The hospital corridor was dimly lit and gloomy as hospitals often are. Pete was walking in slowly as he convinced himself to finish what he had started. He finally got to the VIP wing and looked at the door for a while. He finally convinced himself to take a step and get in. He walked into his mother’s private room and was surprised to find a well spread bed with no personal effects anywhere in sight. His heart skipped a beat when he thought that he had been too late. He walked to the armchair by the bed and sat down with a downcast mood. Just then, he heard the toilet flush and then the washroom door opened. His mother came out. She was dressed in ordinary clothes and not hospital attire like last time. "Sonny?"she said in surprise. She used to call him Sonny when he was a child. "I came to see you and I thought...."he stammered then kept quiet. He couldn't finish the statement yet and he breathed a sigh of relief as he looked
The apartment was dark and quiet, and an observer would assume that no one was home. However, a closer look would reveal that one room still had the lights on. A man sat at the computer working on a complex system that would revolutionize the black market. He was creating a messaging app and platform that would come to be known as the crime resort. The platform operated by users trading cryptocurrency exclusively instead of real money. The users would exchange foreign currency and any other illicit goods. People were buying and selling drugs, organs, exotic animals, smuggled art artifacts and many other forbidden treasures on this platform. It was the first day of launching the program and yet, the creator had already made half a million dollars brokering several deals.The customers were only identified through user names which often only described what one was selling or buying. Any attempt to cut
Jess had never appreciated her bed as much as she did at this moment. She had a late night working, and she had barely had enough time for a simple meal. A glass of juice and some cookies had been her dinner because she had been too tired to cook when she finally finished her work. She got into bed and slept immediately, partly due to fatigue and in part because of the effects of the warm shower she had taken. It felt like she had barely slept when the persistent ringing of the doorbell woke her up. Jess was confused for a minute, and then she dragged herself to the door thinking that Pete had worked a late night just like she had. He spent every other night here and they often joked that they were kinda living together. She smiled as she got to the door, but nothing prepared her for the shock that met her sight.When she opened the door, Pete was just barely standing, and there was a man holdi
It was Thursday morning and Jess was leaving the house to go to work. She had called Ben to organize for assistance as she didn’t want to leave Pete alone. He had been responding well to the medication but he had spent most of the last 48 hours sleeping and taking toilet breaks. She had blended some fruit for him and he had drunk a little in addition to the soup. Jess had the chance to sleep in intervals of four hours so she was not too tired. She felt particularly alert as every little thing came to life. The sky seemed more blue and the traffic noises were so loud, everyone was moving around too fast and the bus seemed to be more efficient than usual. These basic observations seemed to be the most elaborate and captivating things today. She only remembered feeling this way once in her life.Many years ago when Jess’s mother had died, she had been a little girl. She remembered their hous
It was Leslie's last week in the country and she had been trying to make time to see Jess. She had so much to do as she had kept postponing everything until the last minute. Packing was the only thing she had completed because she planned to shop for new clothes once she relocated. She also had many clothes that were almost new and barely worn. She decided to give them to Jess who would need them much more. This act of generosity was what landed Leslie right in the middle of a war zone. Leslie had tried to call Jess to tell her she was coming over but she had been unable to reach her. She decided it would be easier to drop off the clothes since Jess was almost always home. She drove to her old apartment and parked, then asked a man who was at the parking lot to help her move the luggage. The man obliged and soon they were outside the door of the apartment. Leslie let them in and she reached for her purse to give the man a tip. When she loo
Margaret was having a pleasant day at home. Her children had come visiting and she had hosted them all afternoon. Jess's father Arnold had been helpful in preparation and serving but he had gone to take a nap after lunch. Margaret was now alone with her son Baylon and daughter Kellen who had been uncomfortable but had not raised their concerns. Baylon finally asked what had been bothering him and his sister since they arrived. "Why does the neighbour live here now?" "We have an arrangement. We rent out his house and I manage the money, while he gets to live here," Margaret said. "What kind of arrangement is that? It makes no sense. So you give him food, shelter and medical care and what does he give you?"Kellen asked. "His rent money, "Margaret said. "I c
