POISON’S POV If Madame Browne hadn't stepped in, my entire cover would've been blown. It would have all gone down the drain and I'd get spotted out for being suspicious and once suspicious steams in, the entire plan gets ripped apart.I released a low gasp the instant Ella's gaze left my body. She turned her gaze in the direction of the other end of the room where Madame Browne stood. “What is that about?” She asked Madame Browne so calmly as she stood up from the chair and paced towards the door's frame. “It is regarding the interview, I heard you needed information to give you clarity on her background?” Madame Browne said the words, strolling into the room with the soft sound of her heels clicking against the marbled tile seeping into the air.At the sound of her voice, I felt a gaze lingering on me. It was from her, Ella. She tilted her gaze swiftly in my direction and held my gaze for what felt like forever, suspicion glistening in her eyes.I froze, anticipation creeping into
ELLA'S POV Something wasn't right.I could feel it in my bones. At first, it came as a simple feeling of uncertainty but now, I was certain. Something about the information didn't add up. The names, her back stories, the stutters, you can find it weird but those are hints.I had to take note of those.The slick dampness that clung to my palms grazed the edges of the paper as I exhaled. There had to be a clue here— something must be out of place. Humans are liable to mistakes but this time, the information was perfectly aligned, yet something still felt off. I inspected the paper in my hands for a moment, my eyes moving frantically as I tried to get out a detail from it that stood against what Caroline had told me.Speaking of the devil, where was she? I jerked out of thoughts and darted my gaze across the room as I searched for her thin figure but to my shock, she was nowhere to be found. “Where did she go?” I asked, tilting my head as I faced Madame Browne.Madame Browne's smirk
POISON'S POV.“Formula 9.0,” I uttered the word slowly watching as Kayla's eyes darkened. She darted a swift gaze to her surrounding check if there was someone hovering close by and after a minute or two of thorough investigation, she turned back to me.“You know you're not supposed to say that out loud, I could get sent to jail for that shit!” She yelled at me even in a whisper. I chuckled darkly, seeing how worked up she was about my words.“Calm down, I just need to get it today. It kind of an emergency,” I said, holding her shoulder as I watched her smirk before turning to open the door to her shady moveable outlet.The keys rattled as the lock snapped open. She twisted the swiftly and pushed the door open, the thud it made bracing they inner walls of my ears. The inside of the room was dark just like I expected.Kayla always insisted on it being in darkness just Incase the police comes for a search when she wasn't around. “Come in,” She said and turned to face me. I stepped into
POISON’S POVI rushed all the way back to the McKinney mansion with the help of Kayla's shabby looking car. I had no other option but to do that, there were no taxis and the buses weren't in circulation. It was already evening when I arrived at the tall gates of the mansion.The ethereal moonlight lit the well tiled estates. The McKinney mansion sure did look picture perfect under the moonlight, it's silver gates glistened under the soft blue hues of moonlight. I pushed closer to it and as I reached to press the button to alert the gate keepers, I heard the sound of a car's engine behind me. It was obvious Kayla was going back. I turned to stare at the fleeting figure of her car for a minute before I tilted my gaze back to the gate. Steely, I pressed the button and watched as a receding beep sound pierced through the air.I waited a long minute, feeling the weight of the formula in the shopping duffel bag in my hand. I'd coated the formula inside a piece of cabbage just Incase someo
POISON'S POV A lone sweat trickled down my forehead as my chest heaved. “Ugh—” I tried to speak but nothing came out of my lips.Ella's eyes loomed brightly with contempt as she paced towards the counter. My fingers curled around it frantically as I felt my nails digging into its edible texture. I had to do something. I couldn't allow her to find out about the formula, if she did, an entirely different level of suspicion would rise. Before she could get to the counter, I released my grip on the cabbage before grabbing another item out of the duffle bag.It was an apple.I raised it, eyeing it before I finally spoke, “I was about to make a fruit salad for the president. As you can see here, I've got it all under control.”My heart continued racing, the erratic beatings it made making my pulse race. I held my breath the whole while she paced towards the counter, each step of her shoes making my breath hitch.She paused just before the counter and glared at the items on the ceramic cou
XAVIER'S POV The first thing I did when I woke up the morning of the first day of the challenge was to take a cold shower to think about it. The cold water washed down my head as I buried myself in thoughts.How dangerous would it get?With Uncle Luke around, I could already tell that things were going to get messy from there. I had to be prepared for whatever they were bringing on.I stepped out of the showers and dressed in a robe. The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of the bathroom was the sleek scent in the air. It was flowery, tantalizing in a way that made me smile.Ella.She was in the dressing room, brushing her hair in neat strands. She was dressed in a gown that clung to her sides appropriately, her beauty making me stare helplessly.I walked towards her making sure she didn't see me when I gripped her slowly from behind. “You look beautiful today,” I said, placing a kiss on her neck.“Today? What about yesterday and the day before?” Ella teased as we both broke in
