in slow motion. He leapt forward, arms outstretched.“Mrs. Maria, watch out!” He yelled.For the next few seconds, silence reigned in the hall as all the guests turned in his direction.Mrs. Maria gave him a harsh glare.“What the hell are you doing?” She mouthed.Alex shook his head continuously,“You need to get out of there. The statue!! The statue…!”Contrary to what he’d thought, Mrs. Maria did not look the least bit happy at his attempts to save her life. She gave her guests a nervous smile and threw a frown in his direction.“Stop it, David.” She said through gritted teeth. “Stop it right now.”She turned to her guests.“I apologise on my waiter’s behalf, he’s just a bit…”Alex did not wait to hear the remainder of her explanation. He dec
Five hours later, the banquet was still going in full swing. Mrs. Maria had managed to calm the guests and what was leftover from Zeus’s beloved statue was cleared off in no time. The formal part of the banquet had been rounded off long ago and the after party was gradually winding down. Most of the guests were drunk and knackered as they talked amongst themselves and swayed to the rhythm of the soft jazz music that came from the speakers. Alex was taking an empty tray to the kitchen when he heard movements behind him. He turned quickly and came face-to-face with Amanda. She looked nervous.“Amanda? What’s wrong?”“Mrs. Maria has requested for you in the lounge.” She said quietly. Alex was not surprised that Mrs. Maria wanted to speak with him. He was only surprised that she’d taken this long to summon him.After the statue had fallen, it seemed like she’d completely blocked out the entire incident. She’d immediately set to work, ordering the cleaners on duty to make sure the gard