SOFIAAs I was chatting away my thoughts, I noticed that Alex was just looking at me, his mind was elsewhere. He made this kind of face that suggested he was thinking out of what we were discussing. But, there was still this tendency that he was thinking about what I had told him.I sipped my coffee. The waitress surely added too much milk to this coffee and if I kept drinking it, I would mess up this whole place. I sat well, reaching for the napkin on the table and I dabbed at my mouth. I felt my stomach grumble and hoped I was the only one who heard it.It would be awkward if I excused myself again. I bit my upper lip and as I looked at Alex, I saw that he was now looking at me and there was a spark of understanding, a wistful look that conveyed empathy in his amazing eyes. Now, I wasn't sure if it was the fact that I wanted to fart again or the fact that he understood my predicament.I looked at him and he smiled. This time, I knew his wistful look wasn't on my fart, but on the man
ALEXIn all the months I knew Sofia Griffin, I never expected her curiosity to be directed towards me. She always surprised me though, but now I was more shocked than surprised. She wanted to know about me. I was a bit nervous when she asked but hey? Anything for us to get closer. I was down for that.I desperately tried to ignore the feeling in my guts. I felt guilty for the first time. How would Mother look at me? Seeing that I put my selfish goals first before this innocent's woman peace of mind? This was another chance for me to prove myself. I could save her. But at what cost? My whole dream? The entire Cartel?Thoughts were running through my head as I looked at her. She was spiked up and for some odd reason she avoided her coffee since her visit to the toilet. Ohh. I didn't think of it in that way. Now it seemed a little funny to me. How cute. It was nature's way, she didn't have to be so shy about it.This had to be a special type of superpower. How was she so calm? How could
SOFIAHe was smiling. But I knew a thousand thoughts were in his head. I wanted to dare to know them. That would bring me closer to him, know what he was thinking and what he was feeling.I learnt from my mum that a way to understand a man was to know what he was feeling and what he was thinking. What could be running in his head when he said, "come work for me?" He didn't put much thoughts into it, I suppose.And I still couldn't believe it when he offered me a job at his company. It was such a generous and unexpected gesture, and I couldn't understand why he would do such a thing for me. As I sat with the coffee mug not far from me, I listened to him talk about his father and dead brother. Never dated, but I was sure he must have had a fair share of 'women'.The big fat question mark was, why would he want to help me? What had I done to deserve this kind of kindness from him? And why was he always looking out for me, making sure I was okay and offering his support whenever I needed
SOFIAI didn't want to ask him, but I had to. I took a moment to collect my thoughts, weighing my options. "No, I don't think that's it, just tell me, Alex, why?"This was too much for just a friend. In this present age, no man would help a woman to this extent. Absolutely no man I know. But Alex would and even he seemed fine about it.He just stared at me, unsure of what to say. I don't know if I had crossed the line or not. But his eyes remained calm. I don't understand how he could say something really heavy and still sit through it calmly like nothing happened. He had that calm demeanour, that nonchalant attitude. And it made my stomach churn.Alex made me feel more than I was supposed to when he said things like this. It was just like the first time we met. Prior to me drinking at that bar, what I had been thinking of was what I would do once I found those who killed my parents. Deep down in me, I knew the killers was out there, somewhere, and I was determined to find them.A tho
SOFIAI wanted to actually tell him how I felt. What I was thinking too. But there was something holding me back. It was the fact that I always acted bold, independent and other attributes of a woman of steel. I didn't want him to see that vulnerable side of me. Not now, not ever. I was sure if I started to tell him what was wrong and how I was dealing with it, I would cry.And I wasn't dealing with it nicely. No, I felt like breaking down and I wanted to cry. The scrubbing and the bathing I had in the bathroom wasn't enough to wash away the irritation I felt within me, towards my boss, towards everybody in that company in general. I found everything very repulsive and talking about it would make me cringe.With these emotions in me, all I could utter was, "I need some time to process everything," I just told him, though it feels like a feeble excuse. I wish I could be more honest with him, to let him in on the turmoil that was brewing beneath the surface, threatening to burst out of
ALEXWhen she said I made her eat well. I was glad. It covered up the fact that she didn't want to talk about the assault from her boss.The thing is I wanted to know what she was thinking about all of this. It's best to just talk it out but she didn't want to. I understand the fact that she was still shaken from all that had happened. It was still fresh in her head but talking about it would ease the pain, hurt, disappointment a little bit.I couldn't begin to imagine how she must have felt when her boss touched her. She must have been sorting out documents and files, and he must have entered, smirking and giving her lustful glances. She must have looked away from him, demanding politely what he wanted. He must have said it outrightly that she was sexy and all and he must have moved closer to her while she tried to escape.A lot must have happened before I came in. Her shirt was torn and I could see the black bra she was wearing underneath. Her face was red and her hair in dismay. Sh