XAVIER'S POV I rushed all the way out of the elevator the instant the doors slid open. I bolted into the hallways, pacing towards the stairs. I descended on them roughly, skipping a few as I rushed down.Once I reached the last floor, I sprinted towards the huge double doors that led out of the building. Once I got there, I gripped the door knob and pulled it.It made a low creak as I made my wua towards the parking lot. I couldn't believe I slept past the time and forgot totally about the event that was going to happen at the office today.I was sure the shareholders would already be having second thoughts after seeing that I was late to give my speech. The president had made calls to all the shareholders of his company, both the ones that were in the country and the ones that weren't.They all had to be present and witness the works of the candidates so when it got to picking, it wouldn't look as if there was injustice or any form of cheating. The ones that couldn't make it, sent r
XAVIER'S POV I ran into the room, my chest heaving as I sighted the receptionist. I paced towards the reception with my eyes gleaming with rage and restlessness. I still couldn't believe Uncle Luke could stoop as low as to try to ruin my first impression.I bet he's already up there speaking to the shareholders and stealing the spotlight for himself.That wasn't his thing.Something about this information wasn't adding up. Anyone who is well familiar with my uncle could tell that he was never really the type that liked entertaining people; rather, he thrived with an air of authority but that wouldn't work here unless— unless he is helped by her.Madame Browne.Dread seeped into my bones as the thought punched through my mind as I launch my body towards the reception. “Is Madame Browne up in there?” My voice was shaky and hoarse.The receptionist smiled painfully at me before she responded, “Yes, Mr Xavier. She is up in the conference room aisle where the conference meeting is taking
MADAME BROWNE'S POV I stayed awake all through the night. I couldn't sleep. The heavy sound of the footsteps grew closer and closer until I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't even winked all through the night— I mean not literally but I'm sure you got what I meant. This was the scariest version of myself that I'd ever seen. I couldn't deny it. The only thing that was just as scary as having someone toying with me was the sight of David, my unrequited love, leaving me and marrying another lady.My nails dug into my flesh and nearly dragged out blood from my palm as I stepped out of bed and walked towards the bathroom. I pushed the door open and searched it with a swift gaze. It was still early. Probably too early to take a bath but I was sure it was needed. I walked over to the other end of the bathroom where the sink was and as I walked towards it, I stared at myself in the mirror. The version of myself that stared back at me as haunting.Black eye bags. Red eyes. Red face. Palse s
MR MCKINNEY'S POV When I woke up that morning, a surge of adrenaline raced down my veins as I got up on my seat and raced towards the other end of the room where the guard I ordered to make her life a living hell stood. A yawn rolled out of my lips as I got out of bed and winced as I stepped into a slipper and walked over to where he was.It was obvious he had been waiting there for a long minute now. I rubbed my knuckles against my sore eyes as I flickered my lids open and this time, the view I had of the world was more clearer and sharper than before. I stared at the guard and scanned him for any emotions but found none.He was as rigid as a stone.Just the right man for the job. He knew exactly what to do now. I walked over to where he was and as I grew closer, I noticed a bright red hue in his eyes. It was obvious he had stayed there all night. “I remembered telling you to leave once she stepped into the room.” I muttered as he turned his gaze to me and shook his head. “I left w
MADAME BROWNE'S POV My heart nearly jumped in my chest when the president called me back. I was halfway through walking up the stairs knowing I had him on a leash with that picture but my assumptions were wrong. He didn't believe the lies I made on a whim just to get out of the tight situation he placed me in. “Did you really think I was tagg dumb, Madame Browne?”Those were the words he used. Yes. I could've sworn I nearly lost my footing when he uttered them. My legs quivered almost immediately as I grabbed the railing for support.My head dropped low and I felt my chest rise and fall as breathless pumps of air rolled out of my nostrils. A cloud of perspiration clung to my forehead as I wiped it off with my thumb and was about to move on when I heard a sound.Footsteps.My heart raced in my chest as I quickly straightened my back and turned to meet his gaze. I swerved sharply as our eyes met almost immediately. My breath caught in my throat as I took two steps backwards as she wal
