••MJ HOTELS••

Angel arrived at the hotel and entered with so much confidence. She met Ivy and gave her a smile which didn’t reach her eyes.

She already made a list of vengeance and Ivy is surely in that list, she would come for her later just not now.

“Angel, its been a while, where have you been?” Ivy said returning the smile Angel gave her.

“I’ve been around, how about you?” Angel said and Ivy nodded

“Is your boss around?” Angel asked and Ivy nodded

“I hope there is no problem” she asked and Angel smiled

“There is no problem”

Angel waved at Ivy and headed to Miles’ office.

She entered without knocking and Miles looked up from the file he was working on and a small smile formed on his lips.

Angel rolled her eyes and didn’t return the smile.

“I will just state my mission and bounce” she said standing

“Sit down first, we have a lot to talk about” Miles said and Angel didn’t move from the spot where she was standing.

“We need to talk things out like two adults, don’t you think?” Miles asked

“Maybe you should start by telling me why you had those men guard my house, making me uncomfortable” Angel said

“Maybe you should sit down first” Miles said

Angel sat down looking at everywhere but Miles face.

She has been avoiding this face intentionally. It is one face that will always throw her off guard. No matter how much revenge she plans, seeing this face will always make her think again and she doesn’t like it.

She doesn’t like the fact that she isn’t in control when it has to do with this face.

“I know I messed up but can you give me a chance to explain and make things right. I promise to do right by you” Miles said

“The explanation I wanna hear right now is why those men are in my house and when they are leaving” Angel said

“Can we just talk about everything from the beginning” Miles said

“You want to talk about everything, fine let’s talk about everything. Why did you burn my things and send me into the streets at an ungodly hour of the night?” Angel said.

“Maybe you should tell me why you took advantage of me that night” Miles said

“What….what…what night?” Angel asked

“The anniversary night” Miles said staring intently at Angel

“What anniversary night, I don’t know what you are talking about” Angel said looking elsewhere.

“You took advantage of me, I was drvgged” Miles said

“You knew it was me, how?” Angel asked

“I wasn’t blind. I saw your face” Miles said

“Why didn’t you say anything about it”

“I was planning to but it didn’t work out as I planned”

“So why did you burn my things and send me out of the house?”

“You want the truth?” Mikes asked and Angel nodded

“I was jealous”

“Jealous?”

“Yeah. Luke was giving you too much attention and bought you a lot of stuff, that was it”

“Luke? Luke has been there for me. You know what, forget it” Angel said and stood up.

“We are not done here, let’s talk about everything, Angel”

“I’m done here and stay away from my child” Angel said and walked out of the office.

“I should stay away from my own child, jokes on you baby mama” Miles muttered and stood up gathering the files on his table.

He placed a call on his phone and Chloe came in.

“I’m going somewhere, leave when you are done, don’t wait for me” he said and left the office.

“I don’t know what that girl has done to you but I know what I want and I will have it no matter who hovers around you” Chloe thought

••MARBLE HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ••

A new teacher was introduced in Melissa’s class and he seemed cool.

“Are you leaving, Miss Stella?” One of the kids asked

“No, I have something important to attend to at home that’s why. He will just be with you for 3 weeks” Miss Stella said and they nodded.

“Hi kids, i’m Mr. Felix and I will be your teacher for three weeks. I hope we get along well” the new teacher introduced himself and some of the kids clapped happily, some of them looked displeased while some were neither pleased nor displeased. They were simply uninterested.

Among the uninterested ones were Beauty and her friends.

It was break time and Beauty who was sitting with her friends kept looking around for any sign of Melissa.

She left her friends and went in search of Melissa, she spotted her with her friends chatting and laughing away with Dylan. She smiled and turned to go only to see someone approaching them and she stopped.

She watched as the man walked away with Melissa and she ran to Melissa’s friends.

“Who is that man and where is she taking my sister to?” She asked

“its our new teacher, he wants to hand over our class work to her. Is there a problem?” Dylan asked and Beauty shook her head.

“Can you please go and check on her” Beauty said with a worried tone.

They looked at her but left to check on Melissa anyways.

••WINNIE’S PLACE••

Brandy was seated alone at a table sipping a glass of wine while going through her phone at the same time.

She let her hair fall to her shoulders covering part of her face, she also has a cap on her head.

Winnie went to sit with her looking at her with concern.

“What are you going to do now that Richie is gone, why are you even here dressed like this, what is going on Brandy?” Winnie asked

“A lot” she said and Winnie looked confused

“A lot? I don’t understand” Winnie said

“A lot is going on but at the moment i’m doing just fine” Brandy said sipping her wine.

“How have you been holding up all these while, since the d**th of your parents?” Winnie asked and Brandy sighed.

“Like I said earlier, a lot happened but it will be a story for another day. Right now, I need to get those that sent my parents to their early grave” Brandy said

“You know them?” Winnie asked and Brandy nodded.

