The bright city lights felt like a soothing balm for Jessica as the taxi drove her to her hotel. She had come to the city for a short work seminar that would last one week, and had decided to contact Ella and catch up with her. She was surprised when found out that Ella was now a mother and was currently in hospital nursing a newborn. Ella and Jessica had spent a nice afternoon catching up and Jessica had left feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She was happy to make things right with Ella and this made her feel like she had made up for the harm Kevin had done to her. Ella had supported her financially when she was really desperate and now she was happy that they were both settled and comfortable. Jessica finally arrived at the hotel and was walking to the lobby when she spotted a familiar face. “Eddie,” she said as she walked to the man who was talking to the receptionist. “Yes, Sorry I can’t remember you,” the man said politely.“”I’m Jessica. You helped me at
Blake let out a loud laugh and stared at his parents as though they were aliens. “I saw Samantha when she was pregnant. We lived under the same roof and I saw her get bigger and bigger every month. I took her for every doctor’s appointment and saw every ultrasound in real time. I was even there when my son was born. Nothing you are saying makes sense,” Blake said. “I know it doesn’t but we don’t have the answers you are looking for. Ella is the only one who can unravel this mystery,” Clark said.“Did she put you up to this sick joke?” Blake asked as he pointed at his mother. He really loathed her at this moment. “You can test them all again if you don’t believe me. I have nothing to gain from this,” Aurelia said smugly.“Ella was not even in the country when Jason was born. I’m sure of that. She had left the country months before Jason was even conceived,” Blake continued. “Don’t be so quick to judge your mother son. Do the tests for yourself and then make up your mind. I will con
“Dad, when did you find out all this?” Blake asked as they dragged out Ella. She was still shouting until one of the guards hit her. Blake fought all his instincts and restrained himself from attacking the officer. No matter what he had just heard, he still wanted Ella treated with dignity. “About a week ago but we had to verify everything from the facilities named. We were also following the money trail they left behind,” Clark said. “What is Clara going to do without her mother? And what will I tell Jason when he comes home from school?” Blake asked as he sank into a nearby armchair. He was on the verge of a panic attack. Although he was genuinely worried about his children, he was even more worried for himself. He had weaved Ella into every plan for his future and the future looked uncertain without her.“We will get the best nanny money can buy. She will be her responsibility day and night,” Aurelia said. “Why did you bring those officers here? Why didn’t you give me a chance t
The last day of the seminar had gone well for Jessica as none of her colleagues seemed to have noticed her interaction with the governor and his son. However, she was experiencing mixed reactions about her return to her city. She wanted to help Ella apprehend Kevin so that he could pay for his sins but she also wanted to stay as far away from him as possible so that he couldn’t track her and her children down. Kevin brought out the worst in her and erased any trace of ambition that she had. She would forever regret being with him, and she hoped to divorce him as soon as she could. That evening, Jessica was packing her things in preparation for the return trip on the following day when a knock interrupted her.“Good evening madam. The governor invites you to dinner if you are free,” a man in a black suit said. Jessica had forgotten about the previous request to call him and she had even misplaced the envelope. She did not intend to have any more personal interactions with her boss or h
Ella smiled as she looked up at the sky for the first time in months. The blue sky speckled with clouds felt like a holiday for Ella as she soaked in the warmth from the warm sun rays. This was the first time she was allowed out into the yard to interact with the other inmates. Ella had experienced the worst of this world and she had now learnt to keep her head down. That was the only hope she had as she had long given up on regaining her freedom. Ella looked back on her first day in this prison. It had been worse than any nightmare she could have envisaged her wildest imagination.“Where are we going?” Ella asked after another night sleeping on the floor in the small holding cell. Many prisoners had come and gone but Ella remained here with no one speaking to her.“To your new home,” the fierce looking police detective barked at her.‘New home? I don’t understand.”“You’ll understand soon enough,” the woman said to Ella as she roughly shoved her out the door. “Can I at least take a