MR MCKINNEY'S POV Madame Browne's voice rolled out in a low hushed whisper but I was able to catch it in its full glory. My eyes darkened as my fingers drummed against the table before sliding into my pockets and brought out the one evidence I needed in making her confess to all her crimes.My fingers wrap around it's edges as I pulled it out and with a stern frown on my face, I placed it on the table and scoffed. My fingers drummed on the table again but this time, I noticed different emotions surging up in her eyes. Rage. Irritation. Fury.The emotions in her eyes were far more than that but after a scrutinizing search, I could tell there laid darker emotions behind the heavy outer layer she had on. A pressing urge to tease her even more clogged my airways as a breath caught in my throat.“That's it.”With a soft flick of my fingers, I balled them into tight fists and awaited her response silently. Her gaze raked over me as the heat in it burned hard on my flesh but I ignored the
MADAME BROWNE'S POV He was there.Right there.Seated on the chair and cladded in all black outfits. His eyes sparkled under the soft hues of lighting from the chandelier. As I strolled towards the dining area, my heart thumped violently in my chest. My fingers clenched into hardened fists that were pressed to my sides. Sweats.Cold sweats clung to my forehead as I walked towards the table where he sat. I moved towards the table and once I was close enough, I took a seat on the chair and fixed my eyes on him. He had on a hat that shaded over his face and allowed dark shadows cast across his features.His eyes sparkled nonetheless. His gaze is as heavy as carrying rocks but in my case, the rocks were being dragged against my body. My chest fell as I heaved out a sigh and tapped on the table.“Hello?” I muttered and his fingers which I now noticed were cloaked in dark gloves pulled off his hat. A sense of fear washed into my veins as my lungs tightened and I choked on a breath.A low
MADAME BROWNE'S POVWhile in my unconscious state, I felt darkness wrap around me. I saw, felt and even heard nothing. Nothing other than that ding. With each time it came, I writhed, twisted and strived to get it to stop. I was sick and tired of it and to make matters worse, I was beginning to get scared to my wits as questions pulsed through my mind. Did I die? Was this all another version of hell? I was expecting an erupting volcano, heat and a little bit of fire but all I saw was darkness. Thick, dark darkness. I was about to ponder on a question when I heard a ding. I tried to move but my body wouldn't budge.I tried again and then again but with each trial, I drew closer to the realization that maybe I had died. I mean my body wasn't going to move anymore and the signs were beginning to police together.I was about to accept the finalisation of my current dilemma when all of a sudden, I felt the elevator shake. Panic surged through me and in a fit of fear and confusion, I trie
MR MCKINNEY'S POV If you are reading this now, you must've thought Madame Browne had died. Well, I wished she was dead too but not all of our wishes came true and the acceptance of the fact was the beginning of maturity.Don't be discouraged yet. There was still a lot of things coming for her that she just didn't know yet. You see, when I planned on getting someone to do something, I made sure to leave no stones untouched. Right now, I was seated on my chair with my arm crossed and my eyes fixed on the tablet in front of me. Right there on the screen was Madame Browne, fallen and weak with sharp fearful gasps rolling out of her lips.She was afraid.Don't get me wrong this was the only time I'd seen her this shaken to fear. Her hair which you'd expect tostull be tied up in some fancy bun was now let down in rough, messy strands that draped down to her back. She was currently trying to block the dings I was letting off stop but little did she know that I, Mr McKinney, was the one beh
MADAME BROWNE'S POVThe entire walk from my room down to the elevator was long because most of the minutes were spent pondering on the invite. I bit my fingers slowly as fear pulsed throughout me in sharp jolts. The guard who was sent to call me over there led the way since I was too shaken with suspicion and fear to go alone. As I followed his lead, I still couldn't let out the gleams of suspicion that clawed at my chest.Something was in the hallway. Something was watching over me, judging maybe even cackling as I made my way to the elevator with my steps as soft as feathers. The guards' back figure filled me with relief as I rubbed my chest and sighed.Several droplets of sweat trickled down my forehead as I paused and watched as he jabbed his fingers against the controls. The buttons by the elevator beeped countlessly for a long period of seconds but the doors didn't open.It was as if someone was in it but if that were to be the case at hand, the indicator had to be flashing red
MADAME BROWNE'S POV As I stepped out of the car, the cold wind justled several strands of my hair into the air as I struggled to keep my strands down. My fingers brushed off some blocking strands as I paced towards the door leading into the mansion. Two guards stood by it with firm frowns on their faces. “Thank you.” I muttered out loud to the driver who was probably engulfed in something else to respond. I made my way to the door and as I approached it, the drivers standing by it, pulled it open as I stepped into the mansion. I walked into the mansion and walked directly to the staircase. I made sure no one was watching before I placed silent steps up the stairs. The overhead lights in the room flickered brightly as I traced my steps up it. It didn't take long for me to arrive at the hallway leading into the elevator. I tapped on the buttons and as the door chimed open, I locked my arms and inhaled deeply as I waited for the ride to come to an end. My body was aching so much I n