Pete was woken up by a cool breeze in his bedroom. Jess was fast asleep beside him and he smiled at her sleeping form. She was not wearing anything and her naked body was clearly outlined by the light bed sheet. Pete reached out to touch her but he was frozen by a sharp pain in his wound. He looked down to his side, and discovered that the wound was bleeding and the dressing had been stained. Pete lay back on the bed and tried not to move. He didn't want to wake up Jess, although he knew he needed to change the dressing and warm up the cold room.Pete thought back to the week that had passed with satisfaction. He had managed to convince Jess to go away for a few days so that he could carry out his revenge mission. Ben had found the man who had shot Pete, and Pete wanted his revenge. However, Pete knew that Jess would not allow him out of her sight. After she had left, he had paid the nurse for the re
Greenstead estate. Where living is an experience. This was the big sign that welcomed visitors and residents into the exclusive high end estate in a serene part of the suburbs. The estate was reputed to be the cream of real estate, where the kings or wealthiest people co-existed away from the ordinary folk. Each resident cherished Greenstead, as each could reign as a king in his kingdom, while being privileged to live next door to other kings. The Garcia mansion stood at the center of this estate. The drive to the house was often described as scenic, while the estate was being lauded for its picturesque and inspiring features that created order and elegance. The area was filled with beautiful homes with unique landscaping features. Each neighbour also unconsciously tried to outdo the other with the latest designs and finishes. The Garcias’ house shared this same enthusiasm for property development. The grand property that hosted the Garcia
Pete was in the IT office at NextGen doing some maintenance work. He had missed many work sessions since his shooting incident and he wanted to make sure that he did not give anyone a reason to notice his absence. He had driven to work with Jess this morning, as had become custom almost every day. They had also gotten into the habit of being together daily. He often stayed over at her house after work because he drove her home almost daily. The two spend weekends at the penthouse where they could get away from the hustle and bustle of work. It had felt like a month of honeymoon with the two love birds getting closer and closer. Pete’s businesses had also been going well and he had been making alot of money. He had been contemplating closing down one type of business so that he could concentrate his income on those with better outcomes. He still intended to keep the tour companies and barber shops as a cover to move money for his most active busi
Jess's house sat in a compound of eight houses. The houses shared a front yard and main gate although each house had a separate backyard. Jess liked it because it was close to her place of business, but it was convenient and affordable. She had just come home from work and walked into the house. She was startled to hear soft music playing. The windows were open and the curtain swayed gently in response to the breeze. An aroma of meat cooking wafted into the living room as she walked towards the kitchen. She was pleasantly surprised to find William slicing some tomatoes. “Welcome home,” he said as she stood and smiled at him. “I thought someone had broken in,” Jess said, as she walked to William. “What kind of a thief breaks in and starts cooking?” he asked. He pulled her in for a gentle hug a
The afternoon was looking good for Jess after she drove away from the apartment. She had driven around for a few minutes and then she had decided to stop somewhere and collect her thoughts. It was then that she realized that she didn’t have much money and she needed somewhere to spend the night. She decided to drive to her bank and withdraw a substantial amount of money to get her through the week. Once she had done this, she drove to a small guest house on the outskirts of town. She remembered this place from many years ago when she was looking for a cleaning job. The receptionist had been really kind to her although she hadn’t given her a job. Jess had chosen this place because she wanted somewhere safe to park her car which currently held all her belongings. She also needed somewhere without a check out time like in a hotel, because she wanted to spend some time thinking through her next move. She was panicking at the thou
Back at the office, everyone was wondering where Jess had gone. Everyone in her department had seen her being summoned to the MD’s office and then they had seen her pack her things and leave. They all assumed that she had been fired for some grave error. However, none of them could understand why she had not said anything to them. She had left as casually as though she was going to the washroom, only that she was carrying all her belongings. It was therefore a surprise when William came downstairs looking for Jess. He looked round her desk and was surprised to find that her pictures had been taken down.“Where is Jessica Harris?” William asked the person at the next desk.“She left before lunch,” the girl said.“Where did she go?” he asked.