Ella felt like she had just fallen asleep when a loud bell woke the women up. It was still dark outside and Ella watched the women as they knelt down in a single file as they had previously. Ella followed suit and waited patiently for the head count to be over. The cold floor was hurting her knees just as the rest of her body was aching from the cold of the night. Once the head count was over, the women began to stack the mattresses and blankets against the wall. Others then headed to the bathroom area where dozens of toilets were lined up opposite taps and showers. Ella watched as the women used the filthy toilets without any privacy while others scrambled for the shower. She used the toilet and then walked back to the sleeping area where several of the women were sweeping the floor. She desperately wanted a shower but she had no soap or change of clothes.“Where can I get some soap?” she aske
“Good morning,” Jessica said when she picked up her phone. It was early in the morning and she was not out of bed yet.“Good morning my dear. I wanted to catch you before you became too busy,” the warm charming voice of the governor Richard came through the phone. “I’m sorry I didn’t return your call,” Jessica said. She had been overwhelmed by the children when she got home and she had concentrated on their needs.“Motherhood always trumps friendship,” Richard said with a chuckle. Jessica had been honest about her life and Richard knew that she was raising four children on her own.“The kids had me swamped with all sorts of activities.” “So I guess lunch is out of the question?” he asked.“Actually, lunch might be the only time I’m free. Hopefully you will be in my location because I can’t stray too far from work,” she said with a raised eyebrow. The last time they had dinner, he had flown her to the coastal town and flown her back the next day. She had not made any plans to stay o
It was 5am in the largest womens’ prison in the country. Ella woke alongside her inmates and knelt as was procedural for the head count. The day was proceeding well until the loud assembly siren rang throughout the prison. The women rushed to the assembly point and waited for the warden’s address. The last time they had been assembled, it was because several women had turned out dead after a fight had broken out. The officers had made an example of the culprits by public flogging and then the women had been confined in solitary. Ella hoped that nothing of the sort had happened because last time they had all been punished by withholding one meal. Ella always felt weak when she missed a meal, although her appetite was lacking. She forced herself to eat so that she could not faint and would have enough strength to withhold the coughing bouts.When Ella got released from isolation, she had been reintroduced into the public population through the hardcore unit. Here she had suffered variou
“Dad, if you were in my shoes what would you do to your parents?” Blake asked when they were left alone.“Son, it’s been a long day. Let me go and get checked by a real professional. We can discuss other things later,” Aurelia said.“Your daughter in law just saved your life yet you cannot give her the slightest bit of respect?” Mr Raymond asked.“I don’t have a daughter in law. Besides, I didn’t ask her to touch me with her filthy hands,” Aurelia said. Blake’s eyes turned ice cold.“Your stinking attitude just made things much easier for me mum. As of two hours ago, your passport has been recalled and you no longer have diplomatic immunity. There are some people outside who will escort you out
“What is the meaning of this?” Aurelia asked.‘Have a seat mum,” Blake said as he sat down and pulled Ella on the seat next to him. His parents sat down reluctantly while Blake dismissed the security personnel.“Mum, please meet the governor Richard and his girlfriend Jessica. I’m sure you have met Kevin before,” Blake said.“I have never seen that man in my life,” Aurelia said haughtily.“Well, let me play a little video that will help you jog your memory,” Blake said. The tv switched on to show Rose, Kevin and Aurelia in a luxury hotel having dinner in a private room. Their conversation revolved around building a solid case that would ensure that Ella was put behind bars. Ella was so shocked that s
The VIP lounge at the airport had suddenly turned to a buzz as a certain celebrity came into the country. Mrs Aurelia Raymond took advantage of the chaos to slip out of the lounge and into the company of Rose. Aurelia had spotted one of Blake’s men waiting for her but she wanted to bypass him so she could communicate with Rose without any interception.“Why did you take so long?” Rose asked irritably.“I think you have forgotten who I am, young lady. I don’t owe you any explanations,” Aurelia said. She took out her compact kit and began dusting her face.“I’m sorry madam. I’m just a little anxious,” Rose said as she rolled her eyes. If it wasn’t for the fact that she had been unable to infiltrate the Raymonds finances then she wouldn
