● SALLY’S APARTMENT ●

Xavier made a turn into Sally’s street and he drive in time to see Sally being pulled into a car.

Immediately, he step on the brake and got out of his car, running towards them.

Taking the first guy, he gave him a punch which sent him falling headlong and then he took hold of the second guy and push him against the car.

“What the hell are you trying to do?” Xavier voice came out cold and terrifying.

“We are only doing our job” the man said in return.

“You know your grandmother ordered us to do this”

“Then you tell her not to worry, I have it under control” Xavier said, letting the man go.

“But….”

“But nothing or do you intend to hurt me. You know my grandmother won’t let you live if you touch me” Xavier told them and immediately, they got into the car and left.

Sally who was still shaken up by the whole thing, stood in silence watching the whole scene.

“What was that? Who are those men and….”

“Get in the car, am taking you to my place, You aren’t safe here” he said bundling her into the car.

*****
● TBC NEWS STATION ●

May sat at her desk, typing out a report when she got a call from the front desk.

“Are you sure that it’s me this person is looking for?” May ask, wondering who came to see her.

A while later, she got to the first floor and was told by the receptionist at the front desk that the man here to see her is in the waiting room.

May got to the room expecting to see someone of great importance but she was disappointed to see James.

“Hello” he said waving at her.

“Did you come to right place?” May ask, walking towards him.

“Common, am not a kid that will easily get lost” James said.

“Then what are you doing here? Didn’t I make myself clear during our last meeting?” May ask.

“You did. You very well did but I have this feeling that you won’t send the video to my boss” he said, having on his usual smile which is beginning to irritate May.

“What makes you so sure?”

“It’s the only leverage you have over me. So once you use it, you won’t have any other thing” James told her.

“You are right. I won’t have any other thing to use against you but don’t forget, am a reporter and we reporters always dig for information” May warn him but that only got his smile deepening.

In one swift mood, he pulled her into his arms, shocking May with his action.

“What the hell are you….”

“Am also doing some digging myself. You know, I wanted to dig out some info on Sally but I change my mind. It’s you I want to do that digging on and I will make sure I find out every little thing in your closet” James said, his face very close to hers.

“You won’t find anything!”

“Don’t take my words lightly. When I say I intend to dig, I intend to follow you around, be your shadow, stalk you if necessary until I get the info I need”

“Why exactly are you doing this?” May found herself asking.

“Cause I want to know what you and Sally are up to”

“Why stick your nose into something that doesn’t concern you!” May said, trying to pull away from him but he held her tight.

“Think of it as a bored guy trying to find some interest” he said, letting her go.

“I just came to give you a heads-up. See you soon my sassy reporter” he said, adding a wink to it.

*****
● PENT HOUSE ●

“Is this yours or your grandmother?” Sally ask as she walk into the luxurious penthouse.

“It’s mine. I got it to get away from her sometimes. Do you want something to drink?” Xavier ask.

“Right now, I can’t drink a thing. Let’s just talk about what happen earlier, tell me how your grandmother found out about me knowing your secret. It’s the reason why those men were there, right?” Sally ask.

“It is. Judy like I told you, my grandmother consider my illness to be a flaw, a flaw which no one must know”

“So she has those men watching over me behind the scene. I don’t even know those guys watch over me, my grandmother told me herself”

“Their job is to watch over me at a distance and they must have heard us talking at the company when the fire alarm went off ”

“They alerted my grandma and just like always she….”

“She what?” Sally urge.

“I didn’t tell you this earlier but three people found out about me before you. A friend in college, a maid at home and one of our distant relative”

“And?” Sally said again.

“And those three had to pay the price for knowing the truth”

“Oh my gawd! Did your grandmother ki|| them?” Sally ask, looking very shock.

“No. Grandma might be ruthless but she isn’t one to ki||, she payed off the three of them but two return trying to blackmail her and so she turn things around” Xavier said, a sad expression on his face.

“By doing what?”

“The maid got thrown in jail,somehow my grandmother made that happen even though the maid didn’t commit a crime and for my distant relative, he’s currently in a psychiatric hospital, it was also done by my grandmother” Xavier told her.

