New York School of Art

Chapter 1

“Is it here, is it here yet” Ivy screamed running down the stairs still in her pajamas

“It's only seven in the morning Ivy, you need to stop screaming” mama said.

“Yes mom” feeling guilty, Ivy stepped out of the house, walked to the mailbox, barefooted. Her smile dropped when she saw it was empty. Feeling dejected, she walked back to her room to get ready for the day.

Ivy spent a month crafting the art she sent as her application to New York School of Art to perfection. It took her almost a week to figure out what she wanted to paint. When she finally did, she put out all her heart in it. The sleepless nights, the days she cried her eyes out. The painting was more than a painting to her, if she did not get in, Ivy had finally decided she would give up on art.

Ivy turned eighteen last week and she felt there was a lot of pressure on her. Last week on her birthday, her father, Mr Queen had asked her what she wanted for her birthday.

“Happy birthday to you love, you know how much I love you right?” Mr Queen said through the phone

Mr Queen was never home, ever since his business started to bloom. He never really got to see his daughter Ivy grow up unlike his two older kids, Amy, and Lily.

He felt guilty for that, so for every birthday he missed he would ask her to mention anything in this world, he would get it or make it happen for her.

Shockingly, Ivy asked for,

“I want to study art, Papa” there was a second of silence

“Painting is my life, you take it away, you take everything I have ever dreamed of, p-papa please, let me have just this one thing” Mr Queen sighed “Alright damsel, if that is truly what you want. You know I can not say no to you”

“Aaahh oh my gosh really dad!?” Ivy all excited

“Yes, really but” Ivy paused to hear what her father was about to say “If you do not get in, you won't try again. You would study business or finance, is that clear”

It was evident that Mr Queen doted on his last child, Ivy. This might have caused a spark of jealousy amongst her sisters especially, Amy the eldest.

Back at the Queens house, the family was having breakfast, but somebody was absent. Mr Queen, it has been days since the man had a meal with his family.

Amy works at the Queen's Construction company as an architect, she's the best in her field. It may be because she always wanted to please father. She worked twice as hard, didn't have time for dating, blamed it all on work.

Lily on the other hand, is reckless, parties too hard and is holding her CGPA on tightrope. Lily is a second year student studying business, a course chosen for her by her father.

Mr Queen always wanted to have boys to continue his legacy and the business that he was sure would soon bloom, maybe become a multi billionaire company one day. Since God gave him girls, he would make good use of that.

“Mama, did you know Ivy applied to study art” Amy asked, Ivy focused on her eggs and avocado ignoring the question was about her

“Ivy can study whatever she wants to study” Mama replied “I don't get, I am forced to study hard in school while Ivy goes to school to play with paint” Lily retorted “It's unfair” Lily slammed her cutlery on the plate.

“I don't play with paint” Ivy whispered but it was loud enough for everyone on the table to hear “Can you hear her Amy, she talks back n-”

“Can you just stop” Amy said angrily, got up to leave “ Bye mom I'm going to work” Lily scoffed and left the dining room.

“It's okay dear” mama said while she pat my arm “Your paintings are beautiful and it would cause a change to the world one day” she smiled at Ivy, packing the used dishes from the table to the kitchen

“Those spoilt brats” Mrs Queen murmured

“Let me help you mama” Ivy got to help her mom clean the room.

Meanwhile in the Donatello's mansion, Ryan strolled into Alex's room without knocking. “ I'm in here,” Alex said. Ryan walked into the large walk-in closet, the closet was so large, you could cut out 3 standard bedrooms, and there would still be space.

Alex was fixing his tie when Ryan read out from the magazine he was holding “ Alex Donatello, young multi billionaire CEO seen with model Cynthia” Ryan looked up while Alex chuckled.

“ Seriously man, get your head in the game, while you were screwing the whole of New York, one of our biggest shipment was under attack and guess what, we lost, everything's gone” Alex glared at Ryan, turned around grabbed him by the collar only to choke him.

They glared at each other. “Well, if you had done your job well, maybe we wouldn't have lost so much.” Alex released him from his hold “ who did it?” He turned back, picked his suit jacket and wore it.

“We do not know yet, maybe the Mexicans” Ryan replied, fixing his black shirt that got all wrinkled up.

Alex stopped what he was doing to look at Ryan “You know how much I like my stuff to be handled with care. That was why I put you there, unless you are tired. Fix it Ryan” Alex said as he left his presence

Alex Donatello, the CEO of Donatello groups by day, the leader of the largest drug syndicate in the world at night, The American drug cartel.

Alex rules New York and everyone knows it. He not only owns a multi billionaire making company, he also has numerous night clubs spread around the city to clean his money.

Everyone wants to have a taste of him, he does not just have a handsome face to die for but it is no news to the girls in the city that he is also a devil in bed.

Alex became a billionaire at the young age of twenty-eight, he is thirty-two and it is said that his wealth can not be accurately calculated ‘cause he owns too many properties all over the world.

“Good morning sir”

“Good morning sir” Everyone at the lobby echoed to receive no reply

People held their breath at the sight of this god-like creature, Alex walked through the lobby every morning but it seems he always has that effect on people.

He got to his private elevator and got in. It took him to the highest floor in the building, the 20th floor.

“Good morning sir, your coffee” Tessa, Alex's secretary handed the cup to Alex

Tessa has been trying to get Alex's attention for far too long, which bored him.

She was always wearing tight skirts, undoing two top buttons on her shirt, so he could have a peek.

Today, she looked different. “ Tessa” Alex called her attention, she looked up at him in a very sultry manner. “ Your boobs are out, fix it unless you want to get thrown out” her face dropped, she looked shocked.

What Tessa does not know is, though Alex sleeps around, he is very picky. He sleeps with only models, actresses, celebrities of his taste, not workers and people below his standards. Not that anyone is truly of his standards.

Alex was half way to his office when he turned around “You can have the coffee, cancel all my meetings today”

He entered his office,sat behind his desk. He thought to himself, he really needed to gain control of Harlem as his next shipments would be passing through Harlem.

If Ryan can not do his job properly, he would have to do it himself. Ryan and Alex have come a long way together. They are almost like brothers, they fight sometimes but that does not mean Alex won't move mountains for him, same as Ryan.

They both grew up in the same streets of New York and the streets were not smiling.

Alex opened up his laptop, he checked the CCTV cameras like he knew what he was looking for. “Gotcha” He murmured

Alex opened a drawer, in there was a safe. He pushed in the passcode, the safe unlocked. In there was money, a gun, and bullets, he picked the gun up, loaded it. He left his office, as he got to the secretary's table. Tessa had already worn something better.

Alex did not blink twice, he raised the gun and put a bullet through her head. The screen of the laptop shows Tessa adding something from a little bottle into Alex's coffee. The poor girl had no idea there was a camera at her little lobby.

The elevator opened up as Tessa’s body dropped on the floor “the hell, why would you do that in here” Ryan looks at the pool of blood “Now who’s gonna clean this up” Ryan uttered

“You, that's why you're here” Alex winked at Ryan as he patted his shoulder. He strolled into the elevator, clicked on the button one.

“Where are you going to” Ryan asked “to fix the shipment issue”

“It's the Mexicans” Ryan said to Alex who didn't look the least surprised “I know” Alex said as the elevator closed up.

Alex always knew their loss had something to do with the Mexicans but he needed solid proof. He was not bothered about being caught. Only three people had access to the 20th floor, Alex, Ryan and Tessa. Make that two people now.