‘I’ve always known them, was just waiting for the right time and I think its now” she said

“This is scary, honestly” Winnie said and leaned back on the chair only to see someone at the door.

Before she could hide, he strolled to her and smiled.

“Hi” she said smiling awkwardly.

“Were you trying to hide?” Chase asked and she laughed.

“Hide? Not at all, why would I do that?” She asked and hurriedly stood up, Chase followed.

“Maybe because of the…” Chase was couldn’t complete his statement because Winnie covered his mouth and he smiled into her palms.

“What can I offer you?” she asked avoiding his eyes

“Water” he said simply and sat down on a nearby seat.

Luke and Angel joined him in a few minutes and they sat together.

“Its good to see you again, my sister in law” Chase said smiling at Angel.

“Sister what?”

“In law”

“I don’t know what you are talking about” Angel said and glanced at Luke who has been on his phone since they arrived.

“Trying to call someone?” she nudged him and he turned to her.

“Yeah, I don’t know why she isn’t picking up and she hasn’t responded to my texts either. I mean. Why would she do that?” Luke ranted and Angel kept looking at him with a knowing smile.

“Your crush?” Angel asked and he looked away

“You have a crush and I don’t even know, who is it?” Chase asked

“And you think, I would tell you. Dream on” Luke said

“Maybe I should tell him” Angel said

“You will do no such thing” Luke said and Angel stretched her hands towards him.

“What is it?” he asked

“Money, to make me keep quiet” Angel said

“Maybe you should pay me first for always getting you out of trouble in the past” Luke said

“Wh@ťěver but I thought you said you don’t know how to swim” Angel said and Luke nodded

“What has that got to do with anything?”

“the first time you saved me was when I was almost drowned at the hotel and you saved me, how come?” Angel asked

“What are you talking about, I met you lying unconscious beside the pool. The craziest one was when I met you unconscious again in front of my house, were you born the same day with trouble?” Luke explained.

“If it wasn’t you then who was it?” Angel muttered in confusion.

“Now I know i’m invisible” Chase said leaning back on his chair.

“Without being told, you should know” Luke said picking up his phone

••MARBLE HILL ELEMENTARY SHOOL••

The pupils were seen either waiting for their parents in groups or alone. Some already left, some were saying goodbyes to their friends.

Among those waiting were Beauty and Melissa. Melissa kept bombarding Beauty with the tales of how her day went but Beauty’s mind were elsewhere.

She kept looking around as If searching for someone.

“Have you been listening to me at all?” Melissa asked touching Beauty.

“yes, I have, what did you say again?” Beauty asked facing Melissa this time.

“We have a new teacher and i’m still wondering why it’s a man” Melissa said

“Why did he call you earlier?” Beauty asked

“oh! He just asked for my dad’s phone number” Melissa said

“What?! I though he wanted to hand over your books to you, that was what Dylan told me. Did you give him?” Beauty asked

“No, I just felt skeptical, besides, dad said I shouldn’t give out his number unless its an emergency and there was no emergency” Melissa said smiling.

“Oh! Melissa are you waiting for your parents?” Someone said and the two girls turned to see the new teacher behind them.

A surprised look flashed across his face for a second and Beauty looked away.

“Is she your sister?” Felix asked and Melissa nodded.

“she is as pretty as you. What’s your name pretty girl?” Felix asked looking at Beauty.

Beauty looked at him somehow and rolled her eyes at him, Beauty’s mouth formed an ‘o’

“its not right to disrespect an elder, young lady” Felix said

“Common sense should at least tell you that I don’t wanna talk to you” Beauty said staring directly at him and Melissa pressed her lips together to hold in her laughter.

“You will want to talk to me sooner or later anyway” Felix smiled

“I doubt that, Mr Felix” Beauty said

A car pulled up beside them at that moment and it turned out to be Melissa’s driver and another unfamiliar face.

“Why are you here and with a stranger? Where is my dad” Melissa asked

“Your dad is at work and for the stranger, he is my brother. I’ll just drop him off at the mall and we’ll head home” the driver said as calmly as possible

“Bye girls, i’ll see you both soon’ Mr Felix waved at them and went back into the school.

“Shall we?” The driver said and the two girls entered the car and it zoomed off.

“Why is your brother putting on mask?” Melissa asked and the driver smiled without saying anything.

“So why did my dad send just you to pick me from school, I wont speak to him for one week” Melissa complained

“This is not the way home” Beauty said staring out of the window

“If I were you, I would be quiet, Beauty” The stranger said and Melissa’s eyes widened

“Do you know him?” Melissa asked in fear turning to Beauty who shook her head in denial.

“Turn around and take us home” Beauty said in a veeerrry calm tone and the stranger chuckled. She looked up to see the man holding up a knife.

Melissa screamed out in fear and the driver started shaking on the wheels.

“Slash” came the next sound and bl**d erupted.

TBC✍️