Jess had expected herself to cry after seeing all she had seen today, but it seemed her tears had been exhausted in the chapel. She walked to her car and sat for a minute while she tried to gather her thoughts. She did not want to go to William’s house because his mood had frightened her. However, after a few minutes, she convinced herself to go there so that she could pick up her stuff and then leave. Maybe she could get a chance to ask William what he was talking about and why he was so angry at her. When she got to his house, it was quiet as it had been this morning. Jess packed her things slowly as she was buying time for William to come home. When it got too late, Jess tried to call William but he didn’t respond. She looked around the apartment and felt like she needed to engrave it in her memory. She had been happy here for the time when she had been with William. She was going to miss him but her relationship with Pete
Jess hugged William for a long time and she let him cry on her shoulder. It seemed like he had been crying for hours when he finally calmed down. He lay on her chest as she rubbed his head and gently kissed him. He was tired from all the crying so he simply held her and didn’t say a word. His phone began to ring again while they sat in silence and William picked it up. It was his father asking him to come home. He thought to reject this request but then he thought that his father was the only person who could share in his loss. He told Jess what the plan was and they showered in separate bathrooms. William was not in the state of mind to drive, so Jess drove him home. One of the drivers from the hotel drove her car to the Garcia mansion. When they got there, William asked her to come in for a while but she declined. He hugged her warmly as he took over his car and then they went their separate ways. Jess dropped the driver at the h
Don was having a confused morning. He had been informed that his wife’s condition was deteriorating and there was nothing he could do for her. She allowed him to visit her occasionally although she had adamantly refused to move back home. William also visited her often but he made sure that Pete was not present. It was becoming difficult to achieve this because Pete had moved into the house and he only left when he had other issues to deal with. Don was having a hard time trying to avoid both William and Pete while managing to spend some time with Amanda. She was fading away in front of his eyes so he needed to do as much as possible to help her.However, this morning’s news had caught him by surprise. He had not bothered to check on the updates about Jess recently because her days were rather predictable. She went to work and then home to Pete’s penthouse. Occasionall
Jess woke up to the sound of a trolley being wheeled. She looked around the huge bedroom and noticed that it was just starting to get bright outside. The sun was just rising and Jess smiled as she remembered her night with William. If she had thought that Pete was the most passionate man, then she was wrong. William was a tiger in bed. He had never ending energy and he was eager to please. Jess had enjoyed every minute of their love making. She walked to the shower as she looked around for her clothes. She could only raise a few items, so she showered and put on a bathrobe. When she got out of the shower, William was just walking into the bedroom. He was already fully dressed in his usual immaculate suits.“Good morning,” he said smiling.“Good morning,” she said, smiling back at him. “You are ready so early.&rd
Warning! Sexual content coming upJess had one of the longest days she had ever had at NextGen. She had tried to get the afternoon off immediately she got in but as luck would have it she was chosen for a project. The briefing would be taking place in the afternoon and she didn’t have much of a choice. It was either she forfeits the project by missing the briefing or she takes the afternoon off and plans her move. She decided to take the project and sleep at the apartment until the weekend when she could find time to look for an apartment. Jess went through the day without much contact with her phone because of the busy schedule. By the time it was time to leave the office, she realized that she hadn’t spoken to anyone on the phone all day. As she scrolled through the notifications, she saw two missed calls. One was from Leslie and the other was from Pete. She called back Leslie who wanted her to come
“Good morning,” Jess said when she walked out of the bathroom. Pete was standing by the bed scrolling through his phone. He had just come home and he looked tired.“Good morning,” he said. He looked briefly at her and then looked away. Jess walked to the dressing table and began applying her cosmetics. Pete sat on the bed and was watching Jess from the corner of his eyes. He looked worried like there was something on his mind.“How was work?” Jess asked as she finished at the dressing table. She was taking out clothes from the wardrobe and putting on her underwear.“I wasn’t at work. I was at mum’s house,” Pete said. Jess raised her eyebrows in surprise.“Is everything