ALEX The conversation I had with the private investigator made me feel a little at ease. With what he had and what he was going to find, I was sure it would be complete and would ruin Sofia's boss. It would teach him some valuable lessons not to mess with people again. You never know who's the right people and the wrong people.Now, he messed with the wrong people and it was time to show him who is the boss. I plan to see him rot in jail. To see him lose all he ever accumulated in the wrong ways.I don't intend to allow him to spend perhaps a day or two, a week or two in police custody, I intend to extend it to a five years minimum and ten years maximum and I will make sure he loses a lot while in jail.I made my way through the office. My head kept on bringing ideas. I have to quickly formulate a plan and begin to coordinate with the team to track down her parents' murderer. I wanted to ensure that those who did this faced the full force of the law and that they would never be able
ALEX "I need you all to keep this tight lipped. I don't want my father to catch wind of the new addition to our team. Is that taken?"The employees exchanged puzzled looks and I could see the questions forming in their minds. I wasn't ready to give them a WHY. They should just take it like I said it. I was the boss and they were my workers. If any of them wanted to defy me, it would be the former head of department.The others wouldn't. The head of the department was someone my father always talked to. He was my father's oldest worker and I knew if anything was to happen which was not in line with my father's rules, he was sure to tell him.And as they nodded, my thoughts were consumed with the potential pitfalls of my father discovering Sofia's hiring. I had to make sure everything went smoothly, and with the employees on board, I hoped I could avoid any unnecessary complications.Damn, I hope. And I hope they are able to get my WHY too. They all knew my father and if there was one
ALEX Manchester was different…Manchester was blissful…The air in Manchester was very clear; till I could feel it suffocate me. But then I knew one day, I would put an end to all of this. I was living the life that I wanted here. Away from Blake and his Cartel, his mob and the killers and the snare and everything. I had used the money I had to start up something and I would be going back to hockey soon. It was what gave me utmost confidence. And I wouldn’t toss it away. She still didn’t want to have anything to do with me. I took it upon myself to stalk her in a healthy manner. I was there when she left for work and I was there when she was back. It was one thing that gave me joy, it gave me this push. I knew that one day, she would hear me out and would forgive me. I made a conscious effort to respect her space. It was hard to process that fact and I wanted to give her time but then one day, I would make sure I walk up to her again. Everyday, I couldn’t deny the pull she had o
SOFIA Manchester…I got dressed and sighed when I was done dressing. This used to be worn with a happy smile, now, my heart was filled with sadness, regret and disappointment. It wasn’t anger anymore. It was something else. I left the house, the crisp autumn air nipping at my cheeks as I made my way down the street. The familiar sights and sounds of my neighbourhood seemed to fade into the background as I focused on the task at hand: preparing for my move to Manchester.I came back home to prepare. It was now or never. Another day here and I would commit suicide. This was the place my parents were killed, this was the place Olivia had been arrested. Too many bad memories and damn, I can’t stay here any longer. I brought out my clothes and the new bags I bought when I went out. It was now or never at all. I packed my clothes into the bag, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of sadness and nervousness as I did this. I was going to England, leaving behind everything that had once been fami
SOFIAI could still dream. This time, I was dreaming about being alone in a field of roses, where everything was filled with tranquillity and warmth. I found myself standing in a vast field of roses, their sweet fragrance filling the air and soothing my mind. The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow over the landscape. The vibrant colours of the flowers seemed to stretch on endlessly, creating a mesmerising sea of reds, pinks, and whites.It felt so good to be here. So damn good. I forgot all I was thinking about. I forget the sorrows that were now in my life. I forgot how things had been so bad. I was calm. I was content. I was enough. As I walked through the field, I felt a sense of peace and tranquillity washing over me. It made me feel like I was in heaven. This was a pleasure. Absolute pleasure. Amidst the sea of roses, I caught sight of a figure in the distance. This was supposed to be my world, my dream. As I approached the figure, I realised it was my mother, wear
