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
Alex instantly knew that something was off.Camila looked worried as hell and she refused to meet his gaze. Mrs. Maria looked like she was on the very edge of exploding.“You called me, ma’am?” He said, deciding to be brave.“Yes, I did, David. Can you tell me what happened at the garden today?”Alex blinked in surprise. Why was she asking that question? She was there, too. She saw everything that happened.Something was most definitely off.“With all due respect, ma’am, you were at the garden at the time of the incident. You’re a witness to everything that happened.”Her eyes flashed with annoyance.“Don’t you think I know that? Tell me what happened. I need your own version.”Alex lifted his head slowly and saw Miguel fold his arms with s smug look on his face. What had the bastard done now?“Well, ma’am, while you were giving your speech earlier, I happened to notice that there was something off about the statue of Zeus which was directly behind you.Upon closer investigation, I di
“What are you saying, Tariq?” Mrs. Maria asked. “Why do you always take his side? Can you explain how the statue miraculously had a broken leg when all of them had been checked by my guards or was it some sort of miracle?”Tariq walked over to a settee and sank into it, then he gave Mrs. Maria a serious look.“Maria, I think it’s time you began to realise that you might have a traitor amongst your guards.”For the next few seconds, the room was as silent as a graveyard. Mrs. Maria, Camila and her mother’s eyes were wide as saucers as they contemplated Tariq’s statement.“B-but that’s just outrageous.” Mrs. Maria blurted, taking a long sip of water from her glass. “A traitor? Amongst my men? It’s impossible.”“Sir, I think you're forgetting that all of Mrs. Maria’s men were screened by the Capo himself.” Miguel chipped in. “There’s absolutely no way they’d betray her.”Tariq gave him a cold stare. “And did I ask you to speak? Do you really think your opinion matters in the grand scheme
Hours later, Alex was bone tired after overseeing the clean up of both the garden and halls.Most of the guests had gone home and finally, exactly two AM, he finally made it to his room. He arrived at the door and froze. Something was off. The white powder he’d sprinkled on the knob was still intact, but a sliver of dread crawled up his spine. He had a feeling that someone was either watching him or had somehow gained access into his room.“I’m probably just tired.” He muttered sleepily. Nothing really looked out of the ordinary after all. He unlocked the door and stepped into the pitch black room, trying to remember if he’d actually turned off the lights himself or not.Finally, it dawned on him that he hated darkness. Always had. When he was poor and lacked accommodation, sometimes, he and Jayden had to sleep in pitch black abandoned or uncompleted buildings. Since then, Alex had developed a phobia for darkness.A very serious phobia.He could never sleep with the lights off. H
“I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?”It’s been theee hours since Aled was attacked and Mrs. Maria had been acting strange.First of all, she moved him out of his old room and gave him a brand new suite with its own sitting room, ultra modern restroom facilities and a king sized bed.Alex had been a little skeptical about the whole arrangement, seeing that the other workers were starting to give him weird looks. Why was she so invested in making sure he was comfortable?It was the day after the banquet and most of the guests had gone back to their different destinations. Alex was currently overseeing the cleaning of the garden. “Tell me the good news first, Tariq.”Tariq came closer and sank into one of the left over plastic chairs.“I was finally able to convince Maria to let Eden go.”Alex paused, the hose in his hand hanging midair.“Really?” His lips stretched in a smile. “That’s wonderful news.”Alex had had sleepless nights thinking about Eden’s