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The Journalist
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2024-08-05 02:00:10Steffan, his guards, Julian, and Nasir were all at Racheal’s side in one minute.
She regained her balance and stood up,
She snatched her silk glove that had slipped off, and wore it, then turned around.
Everyone was looking at her.
“Are you ok?” Steffan asked, looking at her all over.
Racheal nodded. and glanced at Zuri.
The woman was the one who pushed her, but since everyone had been busy, no one else had seen her.
“Are you sure?” Steffan asked. Her arm began to ache again.
When Zuri pushed her with her shoulder, she had roughly grazed against the arm.
Since the thick bandage had be
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Racheal spent the next few days in absolute silence.She did not resist the doctor coming to check her wounds, and refix her bandages.Steffan did not leave their suite the whole time, except when Jade visited. She was the only one Racheal wanted to have a conversation with.She was grateful Jade did not ask her why she lied too. She did not even talk about the press conference.On one of those days, the intelligence officer arrived to tell Racheal that her father was asking to speak to her.She looked at the woman for so long that Steffan thought she would not reply, and spoke up on her behalf.“Racheal cannot speak with him today.”“I will speak with
Last Updated : 2024-08-05The Bargain A meeting at Racheal's office
“We need to start being impactful, we have lost a lot of time already. The president would like for us to do something to draw the public discussion away from that ugly rumour of your attack” Terry Tucker said, swivelling in the chair across her desk. They were having a meeting about Racheal’s agenda for the month.“Something that would get the Sherrods name in the news for good.” Zuri added. "We already have many requests and petitions from homeless people, but we need to choose a worthy assignment.”Could there be any unworthy requests? At the stadium, she had vowed to take care of all children that the war had affected, and their parents. If she wanted to create a priority list, she would rank the needs by levels of urgency, not by newsworthy assignments. Those who were sick and hungry would come before those who needed shelter and a job on her list.“Perhaps a foster home like Mr Sherrod visited that one time. Remember how the public reacted to that?” Julian said. Terry looke
Last Updated : 2024-08-06The Bargain Meeting the camp manager
The rotary wings of the helicopter spinned, making the clothes of the team fly. Racheal walked past the huge trucks from different companies that had arrived on their request. Some brands had up to five trucks present.“You invited the press?” She shouted over the noise of the helicopter to Terry. He gave her a what-did-you-think look. “I need to speak to the sick among them first.” Racheal said.“I will go speak with the camp manager.” Nasir said hurrying away. Racheal looked up at the camp buildings. They were all in a need of urgent repair. How could Spencer Sherrod abandon a displacement camp in this condition? Or did he not know a place like this existed. He had to know.The camps back in Xen were in much better conditions. “Mrs Sherrod, we need to get pictures.” Terry said, walking closer to her. He saw the look of disagreement in her eyes and spoke up before she could protest. “We need to prove to the public that we are actually working.” Racheal sighed and turned ar
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“It’s fine. This is pretty normal.” The manager said, watching Racheal. She looked at Isaac, his composure calmed her down. The elevator kick started again, almost immediately. “You see.” The manager said, “There is nothing to be worried about. Racehal said nothing, she could not wait to be out of this deathtrap of an elevator. The elevator arrived at the ground floor with another shake. When the doors slid open, she sighed with relief.She looked back at the others, and saw Zuri’s face was red. For the first time she saw a hint of humanness in her, and felt sorry for her. She walked out thinking about how Zuri may have died alongside the journalist three days ago if anyone knew she pushed her, and was responsible for re-opening her wounds and causing the exposure.After she saw what happened to the journalist though, she was happy she did not lash out at the woman. One death was enough.“Here.” The manager said, and began to wheel down the hallway. They followed him into a
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The manager wheeled further outside, far away from the building they had just exited. Racheal looked around at the other buildings where the workers were also taking supplies. She hoped the reliefs were being distributed evenly.“Where is Zuri?” She asked Terry who was walking beside her on the lawn. She noticed the manger wheeling directly towards a high wall. “She is supervising the distribution of the relief item.” Terry responded. Racheal glanced behind and saw her guards were keeping the journalists from following them. She looked away quickly, hoping no more accidents would happen and cause another journalist's death.She hurried forward and caught up with the manager, just as he arrived at the wall.“I have not been here in a while. My conscience can’t take it.” The manager said.Racheal noticed a gate she had not seen before, it was small and green with moss so that it blended with the wall.“What is behind this wall?” She asked “You’ll see.” The manager said, and knock
