II. I want you to lie against him

Jamal whirls over on his chair in his room. His mind traveling to the times he spent with Myla. He hasn't felt any less at fault for what he did since their separation.

It's like every single day that passes his culpability expands. How could he ask of a special being like her to never return into his life?

Maybe her presence truly brought him misfortune but asking her to leave wasn't a solution to gain back his loss.

Just look at him right now. He's lost his business. The only thing he had left to sustain him.

And what's worse is that he has no idea where she is now so he could reach out to her and ask for forgiveness.

The last time he tried reaching out for her number it was out of existence. Telling she is using a new identity.

Probably trying to completely wipe off every connection between them. He can't message her on any social media. He's not sure if she personally blocked him or she's just into the celebrity's website where she can't communicate with random people like him.

This is what he was scared of from the start. She choosed to belong where he can't be. At the start things were already working out badly before Eliz's dead and what happened to his business came along the way.

It just can't be. He's dreaded by the world she is getting into. What if she changes? Will he see her the same?

He's not sure he can face her anytime sooner or later. Because honestly, he's mad at her. Yes, it's her life but . . . he hopes she sees how her new career is affecting him.

He knows many women going into industries like hers never end up simple. There's just something devilish about it that he can't completely distinct.

His eyes roll towards his MacBook on top of his working table. The screen displaying a criteria of work.

He's been on and off on a novel project. Not sure if it is a good step. One thing for sure is that he will recover everything he lost and even in triple portions.

He doesn't need to rethink on his mom's proposal. His statements have been clarified. All he needs to do now is wait for Amid to bring out all the rightful informations and then they can start picking the tons from the flesh.

An email notification appears from his icon, prompting for him to click on it.

It's an invitation to a musical tune on which some outstanding singers will perform on stage. He's known for being an artist so it doesn't baffles him that he receives this.

Maybe going there to relax his mind will do. After everything he's been in a cage for months.

Even his bristles are longer and old for staying indoors too long. That reminds him of shaving as he touches on the bushy area.

Below this invite are the names of those who'd stage out. Several artist have been mentioned including Shawnee Shae. One of his favorite musicians. But the lastly written word is an ‘Upcoming Artist’ without a name proceeding.

Maybe that's a surprise package for the invitée or a typical typing error he thinks.

He shakes his head off and shuts down his computer, walking towards his bathroom. He eagerly needs some refreshment.

. . .

Latif walks into the building majestically, making sure she models her entry after ages of not stepping a foot here.

She gets into the crane which takes her towards the sky. Her dress is a black jumpsuit with transparent glass heels. And a platinum necklace extending her cleavage.

She looks expensive and gorgeous. Her thick golden hair is loose in perms. And her earings are almost touching her shoulders.

The lifter opens up and she steps out grimacing left and right for inspection. Her mischievous smile has never left her lips since her stroll into the building.

She stands face with an office after a few walks and opens it without knocking. A man seated ahead of her frowns deeply at the sudden act as he hangs his head to see who walked into his territory like that.

“Not happy seeing me?” her smiles grows wider as he crinkles in his seat with bewilderment.

“Don't you have some manners! How dare you bang into my office without knocking?”

She feigns apologetically for a second and returns her normal facial expression seriously this time around.

“Remember you're here because of me. This is still Jamal's office and his company. So you better watch it!”

He scoffs and sips on his glass of wine next to him then brings it down against his desk.

“What do you want?”

She smiles and flips her hair over her back to keep her beauty clean.

“You know what I want Dan. You know exactly why I'm here”

He shakes his head after pretending to think for sometime. “I can't remember giving you an invite. So I don't know why you're here.”

She plays on her coiffed nails, chuckling as she settles on an empty seat opposite him. “You wanna play uhh?”

He sighs, looking into the folders on his desk. “There's so much I have to do. You better not be waisting my time”

She grounds her Jaws, cocking her head to gawk him and forces a smile. A dangerous one as her eyes ogles his irritating face.

“So much like trying to sell this company to my enemies. I heard you're doing a lot of things in Jamal's absence. And not just ordinary things but . . . having the ordacity to change his brand. Don't you think that's against our deal?”

“If I should recall to you that this company belongs to me now. I don't care about whatever thing you did to get me here or ‘deal’ you claimed to have made with me. One objective was for sure that I seat here as the master of this enterprise. So whatever decision I make it's up to me and not up to you anymore.”

“What a joke.”

He brings up his head to look into her eyes. “Call it whatever you want, Latif. Just stop telling me what to do. I'm not one of those men you those around. I won't let you control what belongs to me. Hope that sinks into your skull”

She watches him proceed with his duty and chuckles in her seat, resting her small bag on his table and standing up.

“Have you ever thought for once who you're dealing with? I have the ability to kill you right here, right now and nobody is going to ask me a single question because they hate you. Do you think your workers want you in this post? You have no idea how easy this is going to be for me.”

He freezes. She smirks at her success and continues.

“I have everything it takes to bring you down Dan. Every single thing you are not even aware of. You don't talk to me like some . . . hoe you meet at the bar. I deserve respect and you must give that respect! If I could control Jamal, then who are you I won't fiddle under my feet? Tell me. At least you know who your boss is. He's not an easy man. It took everything to do what I did. And guess what? It landed successfully.”

Slowly he raises his head to look up at the woman who keeps coming towards him. And she looks down to meet his fearful eyes just in time. She smirks, enjoying the torment she's invoking into him.

“I came all the way here for two reasons. Don't tease my patience. I am a woman of my word. If you don't want your workers to know who you are and what I'd make them believe you did to their boss, I'd advise you to do as I say. Before you make any step about this enterprise I want to be informed first. If not . . .”

She pauses and encircles her hand over his black tie, hauling it towards her. “You won't like what is going to happen to you Dan”

They stair into one another's gaze, faces inches away for more than a second before she unlatches her hold on his knot.

He gulps, shaking his head and adjusting his tie over his white shirt.

“The next reason I came here is for you to do something simple for me. That'd be your punishment for going against our deal.”

She springs on her feet and rounds his table to her seat. His brows come together in mere confusion, and anger.

“I want you to lie against Amid. I'm sure you want to get rid of him. He's a tornado to our sky. If you want it to stay blue and clean, you better get serious with this one.”

“Knock it off already. Do whatever you want to do. I'm not going to do anything for you! I'm fine with what I have”

She shakes her head. “You're such a fool. Did you even listen to what I just said? He's against us. Besides, I'm not asking for your opinion. I was simply about to explain what you should be doing for yourself. You're following my orders now”

She crosses her leg on top the other staring at him with boldness. “Amid will be exposing us anytime soon. He's carrying out a private invesgation with that . . . pathetic girl your boss loves being around. Myla? If you recall who she is.”

Dan nods and she chortles. “Good. This is how we should be talking. With apprehension.”

He looks away impatiently. “Get on with it already”

She leans on her seat, legs still crossed as she utters. “I want you to expose yourself as being manipulated by Amid. Tell'em that Amid is Myla's lover. He wanted her away from Jamal. That's why he coursed misfortune between them”

Dan looks at her with folded eyebrows, his head getting fatter. Is she going knots?

To be continued...