Chapter 10 - Sorry, Not Sorry

"You can't be serious" Dylan refuted.

"Trust me, Pope. I verified this severally. I had my men do background checks on any and every one who was involved in selling or buying drugs. I even had to interrogate club owners and strippers but no one knew her" The Vicar explained.

"What about Bishop?" Dylan asked.

"He scouted the east side and verified that she arrived Miami the same day you opened the second free mall. He was able to get the ticket that bore her name, from Atlanta" The Vicar replied.

"The necklace?" Dylan asked.

"Yes, there were lots of receipts of jewelry at her lounge in Golden Petals. I think she must have really bought it. Maybe someone stole it from Ceaza and it made its way to the market"

Dylan exhaled. "Meet me at the mansion" he said and dropped the call.

"Turn around, Hill"

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Chelsea cursed herself as she sat in the lonely craze-driving darkness. Why did she have to swindle again? The amount of money she had gotten from her last scam was enough to lay low and live comfortably. But no, she just had to try one more time. Now she was in a deep mess.

And it was all her fault. If she hadn't stupidly swayed her hips out of her lounge to the bar where Dylan was, none if this would start in the first place. What was she thinking? That she was the female Houdini?

Chelsea kept on berating herself endlessly till she heard the door open. Light revisited the room once more. She looked up and saw two suited men walking to her. They stopped in front of the cage and one of them unlocked it.

Was this it? Her end? Or worse, her beginning of endless torture? She heaved nervously as the keys turned, each lock on the gate opening. With each click, her heart beat faster, thumping violently, threatening to explode.

She shut her eyes and waited. The last lock clicked and she sprang up. She wasn't going to sit back and die. She would die fighting. She made for the cage's door, trying to push her way past the suited men. All her efforts were like that of a baby against a wall. The men didn't budge.

One of them simply lifted her with ease and put her on his shoulder, making for the exit door. She struck him severally but it was as though he was numb to her efforts. She watched the other man lock the cage as they exited the room. She saw other locked rooms on both sides of a corridor that didn't seem to have an end.

"Where the hell are you taking me?!" she yelled but got no response. A door was opened and a body was dragged out of one of the rooms. Chelsea's stomach churned as she discovered it was lifeless. A blindfold was immediately put on her.

As they passed, she could hear scrapping, banging, screaming and wailing from behind several doors. She shuddered as she imagined the series of torture they must have gone through.

They finally got to a room and she was placed on the ground gently. The blindfold was taken off. The room was dimly lit and empty. She immediately turned and saw three people standing on a higher ground.

She recognised Dylan. There was another suited man and an elderly woman dressed in housekeeping clothes standing on his right and left respectively.

Dylan smirked. "Hello, raven" he called her.

She gritted her teeth, intensely withholding the urge to rush at him and choke him to death.

He took slow steps towards her and squatted beside her. He reached to part her hair but she drew her head backwards. He chuckled and stood up, walking back to the higher ground where there was a kingly chair on which he sat.

"What I've done to you is not entirely right, I admit" he said calmly, his gaze fixed on her.

"I had a few misconceptions about you. Today, I discovered they were unaccounted for. You were mistreated but I assure you, I was working according to my instincts. And they never lie"

Chelsea scoffed. Partly, she was relieved, partly, she was agitated. She was relieved because it was confirmed that the issue wasn't related to Big Ceaza. But she was agitated that Dylan had misjudged and mistreated her, according to his confession.

"Under normal circumstances, I would let you go. Back to Golden Petals, back to your normal life. We would forget this ever happened. Maybe, we can still be friends"

Chelsea shot him a deadly stare.

"But I can't. Unfortunately, my dear, you have seen too much for an outsider. I can't let you go just like that"

Chelsea fumed. She heaved violently, as though she would place a knife in Dylan's skull at the slightest opportunity.

Dylan leaned forward with a smile. "You see, the city believes in an angelic philanthropist. They like that theory and I hope to keep it that way. Releasing you would threaten rumors of a dirty billionaire. A murderous tycoon. A monster. Now that wouldn't be good for business, would it, darling?"

Chelsea didn't give a reply. She patiently waited for his sentence.

"So, in that vein, I'm offering you a job. To be my chief assistant at Cross Enterprises. You'd be beside me and we'll both make sure your lips stay in check. You'll enjoy every bit of it. Luxurious meals with billionaire investors, flights in and out of the state and country, you don't even have to work. It's just a passive job" Dylan smiled.

Chelsea's expression contorted. She had expected a death sentence or an imprisoned lifestyle. But she was offered a chance at paradise instead. She kept her expression in check, however, not willing to divulge her relief.

"What do you say, Ms. Landore? I mean, do you understand? This is not an offer" Dylan gestured calmly.

The best way to kill the king is from inside the castle. Chelsea resolved to take his offer while plotting her swindle on a grand scale. Her ambition got her here in the first place. It was her only ticket out.

"When do I get to start?" she asked, her face void of expression.

"Very cooperative. I like that, raven" Dylan smirked. "You'll start tomorrow. Let me prepare your office. Joyce will attend to your feminine needs" he gestured to the elderly woman in housekeeping clothes.

He gestured to the suited man. "This is Hugo. He's in charge of the house. I believe you've already met" he smiled.

Chelsea threw her face away. The elderly woman walked to her with a wide smile.

"Hello, dear. Come with me, let's get you cleaned up" she said, pulling Chelsea with her.

Chelsea wiped her eyes as she trudged behind Joyce. The doors were opened and they stepped into a luxuriously furnished hallway that looked like it once housed a president. Slowly, a smirk curved across her lips.