Everyone regrouped in the foyer of the manor.
“Something’s gone wrong with the flagging.” One of Frank’s men spoke out “The flags from all the holes seems to be blacked out.”
“Nothing’s wrong. The boss’s started going crazy. We joined in the fun.” Sonic grinned.
Ben was the first to head in followed by Frank, Ed and Shadow.
“We might have a problem.” Ed walked up to chief.
Daniel lifted his eyebrows in a cynical fashion “Tigers and their stripes…”
“That...” Ed scratched the back of his head with a lopsided grin.
“Who won?” Shadow walked up briskly.
“General, you didn’t play fair” Archer could only take out his resentment on Shadow.
“Ahem…ahem…” Shadow took two steps back in embarrassment as he looked guiltily at Archer.
“When did you guys plan? Have yo
Ben rushed after Bryan but didn’t manage to catch up.“Drive” Ben threw the keys towards Shadow. Shadow knew where to. He swiftly drove towards Bryan’s place.“Have you finished the task I gave you?”“Yes. I have also installed a cleanup virus in the form of a confidential document which will attack any document with our logo on any computer outside our internal network. This way any documents she has stored on her personal computer can be wiped clean the next time she uses the copy-transfer method.”“Um” Ben knew who Shadow was talking about.“I will also get an alert once this virus is activated, and it will self-destruct after wiping the hard drive clean. No foot prints!” Shadow was very impressed with the virus he created. He even tested it with Denis; Denis couldn’t find any traces.“So sure?” Ben raised his eyebrows.“Yes. I did a test run and got Denis to check. I told him I seem to have some missing documents in my laptop and if he could look into it for me. He managed to find
In the CEO’s office, Frank walked in without any ceremonial announcements or politeness. He sat down crossing his legs at the sofa waiting for Ben to finish what he was doing.Ben put down the document he was reviewing and walked over “You didn’t bring lunch?”“What?? I am your personal butler as well now?” Frank retorted impolitely. He was annoyed that he had to come over leaving his afternoon appointments out to dry and now this fella wants lunch!!“Shadow, lunch. Frank’s here.” Ben spoke into this phone.“Have you reserved a spot?” He went straight to the topic.“Sarah’s organized it! She usually goes to this every quarter, so it wasn’t difficult.”Shadow walked in with the lunch boxes in a few minutes.“That was quick” Frank looked impressed.“I was already at the café” Shadow scratched his head.“Yours?” Ben quizzed noting that there were only 2 boxes.“I won’t be joining” Shadow disappeared as quickly as he appeared. Why would he want to get indigestion? Didn’t he know the mood
In the observation room everyone looked at each other. The atmosphere was heavy, no one expected this.“How did you guess?” Daniel looked at Ben who was the least disturbed.“Both of their attitudes were self-explanatory… as for Pete’s reason … I just found out, along with the rest of you.”Ben’s IQ was high, and his actions and observations were always meticulous, it was no surprise that such a person could make such a deduction.“What next?” Simon looked uncomfortably at Ben. He guessed what Ben had decided.“I will let you all know the results.” Ben stood up to leave the room. He paused and sat back turning to Ian “Do you have the TS215 on you?”“Yes”“Let’s not waste time and interview Pete.”“Didn’t you say he was just a pawn?” Tyrell interrupted in confusion.“Maybe… but most of all, I want to know why he thinks Angus killed his mom.”“You think he didn’t?” Tyrell didn’t have any special feeling when it came to villains.“No. A sentimental idiot like him doesn’t have what it tak
“Knock …knock.”“Come in” Ben responded.“Sir, there’s gentleman who wants to talk to you.” The waitress announced.“Let him in.” Ben turned to Dana to explain “It must be Shadow. He won’t interrupt unless it’s urgent.”Dana nodded as Shadow entered looking uncomfortable. He was sure his boss would kill him for interrupting.“What is it?”“Boss, Angus passed away.”Ben paused before nodding “Find all the information of his mother. Get the registration details of Castro.”Shadow nodded and left the room.Dana looked at Ben with a questioning gaze.Ben pursed his lips. He knew what he should and shouldn’t say. But she was his, he couldn’t have any secrets from her! He looked at her for a minute before making up his mind. He told her about his interaction with Angus.“This…. You were not supposed to tell me this, were you?” Dana bit her lips. She realized the meaning behind his hesitation a minute ago.“I trust you with my life…. What does this count for?” Ben looked fervently at Dana.D