“So you mean your grandmother got rid of them by sending one to jail and the other to a psychiatric ward?” Sally ask and he gave a nod.

“What about me then? What will she do to me? Will I be send off to the Marines or an island of no return and why, why do you let her do all that? Couldn’t you do something?”

“Whenever I did. She always find a way to stop me, I did my best to help the maid, even got a lawyer for her but it was no use. She once told me that she made those people go through what they did just to hurt me, to make me see sense and to keep me alert”

“From then on. Have been doing the best I can to keep my secret safe but you…you found out ” he said, masking his earlier pain with anger.

“I should have listen to you when you said it will lead to danger for me” Sally said softly.

“You should have done that” he return as his phone began to ring.

He answered the video call when it saw the caller to be his grandmother.

“Why did you interfere, Xavier?” Desiree Landon ask the moment he answered.

“Cause have had enough of you hurting people just to cover up my condition”

“And where on earth did you hear that I hurt people? You know that what I do is for your sake!”

“For my sake or for yours” Xavier return smoothly.

“This is the first time you get in my way, Xavier. You were like that when I invited her over, what’s going on between you and that girl?” Desiree demand.

“You have a right to stick your nose into my life when it comes to business but when it comes to my personal life, you stay out of it” Xavier said, refusing his grandmother for the first time.

“Did you just say that to me? It’s like you are no longer the kid I brought up? You are changing and you know how much I h@?? change” Desiree said.

“Well that’s too bad. It’s either you live with this change or forget about me”

“Fine! You win this time but I still need to speak to her. I need to know that we have her trust” Desiree said.

“There’s no need seeing her. You will talk to me instead, I will come see you before going to work tomorrow and you better not do anything behind my back” Xavier said, ending the call for the first time.

“That’s a first, right?”

“Huh”

“It’s the first time you stood up to her, right?” Sally ask and he nod In answer.

“Have been doing things her way just because she say so but not anymore, have had enough” Xavier said.

“You will have to spend the night here, cause we don’t know what she might do until I talk to her tomorrow ” Xavier added.

“Hope she won’t try to hurt my family?” Sally ask.

“She knows how sacred a family is and she only go after those that know the secret and not their family” Xavier assured.

“Can I make a call then. I left my house open and my twin sibling are coming tomorrow” Sally said and he gave her his phone to use it.

******
● NEXT DAY ~ MORNING ~ AIRPORT ●

Sally Twin sibling, a girl and a boy, emerge from the airport looking tired and they found it more tiring when they couldn’t get a taxi.

“How about we call,Sally?” Marie suggest to her brother.

“She’s probably at work. Let’s just get a taxi and go to her apartment” Mathew said but they couldn’t get a taxi.

Most of the taxi there has been book by other arrival like them.

Marie excuse herself to the restroom and during that time, Mathew got them a taxi.

He was waiting for Marie to show up when he saw her coming out of the airport with a guy in toll.

They were talking and Marie was laughing at a joke he made.

Feeling angry, Mathew watch his sister give out her number and when she got to him, he lash out at her.

“Why the hell do you that?”

“Do what?”

“Give your number to total stranger”

“I wasn’t giving out my number. He was just asking for direction and….”

“And you decided to give it to him. Do you think am a fool?” Mathew demand.

“Okay! I gave him my number because he help me a while ago and he seem friendly and I only lied to you cause I know that you will get angry just like you always do whenever a guy ask for my number” Marie said softly.

“That’s because I don’t like it when they ask for your number. It makes me angry and jealous”

“What does anger have to do with….”

“It has a lot to do with it. I don’t like it when you talk to them or when they smile at you or when they ask you out or when…”

“Okay! I understand but it’s unfair. You spend your time with other girls and I don’t complain” Marie said getting into the car.

That made Mathew feel like an @zz, what will Marie think when she find out that those girls he hang out with are the distraction he use to stop thinking about her.

She has no idea how hard it is to keep his feeling under control and that’s the price he has to pay for falling in love with his twin sister….Mathew thought as he get into the car, giving the driver Sally’s address.

TBC ❤️