4. HELP

This place gave her a weird feeling. With the pleasant atmosphere surrounding him, and, he got such a sweet smile that would easily attract waves of female fans plastered on his lips.

She still found him mysterious and she had a hunch he was someone who fits the schemer character.

“You can say so. He is not someone to play with or much less go against” he said and Anita felt her fury come back.

If he knew the man, why the hell would he want to meet her with a warning? Was he trying to scheme against the other man? Situations like this happen every time in the novel where the heroine is used as a weapon to fight the hero.

“He’s my cousin,”

“Like a brother?”

“A friend”

“Why would you sneak behind him to warn me?” Anita didn’t want to drag the conversation.

“Because I don’t want to see someone like you fall into his traps. So, I am offering you a chance for me to help you out of this predicament,” He said with the energy of the righteous person.

Anita chuckled. He only looked surprised but grinned once again, “ You don’t want to?” he asked, seemingly surprised.

But the moment he spoke, Anita stopped laughing and looked at him seriously, “You are funny you know. But, I only want to know one thing, if you know it’s one of his traps and he is someone no one goes against. Why are you ready to help me? You don’t know me. But on the other hand, you are his friend and cousin,”

Anita could be said to have less friends than no one, but she valued friendship and loyalty to family.

“Because you are the first one to go against her, miss…”

“Anita Bakers!”

The man revealed a white card and offered it to her, ‘It’s my contact. If you find the need of my help, you can,” he signs the calling sign to her using his long fingers as he smiled in satisfaction before he moved away, “Remember only one phone call away. Bye bye Little queen!”

When Anita heard of his choice of reference, she looked at the writing on her chest and smiled wryly at the choice of cloth.

Her eyes were filled with curiosity as she stared at the note in her hand before she slipped it into the back pocket of her jeans.

She hurried to her boyfriend’s place and found them enjoying the party like she wasn’t even gone.

A young man in a blue corporate suit flashed a smile at her as he walked to her. When he was closer he took her hand, “Did you encounter a problem Nita?” He asked as he led her to the seat at the round table.

“No,” When she finally entered the house, she breathed a sigh of relief as she did not meet with other strange people.

Then as an afterthought, she changed the topic, “You never told me that actress Wairimu lives here,”

The young man paused and his brows pulled together but he still managed to clear them, “There are many actors and actresses among big people in the country that stays here Nita you know that,”

They were already at the table and he pulled her a seat, “I can’t know every one of them. Can I?” He asked and as they were already near the others, everyone turned to them.

The young man was Tony Lee, Anita’s boyfriend. It was his birthday today and he only sent Anita to get the gift one of his friends left in his car.

He was already twenty-four and Anita was also turning the same age soon. She went to the same school as him since kindergarten and they became more than friends with the urge from their parent’s closeness and also because they were all bookworms.

But, unlike Tony, she had many things to focus on and made a few to no friends except for him. Also, Anita has an obsession for fantasy and would spend most of her time in closed doors researching, watching or reading fantasy movies and novels.

So, as two geniuses, the other’s couldn’t stop being attracted with their conversation.

“What ,can’t you know genius?” From his left, one of his colleagues asked.

“Nita was only asking about one of the actresses living in the building,” Tony answered in a blase tone. He was never a fan of movies. Especially the ones Anita loved.

The colleague was rather surprised. Everyone in this room knew the kind of people Anita and Tony were and Tony had already introduced Anita to them. But not into deep details. Some of them, it was the first time they were seeing Anita and some of them she knew from the pictures Tony captured at work.

“Oh! I did not picture you, Miss Anita, being a fan of movies and the actresses too,” the same colleague revealed an amused smile, “Who is she? I might know her,” he said.

Tony shot him a death glare and he raised his arms in surrender, “I was only helping Nita,”

“I don’t mind,” Anita tapped the back of Tony’s hand and said, “I was only oblivious on the fact that actresses like Bilha Wairimu would also live here since it is a little far from the film district,”

Anita’s response made the others reveal surprised expressions. Either they did not know Bilha or they were surprised with her reveal.

The party went on smoothly and since Anita disliked staying till late, Tony asked to drive her home.

As they approached the underground parking space, everything that just happened right there and then, started playing in Anita’s mind and she couldn’t help but feel a need to ask and know about the two people. Especially so for the ruthless, ego-maniacal man, named Ronald.

She remembered the man with the feather shoulder trench coat and what he told her. Was it true that she went against someone she wasn’t supposed to offend? Did Mr. Ronald set her a trap because she refused to adhere to his request? If so, why her?

