Chapter 4: The Police

Hearing his voice now brought Lucianda back to the present and she gave a shudder.

“Police? You amaze me, Lucianda, and I believe you should know better.” He tsk tsk in a voice that’s still heavy with humour.

What he was telling her was to stop fooling around. Of course there was no police department in the country that was willing to mess with the likes of Hakeem. His power was beyond the city that it reached far beyond the shores of London and his neighboring countries.

Messing with someone like Prince Hakeem would be like asking for the third World War to happen. The police department was aware of this and even the State House knew it. 

He might not be occupying any public seat, but Hakeem was the Prince of a powerful Emirate, therefore his connections were solid.

“What I know is that your presence in my life is beginning to irritate the life out of me, Prince Hakeem, and I will appreciate it if you desist from pestering my life.” It was obvious from Luci’s tone that she really hated the man.

Knowing she could not see him, Prince Hakeem brought the mobile from his ear to look at it in surprise and his face went up in a frown. 

It has been so long someone made their hatred of him so obvious. Definitely, the woman has more spine than he thought, at least better than her husband.

With a small smile playing on his lips, Hakeem brought the phone back to his ear.

“Pestering? Don’t you think that’s too harsh a word to use on someone as innocent as me, Mrs. Castos?” He asked benignly.

Not fooled by his words, Lucianda snorted insultingly.

“You are as innocent as the devil, Mr . . . . Prince Hakeem and I will be glad never to see your face again around me.” She bluntly told him.

With eyes freezing over on the other end, Prince Hakeem suddenly stopped smiling as he sat up straight on his chair.

“That’s so unfortunate, Mrs. Castos, because your wish cannot be granted, at least not now.” He told her in a voice that had gone frigid.

Not knowing what to expect but knowing she would not like it, Luci asked slowly in a trepidation voice.

“What do you mean by that?” 

“I am talking about the reason for calling you in the first place, Mrs. Castos, I want you to meet me at my residence by five o’clock noon today.” He informed her with a voice that brooked no argument.

Not sure she heard right, Lucianda gave a small laugh.

“Meet you at your residence? You must be joking.” She snorted coldly.

“I don’t do jokes, Mrs. Castos, neither do I mess around with words. I meant everything I said. Five pm at my residence.” He reminded her.

Six hours from now?

“Then, you must be out of your mind. Crazy! Mad! In fact, you must be delirious to make such a request from me.” She spatted angrily over the phone.

“It’s not a request my dear Lucianda, it’s an order.” Hakeem’s voice was so authoritative, even Luci blinked twice.

But she was not the type to accept dictations without challenging it.

“And who the hell are you to order me around? Might I remind you I am mourning the death of my husband?” She was doing nothing of such of course, but Julian did not know that and she was not above using her dead husband as an excuse. He has to be useful for something.

“If you are mourning, then it is for something or someone else, not your husband. From my observation, you seem like a woman happy to be ridden of a burden.” He said unsympathetically.

She gasped! The guilt was so sudden, Lucianda almost cried out at the pain of it. With a trembling hand, she removed the phone from her ear for a minute.

“Hello? Are you there? Don’t you dare bang the phone on me, Lucianda Castos.” Hakeem shouted through the phone.

Lost in thought, she heard his voice as if from a distance and wiping her face of all expression as if he could see her, she brought the mobile back to her ear.

“Have you forgotten you were my husband’s rival? The man who ruined him irreparably? Why you think I will want to associate myself with you is what I am confused about.” Lucianda’s voice was calm at this stage.

“It’s because of this same fact I know you will dare not make the appointment. Not if you value your survival and that of your son, because you see my dear Lucianda, If you push me, I will not hesitate to finish what I have started in your family. I will ruin you so completely; to feed your innocent boy will be a hard job.” He paused for his words to sink in.

“Be at my residence by five o’clock or face my wrath. Your choice!” He said all these so softly, it was all the more brutal for its quietness.

Dropping her phone to the bed, Lucianda’s brain instantly became blank as she stared into space in the four corners of her room.

*******

Six hours Later…

Deciding it would not do to attract rumors to herself, not at this crucial stage, Lucianda face was covered with a black sunshade and a black scarf covering her head and neck as she took a taxi to Hakeem’s residence instead of going with her personal car and driver.

Even if she had decided to drive, as the societal wife of Alex Castos, her car was a popular one in the city and of course, the road to Hakeem’s house led to nowhere but his palatial mansion so it’s very easy for anyone with a molecule of brain to deduce where she was going should they meet her on the way.

Trying to find a comfortable place on the back seat of the cab even though she is sadly aware her discomfort was due to where she was going and not the taxi itself, Lucianda could not rid herself of the words that had been ringing in her ears since morning.

“I will ruin you so that feeding your son will be a hard job.”

‘My son Julian? My innocent cute son?’

‘Why does he have to be involved in this? And why is Hakeem involving me in his problem with my dead husband? Is he not dead already? What’s more for him to do?’ These are the thoughts Luci could not stop having as she kept wondering what exactly was going on.

Few minutes later, she watched as the taxi pulled away and needing a distraction to calm her nerves, Luci allowed herself to take a quick look around.

Despite being the wife of a rich and powerful man, she had never been to this particular side of the city before so this would be her first time coming to Prince Hakeem’s house. But she had known of the address. 

You can’t be an active person in the social world and not know of Hakeem’s mansion. It’s always the talk of the whole city and at a point, Luci got so bored reading about it, she always trashed the papers in disgust.

Now looking around her, she can understand the draw for the others. But not her, too grand and too opulent, it was nothing but a waste of millions of pounds. 

The only thing she admired about the house was the pureness of it. Built high into the hills in glorious whiteness, with the beautifully trimmed trees surrounding it, it was so beautifully breathtaking, it’s almost blinding.

‘Just like the owner. A pity he is not as pure as this mansion. Probably the inside of the mansion will be cold also, just like its owner.’ Lucianda thought acidly with a grim smile.

Not willing to be caught drooling, Lucianda straightened her shoulder and with head held high, she walked to the front door. Hesitating, she raised her hand to ring the bed. After a very brief moment, the door was opened.

Having expected a servant, Lucianda unconsciously took a step backward when she saw Hakeem’s green eyes glinting down at her.

“Uh—oh, she is finally in a mourning form. But why now, I can’t help but wonder.” He greeted mockingly and for a minute, Lucianda considered turning on her heels to immediately leave this unpleasant place.

But as if he read her mind, he smiled sardonically into her eyes, daring her to try it.