The next day-Simon walked into Pete’s detention room. Pete continued to ignore him and laid staring at the ceiling. He had figured that he was still in captivity and the interlude yesterday might have been due to drugs.Simon was not bothered by his arrogance and sat down in a leisurely manner.“Don’t think I have anything more to tell, do you? Don’t tell me that you think I will tell you something with a clear head, something I didn’t say when I was drugged? Pete sneered with disdain.“Heh! Don’t give yourself so much credit. Trash like you isn’t worth my breath” Simon ridiculed.“Then, why are you here?” Pete twisted his lips.“Doing a favor for a friend who promised to fulfill a dying man’s request.” Simon took out a bundle of pages and placed them on the table. He was not in a hurry to leave. He wanted to see how much of a scum the man in front of him was.Pete looked at the papers on the table and sat up slowly. He was curious as to what tricks this mob could come up with. He lo
6pm, Atlantis hotel.The entrance was manned by three security personnel and two council members on either side. People walked in pairs and groups handing in the RSVP confirmation emails/ messages.Amber Witherby, a 29-year-old former beauty queen and popular socialite walked in draped in a silver low neck figure hugging evening gown, exposing her cleavage proudly. The security stopped her for screening with a detached attitude.“Why is the security so tight? Isn’t it just another charity event?” Amber asked with a puzzled look. She was a regular at these events and had never been stopped before.“The special events for tonight are by Glam girls and Monroe boys. There’s also a few VIP’s who are attending tonight. We just can’t have any gatecrashers” One of the council members explained politely.“Oh...” Amber paused before asking in a gossipy tone “Any names I know?”“Who do you not know, Ms. Witherby?” Council member Lesley flattered with a smile.“True …true” Amber responded complac
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen” The hostess sound drew everyone’s attention.“It is such a pleasant evening made more beautiful with your presence” Carrie held the mike with a smile.“Let me take you through the evening, we will have the auction soon after Chelsey formally welcomes you all to this evening, followed by an evening of magic cast by the perfect blend of music, dance and companionship, followed by the musical event co-hosted by Glam girls and Monroe boys and will end with diner back here. Without boring you further with logistics, let me invite Chelsey to the stage.”Carrie stretched her arms towards Chelsey. Chelsey walked towards the stage in a dignified manner, her royal blue sleeveless gown added further dimension to her valiant expression.Carrie extended the mike after the welcome hug.“Friends” Chelsey called through the mike “I welcome you all not just to this night
She stood up gracefully and walked to the stage.Frank maintained his composure after the initial surprise. Contradiction was Ed whose composure was always steady; his eyes were still wide open with his lower jaw almost touching the ground.Ben had a proud smile on his face. Although unexpected, he knew his woman was extraordinary!Amber looked at Dana with a venomous gaze ‘What the hell? Not only did she take her seat at Ben’s side, but she also stole her award! What if Ben starts noticing her? No… that can’t happen. She’s not worthy’ Amber’s mind churned with jealousy.“Should find her PR person… they have done a fantastic job with her coverage” Amber had a complacent smile.“PR?? I don’t think so, half the people here didn’t know who she is” Peter disagreed. He was a young lawyer seated at Amber’s table. Everyone here was well connected, so the person walking up to the stage had to be low key if she was unknown to most.“What? Charmed by a pretty face? Amber asked smugly.Peter gl