SOFIABut then I had so many what ifs left in me…What if everything had not been like this? What if I had just not found out about the cottage and all? I guess Olivia would have killed me. She would surely win this time around and then she would put an end to the existence of the Griffins.If only Olivia hadn’t found out what really happened, if she didn’t know who our parents were and if nothing had ever even happened before. I sighed heavily. What would have become of my life and that of Olivia’s? I kept thinking about this and it kept playing in my head till I could no longer imagine what life would have been if everything hadn’t started from Olivia finding out that our parents were bloody murderers. I wanted to look up and gaze out the window at the world outside, but Alex was right beside me. He had this look of remorse and that was the last thing I needed right now. In that instant, I couldn’t help but ponder the age-old adage, “ignorance is bliss.” How true those words seeme
SOFIASomehow, a sad song came into my mind. I was humming the song and somehow, it made me feel so good. I then began to ask myself some questions. What if my parents were still alive? What if Jake hadn’t cheated on me? What if Olivia grew up nice and well groomed? What if? The answer was that I wouldn’t have met Alex. And before that, I wouldn’t know who Ronaldo was and my parents wouldn’t have been divorced. It was a whole lot to take in but I knew that I would heal. No matter how hard and difficult it was, I would heal. Nice and steady. I went back inside and saw Alex with the inspector. They were talking and I just went to my room. I needed some time alone, some time to sink all this in and know what next to do with my life right now. I could hear Alex talking with the inspector. “I will come by later. If you need anything, let me know.”“All right. Take care of her.” The inspector told him. “Yes.”‘Take care of her?’ I scoffed. How can I be fine with the devil? The real d
SOFIAI hadn’t wanted to keep crying when the police came but each word, sentence and action of Olivia kept replying in my head like a broken tape and the tears just wouldn’t stop. I then asked myself, how did we come to this? Olivia was a happy child, she was loved by happy parents, it got to the point of being jealous because of the way our parents favoured her over me. But then when I grew up and tried to relive those days, I saw that our parents loved us equally. Yes, they were murderers, and yes they were members of a notorious mafia mob that had killed a lot of people and destroyed so many lives. In that sense, they should be ruthless, in that sense they should have raised us with a knife taped to the tip of their tongues.With them, we were fed love on a silver spoon in a golden plate, we weren’t made to get love by licking it off knives. Not just any knife, a knife that wasn’t embroidered and was just insignificant to mankind. No, our parents fed us love and overfilled us
OLIVIAI watched them panic when I had reached for the only weapon I think could put an end to my misery. I planned to kill to myself and then kill Sofia and her boyfriend. She was asking too many questions that reminded me of the past. It reminded me of the faces of the murderers I referred to as my parents. Particularly seeing her. I haven’t looked at myself in the mirror in a while. I couldn’t dare to do that. I knew I would see the reflection of those terrible people in me, I hated them so much that if I saw them in my face, I would surely scar myself. It was better to die than to live with their imprint visible on my body. And then Sofia? She had everything good coming her way. Even though Ronaldo didn’t treat her well, he still thought about her and even went as far as wanting her to be married to a rich son of the mafia. No matter the maltreatment, I knew she would enjoy her married life. Ronaldo didn’t think of me when the son of the mafia came. He didn’t at all and damn,
ALEXI watched the two sisters battle words. All this while I was just looking at them, it felt like I wasn’t even in the room. They kept throwing words at each other and made me feel completely invisible. And thinking about this, I just couldn’t see Anthony and I having the same batter and swearing at each other like this. It was something I couldn’t ever picture. Not that I was scared, I stopped being afraid of Anthony when I left home and since then, there was nothing that would make me scared of him ever again. Anthony and I can’t even have a physical conversation, the last time we had talked, it was during a family dinner. That was the day my father had announced that he was giving the cartel to Anthony. I remembered that day like I was in it. I hadn’t wanted to come but I had no choice, I just had too. Ever since I left home, I just cut ties with them but then I had too. The dinner was scheduled a few days before my mother’s birthday. I just had to go. I told myself I would f
SOFIA “Why did everything change?”Tears continued to cascade down my cheeks, a testament to the shattered dreams and broken promises that plagued our relationship. The person I once knew had morphed into a stranger, driven by darkness and pain.Olivia had become a woman I used to know. She scared me now. Everything she had said was surprising, it made me feel stupid. I had thought she changed because of the death of our parents. Then she was withdrawn, she threw herself to Ronaldo like he was her saviour. And to me, she treated me like trash. I had thought she wanted to take away all the grief in her by being mean to me, but I was wrong, she had just been thinking of ways to extinguish me from the world she was creating. “When did everything change, Olivia?”“It will further change if you disappear.” She answered. “And then the very day I found out about what our parents were, I knew I couldn’t tell you, I just knew I had to carry out this mission myself.”I just looked at her, it