Dylan rushed in and saw Chelsea lying on the ground inside the cage. Two suited men squatted beside her, trying to revive her but their efforts proved to be futile.
"What's going on?" He asked as he barged into the cage."She still hasn't responded, Boss" one of the suited men said, looking up at him.He stood for some seconds, staring at her body before finally speaking."Call the Doc" he said calmly."Boss?" one of the men sought confirmation."You heard me, Hugo" Dylan bellowed.The man rushed out immediately."Out" Dylan said to the second man and the latter exited the perimeter hurriedly. As soon as he was alone, he squatted beside Chelsea and ran his fingers along her hair, parting the strands that had covered her face."I really wish it didn't have to be this way" he said calmly as he took in her facial features."Me too" he heard Chelsea mutter and the next second found a pin heading for Dylan's neck. Thanks to his quick reflexes, he caught her hand in midair and restrained it from going further."You bastard!" Chelsea grunted as she strained against his restricting grip."Do you know where you're talking to?" Dylan asked rhetorically as he slowly stood up, pulling a wriggling Chelsea who was futilely trying to release herself.His grip, however, was like iron's. She grunted severally but he simply stared at her efforts. Fed up, he twisted her hand and the pin fell to the ground. Her body twirled from the impact, placing her back before him.She felt his breath on her neck as he brought his lips to her ear."You're in my mansion, far away from anywhere you might know. Even if you manage to stab me and escape this room, you'll be a dead body before you get to the front door" he whispered in a voice that sent shivers down her spine.Slowly, her breaths eased and her panicked heaving calmed. It was as though the realisation of his words dawned on her.He continued. "That's right. Make this easy for the both of us and provide me with the information I need. I might spare you the horrors that accompany my enemies. My men so badly want to do things to you. Don't make me let them"She heaved and let out a long sigh. Her expression stiffened. "I've told you all I know. To hell with you and your men" she replied.He smirked and gave a light chuckle. Without warning, he released his grip and threw her to the ground. "We'll see about that" he smiled and stepped out of the cage. He fixed his eyes on hers as he closed the cage's door.After confirming that it was securely locked, he walked outside and came back in a minute with two suited men. Between the suited men was a bloodied man, almost unconscious as he was dragged towards her cage. His flesh had several marks, wounds and bruises from series of torture.Dylan gestured and they threw the man to the ground for Chelsea to observe. She looked at the man and back at Dylan who smirked."This is what happens when prisoners don't comply. There's only one way here. The way of the Cross" he said calmly. He gestured and the men dragged the bloody man out.He took one last look at her and gently walked out of the room. He ran his fingers along the bars of the cage, his rings sounding a rapping rhythm as they clanged against the bars."Do not put your Lord to the test" his voice echoed before the door was slammed shut.¤¤¤¤¤Dylan extended a wad of notes to an elderly looking man who smiled in acceptance. "For your troubles, Doc" he smiled back."Thank you, Pope" the Doc clasped his hands together in appreciation."The Cross be with you" Dylan replied.Two suited men escorted the Doc outside. After some minutes, the men returned and took their stations inside the mansion."How the hell did a pin get in there?" Dylan asked Hugo as they walked out of the mansion."She must have hidden it in her underwear, Boss" Hugo replied, his head bowed as they walked."And none of you noticed it?""You specifically instructed us not to strip her, Boss" Hugo replied.They got to Dylan's Urus and stopped. Dylan dragged a puff and exhaled. "You can go" he nodded to Hugo and the latter bowed and walked back towards the mansion.Dylan boarded the SUV and tapped on his seat, signalling Hill to drive. As they drove, he pulled out his phone and dialed The Vicar."Pope" Victor said as he picked."Give me something, Vic" Dylan replied."Just a few more hours, boss. My men are rounding up investigations. Bishop's too" Victor relayed.Dylan exhaled. "Get your Robins to work faster. I'm running out of patience" he ordered."Yes, Pope. She still hasn't complied, has she?" Victor asked."She's proving to be a tough nut to crack. I just need pictorial evidence. With that, she'll spill like a menstruating teen" Dylan jeered."Don't you think you're too soft on her?" Victor opined."I'm not. And I decide what's soft and what's not. Hurry up on those investigations" Dylan concluded and ended the call."Mayor's Office" he muttered and Hill accelerated the speed of the vehicle.They arrived at the office and Hill stepped out to open the door for Dylan. Dylan nodded to him and