“That is not up to you.” Marken, one of the high counsellors disdained. Adalases was not Ben’s to stake at will; There were other Adalases who could refute this stake.Sherman knew Marken’s ambition was no less than Herten, but he also knew that unlike Herten, Marken would never betray his country and was in a good mood for watching a show although he knew what decision he would ultimately make.“That is a fair point.” Sherman nodded thoughtfully before saying “If the entire Adalase can be staked on this man, then I agree.” Sherman chuckled “With resources greater than the reserve bank, it won’t be hard to rebuild our facilities even if we are compromised.”No one could refute this point.“The Weldons won’t shy away from responsibility either.” Frank didn’t know why the commander had changed his colors, but he stood shoulder to shoulder with his brother.Shadow didn’t have anything to offer, but he stood beside Ben. His expression unwavering.Tyrell slowly got up from his chair and wal
Lara delivered a baby girl as her heart’s desire. She only saw her bundle of joy for a minute before her vision blurred. She also saw the joy in her man’s eyes. These were the two things she remembered before she fainted. She didn’t know if she would wake up again or whether this was eternal sleep, but she was gratified.The Evans and Burton elders had just returned when Amy came out holding the bundle of joy. They didn’t have time to process everything before they were handed the little bundle.“She is so sweet.” Megan smiled as looked over Marjorie shoulders.“My daughter-in-law is indeed pretty.” Dana laughed. She knew the minds of the elders were not calm. She was trying to lighten their moods.No one knew when Ben, Frank and Shadow appeared behind their women.“How can it be so easy to snatch my granddaughter?” Marjorie retorted proudly.“Yes…. yes…yes...” Abigail laughed happily as she let the little one hold her finger tightly. Dana’s retort had pulled the elders mind back to th
Ben and Dana’s days were filled with love and tranquility. Ben felt like he was in a dream; his life was everything he dreamed of; his beloved woman was his wife; she would cook and wait for him; his house was filled with the laughter of the precious treasures his wife had given him. He was truly grateful to the heavens.Ed’s days were getting hectic. Between the challenges of his official duty and a pregnant wife, he was almost ready to retire. He wanted to spend more time with his wife and child. Seeing Ben’s cute little babies, he couldn’t wait to have his own little treasure.Frank and Sarah didn’t know whether to laugh or cry; their little Lu would run almost every day to see his little wife, especially now that she was becoming prettier. The babies were becoming chubbier with fair skin and rosy cheeks. Their features were becoming more prominent and dashing, melting the hearts of everyone around them.Dan and Don were like a mother hen defending their younger siblings from everyo
The next day, the Williamses landed and rushed to the hospital. Dana had rested well and regained most of her vigor.Ben was changing nappies while Dana was sleeping peacefully when they arrived.“She can still sleep?” Dana’s younger sister asked in surprise as Ben gestured for them to lower their volume. He handed one baby each to the stunned Mr and Mrs Williams and led all of them to the adjacent room.“Sorry… Dana has just rested.” Ben apologized sincerely for his rudeness.Mrs Williams shook head, her eyes were misty. She was truly grateful to the heavens for her daughter’s fortune to have met such a man. Even though he was rich and powerful, he loved and doted on her without bounds…. This was truly her fortune. It would be a lie to say that they were not worried. On the way back after the wedding they had met a lady who was crying pitifully. Mrs Williams didn’t feel comfortable and lend her a shoulder to lean on; She didn’t know who they were and told them that she was fleeing fro
Ben sat next to Dana urging her to wake up. He was scared out of his wits as he had seen the amount of blood that she lost during the delivery… he feared that she wouldn’t wake up and all his happiness would disappear in the blink of an eye even though Steve repeatedly reassured him that she was fine and just sleeping from exhaustion. He sat next to her telling her how much he missed her.He told her how he felt that a portion of him was missing without her by his side; He told her how much he loved her…. He begged her to wake up… He sat by her side never taking his eyes of her pale face… holding her hand … and begging her to wake up….He started to tell her their story from his perspective. He told her how she disturbed him from their first encounter. How he thought that she had approached him with a purpose, He told her how he shamelessly wanted to see her even if he knew that she had approached him with a purpose.He told her how he used to follow her like a shadow just to feel her