“What do you want to do today?” Richard asked Jessica. They had returned to the hotel room after the buffet breakfast and Jessica was reading a book.“I thought I would buy some gifts for the children,” Jessica said.“Ok. I’ll come with you,” Richard said.“Are you not going to visit Eddie?” Jessica asked.“We can go in the afternoon,” Richard said.“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Jesssica said.“I’m listening.”“I was just wondering what you did with Kevin,” Jessica said. Richard’s face darkened and
It was the weekend and Tokodi and Tracy woke up mid morning. They showered together and changed, then packed all of Tracy’s things and headed home. Tracy was eager to open her gifts and she began to do so. Each gift was thoughtful and impressive and Tracy ended up showering Tokodi with many kisses. By the time she opened all the gifts, Tokodi was feeling like the king of the universe. He helped Tracy to unpack and arrange her jewellery, clothes and appliances that he had bought her. Tracy looked as happy as a child eating ice cream, and she even shed a few tears when Tokodi said that he had bought all those gifts to celebrate their engagement. Later that afternoon, Tokodi went out to buy some groceries and toiletries while Tracy cleaned up the house. He had been itching to leave the house so that he could attend a meeting with Blake.Tokodi had woken up that morning and taken Blake’s numb
Back at the Raymond residence, there was confusion and excitement amongst the staff. Only one driver was aware of when Ella had returned, and he explained how he had simply picked her up from an apartment complex. He had been with the Raymond family for years and he knew how to be discreet while releasing just enough information to generate some counter intelligence. The man could clearly recall the animated conversation which he had subsequently narrated to Blake.“Are you sure you picked her up from an apartment? I was there when the police dragged her out of the house. Blake must have picked her up from a police station,” Dora said. She had come downstairs with rage and explained to the other staff members how Blake’s criminal ex-wife had sneaked back into the house.“We picked her up at a middle class estate. I don&
“You are a really good dancer,” Tokodi said to Tracy when she returned from the dance floor. She took a large gulp of her drink and sat down.“You should join me for the next one,” Tracy said as she tapped her foot in rhythm to the music.“I have two left feet,” Tokodi said as he watched the flushed look on Tracy’s face. They had decided to enter this night club when Tracy heard the invigorating music from outside. He was accompanying her as she went to pick up her things from the serviced apartment she had been staying at.“How do you get sleep with this noise?” Tokodi asked. The serviced apartment was adjacent to the club and the walls were literally vibrating because of the beat.&ldqu
“Is everything okay?” Jessica asked Richard. He was staring at his phone during breakfast and had barely touched his food.“I’ve been trying to call Eddie since last night. The phone keeps ringing and he doesn’t respond,” Richard said.“That is odd. Do you think maybe he left the phone in his car? It’s still early in the morning and he may not have noticed,” Jessica said. Richard shook his head in disagreement.“He doesn’t usually leave his phone unattended. His work calls come in at all times of the day,” Richard said.“Maybe I should call Ella. She may know where it is since they work together and they are dating,” Jessica said. Richard nodded in approval and Jessica removed her phone f
Ella woke up feeling confused in her new home with Blake. She stirred out of sleep and looked around the elegant bedroom tastefully furnished with brown and white hues. She sat up wondering how she had ended up in bed while all she could remember was drinking milk and eating cookies at the sofa.Ella took a cold shower and dressed as she wondered If Eddie and Bryer were ok. She looked around and could not see any of the bloody clothes from the day before. Ella used the brand new toiletries that had been laid out and she finished getting ready.She was feeling a little hungry and wondered what time it was. There was no clock in the bedroom and she still had no idea where her phone was. Her phone had been in her handbag which had remained in Eddie’s car. Tracy felt tears fill her eyes when she remembered how Eddie had been shot. She had never known that Blake could be so violent and cruel. The mem