It wasn’t like someone had told her prior that there would be a scene in the underground parking space, therefore people were to keep out and with her hotheadedness, she refused to listen and suggested going despite the prior notice.

That man’s actions were unbelievable and now that she pondered about it, she couldn’t fathom where he got the confidence to act like that with the cameras on, much more hire her as her next contract girlfriend despite her telling him that she had a boyfriend.

Was it really a mandatory thing for him to have a girlfriend? Or, was he really that much of a bully who preys on the weak?

Without knowing it, they were already near the car and Tony had opened the door for her. She hoped in and expressed her thanks. Tony silently nodded and closed the door for her before heading for the driver’s side.

They drove out of the parking space in silence till they hit the second street. Anita was alarmed by the silence and she turned to him.

From her parents' words into accepting and allowing her usage of her current bedroom, she had to take care of her relationship with Tony Lee.

“If you don’t maintain the only man who cares for you, then forget about a part-time job at the bakery but you will be getting full time in the shop and your old bedroom back until you find yourself a husband!” Janet Baker, Anita’s mother said.

In her house, that empress’s words were final.

She had to start a conversation if Tony was silent and clear whatever was bringing the tension before they reached her home. She wasn’t going to get another round from the empress of their castle.

She had enough for the day.

“Are you mad?’ Anita asked.

Tony turned to her with a raised brow. He was not expecting that kind of a question from her by the looks of it.

“You haven’t spoken a thing since we left your house. Don’t tell me it is because you want to hurry back for your party,” she said.

Now that she explained it, she saw a little frustration on Tony’s face. Her hunch was right. He was mad. Mad at what?

Tony’s grip tightened on the steering wheel and his jaws clenched.

“Is it because I asked about the actress?” She asked.

Tony opened and closed his mouth countless times, but he didn’t utter a word. His actions made her heart sink. Was she afraid he could break up with her? She couldn’t tell.

“Tell me Nita,” Tony started. He was the only one apart from her family and his, that called her with that name.

She turned to give him her complete attention.

“What do you want me to tell you, huh?” Tony said playfully.

Anita’s expression was animated. Her eyes were wide akin to two large planets and she blinked in confusion with slightly parted lips. Her round eye glasses magnified her already large eyes.

“Okay, stop making that face. I was only daunting you to get a perfect birthday gift,ha ha ha!” Tony laughed, hardly controlling himself.

His laughter brought back Anita who was now fuming. He knew she never loved it when someone pretended to scare her.

Anita grew up to be an open book for everyone close to her. She believed in trust and loyalty, in friendship and in family. She never pretended to care or like something she doesn't.

'Is he perhaps trying to be romantic?' Anita squinted her eyes.

"Don't ever do that? You gave me a scare!!" She said,

"Okay. I know I didn't answer you earlier and you might have felt bad. I only needed to jolt you into approaching you without being faced with silence," Tony explained.

He knew she must have asked that because of the animation fantasy movie that was due to be released. She loved those.

"It's okay. I know you didn't want your friends to know I have spare time for those," Anita said.

“The union thinks that it’s a waste of time, but you should know it’s a legacy my grandparents never managed to finish building,” Anita continued.

“I know, it’s not okay what I did. So do you still want to know about her?” Tony spoke without moving his eyes from the road.

“You know something about her?” Anita asked in return. Tony Lee, the marine biologist, who was already working at the National Aquarium doing research and studying everything related to marine life, knew something about Bilha Wairimu.

He was hardly in his apartment, always on trips to the lakes, rivers, seas and to the coast. Working with the biggest NGO in the World and making documentaries for Geographic Channels. It was something hard to believe.

Tony chuckled at her question. “I don’t divulge myself in them much. But once or twice, for you, I always search for something,” he said.

“This building is owned by her boyfriend. Someone mysterious and heads the world's top real estate companies. Rumors have it that he is related to very powerful politicians in country S and in the great Kingdoms even the hidden Kingdoms,”

Tony chuckled. Anita could see that he wasn’t believing the slightest whatever he was saying.

Anita finally realized the big shit she had pulled herself into as she was reminded of that White trench coat man. She creased her forehead and asked, “Have you ever seen this boyfriend of hers? Surely someone like Bilha Wairimu would not date anybody. This man must be cute to trap a beauty like her,”

Tony did not notice her crease as he was busy focusing on the road. Anita’s parents lived in a self owned estate outside the city jurisdiction, in a home that once belonged to her grandparents.

They were now in the Forest road to the District her home was located.