he stood by the car while Dylan went in.As he walked along the hallway leading to the mayor's personal office, he nodded to the sides, beaming at his fans and admirers. A few waved, which he acknowledged with a responsive wave.He finally got to the door and knocked lightly twice before entering without waiting for an invitation. He opened the door and saw the mayor's secretary straightening her skirt. He gave a light cough and smiled as the woman hurried out of the office."Mr. Cross" the mayor smiled as he rotated his chair to face Dylan.Dylan chuckled. "You're getting too old for this" he said as he pulled a seat and sat down."There's no place in the constitution that says that. Come on, who doesn't knock up their secretaries and assistants in the office? That rebellious vibe that comes with office romance" the mayor chuckled."Doesn't she have kids?" Dylan pressed."What's it to them? Or her? She receives paychecks and the kids get Christmas all year. Damn, even her husband would be grateful for those gestures" the mayor smiled. "How's Selina?" he asked, leaning forward with a knowing glare.Dylan scoffed. "I'm nothing like you, old man" he smirked."Alright, then. My regards to her. What's up this time? I know the philanthropist doesn't come to my office just to know if I'm doing well" the mayor straightened up.Dylan exhaled. "One of my joints was attacked yesterday. Completely burned down. Any idea of that?" he asked."I heard of a certain fire in the district. But, uhm, my sources said it was gas leakage""That's because it's what I want them to hear, your sources. You didn't look into it?" Dylan asked."I didn't know it had to do with yo...""Millions!!!" Dylan cut him off, abruptly grabbing him by the collar. "Fucking millions worth of fentanyl all burnt down! And I'm not counting the clothes above it!""Calm the fuck down, Dylan" the mayor struggled with Dylan's grip on his collar."No. Not Dylan. Pope" Dylan corrected him. "This is not philanthropist business. What the hell do I pay you for? To cut some slack for your secretary and her kids?" Dylan sneered."Alright, alright. Alright, I'll look into it, Pope" the mayor wheezed, his face reddening.Dylan released him. "You better do it. I want my millions back" he straightened the mayor's suit with a smirk."I can't promise the money. But I'll find the culprit" the mayor replied, gasping for breath."You like your city safe and peaceful right? Do what's needed for the Cross" Dylan smiled and turned away."We're still due for Skylands next weekend right?" the mayor called after him, heaving."My millions, Mr. Mayor" Dylan finalised and exited the office, slamming the door shut."Fucking bastard" the mayor cursed with an exhale.¤¤¤¤¤"Hello, Victor" Dylan spoke into his phone after answering the call. They were en route to his office."Boss, I'm afraid we got the wrong person" The Vicar said from his end."What do you mean?" Dylan asked."She's not with Ceaza, Pope. She hasn't even been to Florida ever""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"¤¤¤¤¤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 a
Chelsea sat in front of the mirror, observing herself. Joyce stood behind her, smiling at their reflection. Chelsea turned her head from side to side, acknowledging the diamond earrings that hung on her ear lobes. Her hair had been neatly styled into a ponytail. She was equally made up elegantly. Hugo popped his head in from a door. "The Boss is waiting" he announced. Chelsea stood up and checked her outline. Clad in a black straight-cut gown, her features were mildly pronounced. She heaved in satisfaction and turned to Joyce. "Thanks" she muttered and Joyce nodded with a smile. She turned and exited the room. She walked gently, as elegantly as she could, across the hallway. She could see the stationed suited guards feeding their eyes off her body through her peripheral vision. She simply smirked and walked onwards. She got to the living room and saw Dylan sitting majestically on an armchair. A smirk curved at the corner of his lips and she saw a hint of desire flash across his ey
Chelsea finally let out a chuckle. She took the files and walked back to Dylan's office. She opened the door and saw Selina leaning on Dylan's desk. Immediately she heard the door open, Selina stood up straight. She turned to Chelsea, rolled her eyes and walked out.Chelsea put two and two together and immediately understood that Selina craved Dylan's attention and affection and now saw her as an obstacle on her path of getting it.Tsk. Poor girl. If only she knew my intentions were far more diabolical, Chelsea thought. She simply walked towards Dylan with a plain expression. "Where's my office?" she asked him.Dylan nodded towards a door by the side. "Great. This is another prison" Chelsea exhaled and walked to the door. She entered the enclosure behind the door and was partially impressed. The office was quite spacious and well equipped. There were no visitor chairs however, just her personal chair behind her desk. Her name was printed on a desk tag with her position underneath. S