Ben was on edge now that Dana was full term. He kept following her nervously like a shadow. One evening just as they finished dinner and were heading upstairs to retire, Dana stood still on the stairs and called weakly “Ben….”“What is it?” Ben looked affectionately at his wife who had stopped walking and became stiff.“I…. my …. I think my water broke.” Dana barely managed to mumble as she held on tightly to Ben.“You…. you….” Ben froze.Alexa was the first to react. She ran downstairs to alert Shadow and Mrs Bentley before running back upstairs to get the baby bag that Dana had prepared beforehand.“CEO” Alexa called out helplessly as she saw a frozen Ben.“Huh?” Ben looked at the panic-stricken Dana and came to his senses. He carried her and ran downstairs carefully. Alexa informed him that Shadow was waiting downstairs with the car. Shadow had informed Steve as soon as Alexa came running downstairs. Everything at the hospital would be set by Steve.Shadow sped towards the hospital;
Shadow had been getting along fabulously with Ruth and decided that he wanted to get married watching Ben’s bliss. He had decided on Ruth, then what was the point in delaying… but the problem was he had no idea how to…. he was also worried if Ruth didn’t have the same intention… then wouldn’t he be making a fool of himself?Shadow walked around with a constipated expression. He would have asked Dana’s help if his boss wasn’t so petty…. But what could he do… his boss was!“What’s wrong?” Dana finally asked as she couldn’t bear to watch his miserable face.“I …” Shadow suddenly felt tongue tied. He was waiting for Dana to ask…. But when she did, he didn’t know how to vocalize his problem. He lowered his head with a frown on his lips.“He wants to propose to Ruth but doesn’t know how to.” Ben didn’t give Shadow any face when he mercilessly pierced through his wall.“Oh….” Dana nodded perceptively “You are worried that she doesn’t have that intention and she will reject?”Shadow nodded alt
The ladies went shopping happily without realizing that none of their actions were missed by their men.Dana wanted to see how Ruth was going so she decided to stop by her shop. However, she changed her mind when she got to Ruth’s shop and pulled the others and ran. Granger was at the store pestering Ruth. It was most certainly a crime to stop someone’s fortune and she didn’t want her husband to have another enemy…..hehe…hehe… she was quite clever!“What are you laughing like a fool for?” Lara asked looking at Dana’s silly smile.Dana shrugged keeping her silly smile but didn’t enlighten the two.“Sister-in-law...” A sweet sound called from behind as the ladies were immersed in their world of freedom.The three turned in unison but Dana’s face darkened as she saw Lizzie walking towards her smiling like a flower. She had almost forgotten her promise to Bertie.“When did I become your sister-in-law?” Dana folded her hands looking arrogantly at Lizzie.“Soon… soon we will be family.” Lizz
In a condemned cell in B country, Pigle read the news of embezzlement of 10 million in public funds from Pigle enterprises. He begged the prison guards to let him see his son one last time.Jefferson indulged him considering he had inadvertently helped Ben get closure to the mystery that was haunting him for more than 15 years.Pigle junior arrived promptly to see his father once he was granted visitation rights.“Son, this is all Mr Adalase’s doing. You have to become strong and hit him hard.” Charles eyes were red with anger.“Dad, I know all about the cause and effect of this incident.” Pigle junior lowered his head in shame. His father was his pride. He looked up to his father but now…. looking at all the shameful things his father had done, he didn’t want any part in it. He wanted to take his mother and run far from all this shame.“Son…” Charles called; his eyes widened as he lifted in eyebrows.Pigle junior showed the video that was sent to him soon after the incident broke out.