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“You said you were going to work half the day today.” Steffan said, as they drew closer to the camp buildings.“And you said we would have lunch together.” Racheal responded, looking at the journalists metres away. They had been looking bored just a few seconds before they spotted her and Steffan. Now they had their cameras pointed at them.When Steffan did not respond, she turned to look at him. He was watching her. But she was too angry to feel shy at his stare. He did not lead her back to the helicopter that was waiting. He led her to his car. She was surprised when he opened the door to the passenger seat, and helped her in. He walked around and got in the driver seat.This was the first time she had seen him drive. He punched the starter button and the car revved into life. He pulled out of the building in seconds.Racheal looked behind them, and even more to her surprise, none of the guards were following them. She turned back to Steffan.“Where are we going?” “I am ta
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“You have to eat.” Steffan said when he looked up to see Racheal was staring at her plate of food like it would bite her.“I told you earlier that I did not have any appetite.”“You need to take your medications. Please eat.” Steffan said, his voice not sounding like a plea at all.“But the medications are not here.”“They arrived exactly fifteen minutes ago with our bags.” Steffan said, dishing more food into her plate.Racheal looked at him, wondering how he was always on top of things. He probably had her maids pack a bag for her. She reluctantly picked up her fork and began to eat in small bites.“The camp situation has been handled. You have nothing to worry about.” Steffan said. She dropped her cutlery.“You’re sure?”He frowned, and pulled his phone out of his pocket. She saw a video of the hungry people walking into the camp building they had just left. She felt so much relief, but also a strong urge to cry.She handed the phone back to him.“It will be replicated across a
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“What are you talking about?” Steffan asked, stopping in his tracks.Racheal cursed herself, she should have just left the damn bags and go bathe as he said. Now they would have to talk about this. She was not sure she was ready to revisit those days in that hellish room.“Don’t freeze up on me now. You started saying something. Finish it.” She looked at him, not sure where to begin. Not sure if she wanted to begin.“Speak for fuck sake.” Steffan yelled.“You have no right to demand anything of me.” She screamed back. “You abandoned me Steffan. You took me to a party, I never asked you to. You took me there to the place where I got framed by your crazy ex, and you disappeared when I needed you the most. You looked me in the eye and said I should ask Delbert to help me. You turned your back and let me spend three days in that horrible place.” She said breathlessly.“Do you have an idea how much I suffered there?”Steffan said nothing, just continued looking at her.“You wanted me t
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“Mind Skylar’s head.” Steffan said, watching her get out of the car. Racheal cradled six month-old Skylar’s head in her arms and got out of the car. Steffan turned and walked ahead towards the courthouse. She knew he did not like this, neither did her mother, but she wanted to lead a new life from now on.She would only allow any dispute to be settled by the court no matter how long it took, instead of the torture, killing and all they had done up to the point that she had Sterling.“Maman," Sterling said, peeking his head around his father’s shoulders.“Yes, baby.”“Maman.” He said again, and she smiled at him. Steffan adjusted him in his arms as they walked into the building.It was an informal courtroom, and the biggest case in Xen. This case was what had disgraced Roslyn and made her lose the elections. Journalists waited outside for the final hearing.She and Steffan sat side by side after the judge took her seat, and the accused began to be escorted in by the cops. Roslyl
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Racheal followed Steffan into his house quietly. His housekeeper greeted her warmly. She nodded at the woman. She was surprised to see Chef Bennett come out.“Dinner in five minutes, sir.” Then he paused. “Mrs Sherrod.” He bowed.“Make a place for two,” Steffan said. Those were the first words he had said, since she told him she missed him.“Sure, Sir.” Chef Bennett responded.“You kept him?” Racheal asked, as Steffan led the way upstairs. “You liked him.” He said simply.She said nothing more. He surprisingly led the way to his bedroom on the second floor. It was a dark masculine room, wide, dark and intimidating.She stood in the middle, unsure of how to act, or what to do next.He dropped his bag on the bed, and glanced at her.“I am sorry I hurt you.” She said. He paused, midway into sitting on the bed, then started to take his tie off.“That’s rare. Women never apologize.”She made a face at him. But continued anyway. “I was conflicted. I wanted to be with you, but I was