Time passed by with Chelsea getting better acquainted with the company and the staff. She never acted too lofty or superior and this endeared her to most of them. More often, she visited the ground floor, interacting with visiting clients and conducting questionnaire-guided surveys with existing patrons. She got to resolve many complaints and administered major corporate changes. Customer database increased significantly and the company received more positive feedbacks. Orders were shipped out nonstop from the company daily. Dylan walked leisurely to the balcony and leaned over it, resting his arms on the parapet. "Look at what you've accomplished in just a few days" he smiled as he said to Chelsea who stood not too far from him.She walked closer to him and equally looked down. She took in the orderliness of the operations on the ground floor and the satisfaction that glowed off the faces of several clients."It wasn't just me. It was the whole team" she replied, trying to sound a
Dylan and Chelsea rode silently back home. Chelsea clasped her hands together, her gaze fixed on the sky through the windshield. "That's why there was a decline in the fashion section" Dylan suddenly said."What?" Chelsea asked, unsure of the context of his words."You noticed a decline in sales from the fashion section right?" "Yes""That's why. The drugs" Dylan replied. "How?" Chelsea asked."Below every fashion outlet under the Cross Enterprises' name is a base of production, packaging and distribution of fentanyl. It's worth more than its brother-business above but not so public and legal" Dylan chuckled. "There was a hit on one of these joints. They exploded the whole premises. Both the fashion store above and the fentanyl joint below all blew to rubbles. I lost roughly a hundred million in that hit, both businesses combined" he concluded. "Oh, I get it now. Why are you telling me this? Why did you take me to the meeting?" Chelsea asked."I'm feeding you with more informatio
Chelsea maintained her careless attitude both at work, home and on the road. Cross Enterprises grew in success and money rolled in constantly. Dylan gave her the deserved accolades and entrusted her with more responsibilities. As they returned from work one day, Dylan instructed Hill to detour to Golden Petals. "Why are we headed there?" Chelsea asked calmly. "Maybe there are some things you wish to retrieve from your lounge" Dylan replied."So thoughtful of you. My booking has long expired. My items must have been thrown out or handed to the police" Chelsea gave a fake smile.Dylan was mute for some seconds. "I extended your booking" he finally said. "Thanks. But I do not need...""Can we just get there first?" Dylan cut her off before she could complete her sentence."Fine, Sir" Chelsea replied resignedly. The rest of the ride was silent till they got to Golden Petals. They alighted the vehicle and entered the hospitality building while Hill remained with the vehicle. Dylan wa
Chelsea and Dylan exited the elevator and walked across the bar to the premises' exit. Hill stood waiting by the Urus with his hands clasped behind him. "Are the luggages insides?" Dylan asked Hill."Yes, Sir" Hill replied and opened the door for the duo, granting them entrance. Dylan appreciated the discretion of Golden Petals. If it were any other hotel or lounge, paparazzi and media agents would be crowning him right now, asking him all sorts of nosy questions. He sighed. The price for fame and status, I guess. He lampooned as he boarded the SUV after Chelsea went in. Before Hill closed the door, he noticed someone observing them from behind a car parked some distance away. He heaved as he sat, his eyes fixed on the car. Hill turned on the engine and soon they were en route to the mansion.They got home and alighted the vehicle. Chelsea proceeded to enter the building hurriedly while Dylan lagged behind. He engaged in a brief discussion with Hugo with his eyes fixed on her. He c
Joyce stood with her hands clasped in front of her, watching as Chelsea prepared for work."Is it his instruction that you watch me every morning before leaving for work?" Chelsea asked Joyce's reflection in the dressing mirror as she put on her earrings. Joyce smiled. Of course she always smiles. "It's just like I'll disappear into thin air or something" Chelsea continued. "I'm simply here in case you need anything" Joyce replied. "Oh please. We're not even in a relationship, talk more of being married. Just drop it, alright? The whole watching over thing. It's... suffocating" Chelsea gestured in exasperation. "He has made it clear to me that there is no escaping this property. Either the bullets get me or the wolves, either way I'm dead" she ranted as she put on the last pieces of adornments. She turned and saw Joyce still smiling at her."You look beautiful as always, Chelsea" Joyce said.Chelsea exhaled. "Thanks very much. Am I free to go now?" she gave an obviously fake sm