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The president is dead did not cover the horror of how Spencer Sherrod had died. He stared at his father’s coffin the next morning as the priest talked on and on. He had wanted to kill this man. He had wanted to kill him with his own hand, so why was he reacting this way to the man’s death?His mind kept going back to how Spencer had looked in the video he had seen. He was headed for a meeting, surrounded by his guards, edgy and nervous, and alone.The old woman had come from the crowd, begging an audience. He had hesitated, but asked them to let her through. The woman had hugged him, even as his guards had yelled that it was against protocol.One had even reached out to pull her away. Then flames. He shook his head as he remembered the explosion sound. They had quickly found out the woman was the journalist’s aged mother. The journalist Spencer had killed at Racheal’s office.He felt someone squeeze his arm. He looked down at the little woman. She was the only good thing in
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“We should start moving. I don’t want Limuel’s men to find us here," he said as he stocked the fire. She dropped a plate of Ramen in front of him. He smiled up at her, and she smiled back.He did not mind if he lost all his wealth, and became doomed to this kind of life, as long as he had her. She was all he wanted now, all he had ever wanted really from the day he met her.“It will be a few hours still before we can start moving.” She responded. He nodded and picked up his meal. She walked closer and sat beside him. He turned to her, caressed her cheek, and kissed her lightly. She returned his kiss, enthusiastically, the way he remembered, the way he liked.He loved how much she loved his touch. They were soon grappling at each other, their meal forgotten. He squeezed her warm soft body as she moaned his name and dug into his back. He savored the warmness of her, the fullness of her curve, the lusty way she matched his thrusts, squeezing tight around him.He did not want to
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Racheal sat shocked, staring at Steffan’s face, just barely able to see it in the near darkness. But she could see clearly enough the honesty in there. His blue eyes were clear and honest, open and pleading.“You should have said that when I wanted to hear it.” She said, shaking her head, starting to move away. But he held her.“I should have. I was a fool not to have.”“I even told you once that I loved you. You said nothing.”“I am sorry.”“Stop apologising. It won’t fix anything," she said, trying to pull away. She did not have to hear this, she did not want to hear this. It would make leaving him that much more difficult. It was easier walking away from a man who hurt her, and had never admitted to loving her even once. But now…“Racheal.” He said, taking her face between his hands. “I love you. I have always loved you. My heart stops at the thought of losing you. The day Isaac told me you were dying, the day you sent that divorce document, my heart completely stopped beatin
The Bargain He ruined my life
“I thought you changed. Apparently, you did not," Steffan said finally, looking away. “You are still as stubborn and careless as ever.”His words stung her.“Careless? You sound like I got some warning that a certain Limuel was after me and ignored it.”“I tried to warn you. I sent a dozen messages, tried to make an appointment,” he blew up.She shrank back. Well. There was no way she would have known. She had his number blocked, so there was no way she could have seen his messages. She still did not know how he had gotten her new contact number by the way. She could not think of any of her staff who could have given him her personal number.She knew he was in contact with Isaac, but could Isaac have given him the number?“After all that has happened to you, I don’t know how you can still put yourself in danger like this.”“One could say I was in danger, hiding with you in a storm like this. At least Maman would think so.” She said quietly, lowering herself to the floor. That got
The Bargain Locked in
“What are you doing?” Racheal asked as she watched Steffan walk towards one of the many couches in the room. He said nothing.He placed a bright flashlight she suspected he must have found wherever he found the axe on the floor, lighting the whole room up. He raised the axe, and began to hack at the couch.She stared at him in shock, at first not understanding what he was doing. Then she turned back, and shut the heavy bolt on the door. He had to make fire somehow, or they would freeze to death before the storm was over. Between the both of them, they could probably buy a million couches for this family.She walked further into the living room, past him, checking the whole place out. The only place that was open to them was the hallway, the open kitchen in the living room, and a tiny bathroom at the end of the hallway. All the other rooms were firmly locked. She was not very eager to ruin their locks like she did the front door.She walked towards the kitchen, and turned on th
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“What? Why?” Racheal screamed in confusion as she watched Limuel’s guards pull a limp Steffan up.Then they began to pull him to pull him away, his tall frame causing his foot to drag behind him.“I had a suspicion he might come here.” Limuel said, pulling out a big cigar.“What did we do to you?” She asked, looking from Limuel to Steffan, who was being dragged away.“I have no problems with the Sherrods. Just you.”“What?” She asked just as she saw Limuel’s toddler run out of the house. The guards tried to stop the child who was not warmly dressed for the weather. The toddler screamed. He just wanted his father.Lukas Limuel turned at the commotion. “Let him through," he said, standing up. The child broke through the barrier of guards, and ran into his father’s arms.“I don’t have the time to explain anything. I hear your mother has suddenly returned from the dead. I believe she will pay a decent price in exchange for you as compensation for what your family did to us.” Lukas sa
