Tension

Nana followed Mason's secretary out of the train station, and waiting for them outside was a black Benz. One of the men who took their loads earlier opened the car's passenger door for them, and Vivian gestured to Nana to enter first.

Nana slowly stepped closer. She was never accustomed to being treated like a boss, and seeing Mason's secretary and guards doing everything they could to please her made her feel somehow nervous.

Finally, she entered, and Vivian entered after her. The guard closed the door and joined his colleague at the front seat. "We'll leave now, ma'am. Please make use of your seatbelt."

Ma'am? Did he just call me ma'am? Nana thought to herself as she pulled the seatbelt and clipped it.

The driver was still staring at her through the rearview mirror, and when he saw that she was ready, he ignited the car and drove off.

Throughout the long ride, Nana couldn't help but worry about Mason. She has never seen him so agitated like that before. She let out a deep sigh and turned to the side to see the secretary staring at her.

"What?" 

"Nothing. A penny for your thoughts?"

Nana turned to the side to stare through the tinted window. "Was it obvious?" she said.

"That you're worried about Mr. Robinson? Yes, it was."

"I've never seen him very annoyed like that."

"The feeling is mutual. I, too, haven't seen him like that before."

"The only time I see him get worked up is…" Nana trailed off, seeing no reason to talk about it in front of Mason's employees. If he'd kept it a secret from them, she saw no reason to reveal it.

Vivian smiled and said nothing. She watched Nana for a moment and ensconced herself, continuing the rest of the journey in total silence.

After what seemed like eternity, the car finally stopped in front of a very tall building, dwarfing other buildings in its surroundings. One of the guards stepped out and opened the door for Nana.

"Careful, ma'am," he said, gesturing to her to step out.

Ma'am again? Nana thought as she stepped out of the car. Vivian came out through the opposite door and led the way into the building. The guards reached for the car boot and brought Nana and Raymond's belongings along.

Taking the elevator to the eleventh floor, which seemed to be the second to the last floor of the building, they reached Mason's apartment, and Vivian opened the door.

"OMG!" Nana exclaimed when she got inside. "This is so beautiful!"

The guards, after dropping the boxes and bags, bowed and left.

"Please follow me, Miss Nana," Vivian said. "I'll take you to your room."

"You know my name?" asked Nana. "Mason must have told you, after all."

Vivian smiled as she opened the door to a beautiful room. "I don't need him to tell me before I know," she replied. "Mr. Robinson has never brought a woman into his house before."

Nana stepped into the room and gasped. The king-size bed, beautiful brown closet, and tiled carpet she'd never seen before added to the room's grandeur.

"He often mentions your name in his sleep and cries from time to time," Vivian continued. "When I asked him, he said you're someone he cherished the most. At first I thought you're his girlfriend, or first love, but he told me otherwise."

"How do you know so much?" Nana raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, how do you know he mentioned my name in his sleep?" Nana clarified. "Do you sleep in the same room with him?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, but it's strictly busin–"

"Are you his girlfriend?"

"Of course not, ma'am. I'm his secretary," Vivian replied. "I sometimes take care of him whenever he's having trouble sleeping, so he asked me to move in here."

"What!?" Nana squealed. "Why would he live with any girl?"

"I'm not any girl, ma'am," countered Vivian. "I am the granddaughter of your landlady two years ago."

Hearing that, Nana's eyes widened in surprise. "Seriously?" 

Vivian nodded. "Please make yourself comfortable," she said and turned to leave.

"Is there anything I'm supposed to know regarding my brother?" Nana asked, halting Vivian's steps. She turned around and thought for a moment.

"I'm not sure if I'm supposed to say this, but," she sighed and stepped closer to Nana. "He's so worked up because he lost his necklace. I knew almost everything about him, but I knew nothing about it."

Nana's furrowed in confusion. "Did he cherish the necklace like it was a rare treasure?" she asked.

"Yes. I've never seen him remove it from his neck before," Vivian responded.

"Thank you, Miss…"

"Vivian. I'd prefer you don't use honorifics with me."

"Thanks… Vivian. Can you leave me for a moment?" Nana said, ordering rather than asking. "I want to be alone."

"Sure, ma'am," Vivian said and stepped out of the room. 

As she left, Nana tried to comprehend what was going on. Was she misinformed? Mason was able to purchase their house two years ago because he sold his necklace. What necklace did he lose now? Her heart was heavy as many thoughts ravaged her mind, leaving her with more questions than answers.

*****

"Mason!!" Raymond called. Mason turned back and saw he'd already hailed a cab. He quickly rushed toward Raymond and slipped into the cab.

"Move! Move!!" he yelled at the driver, who merely stared at him through the rearview mirror. 

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STILL WAITING FOR?"

"I don't understand you, young man," said the driver calmly. "Speak to me in my language so I can understand."

"We're speaking the same English, old man!" Raymond groaned. "Get moving!"

But the driver merely stared at him, his expression unreadable. Mason turned back and saw the assassins about fifteen feet away. He dug his hand into his pocket and fetched out a bill, stretching it to the petty driver.

The man collected the money and grinned wildly, revealing a missing tooth the guys never knew was there. "Now you're speaking my language," he said. "Where to?"

"JUST MOVE!!!" Mason and Raymond shouted simultaneously, and the driver ignited, accelerating away at a speed Mason didn't expect.

Mason turned back once more to see his pursuers. They're about two or three feet from them before the car speeds off, but now they're almost lost in the distance. Mason could see them transform into a burst of dark smoke and disappear into the surface of the sky.

"That was a close call," he let out a deep sigh of relief as he removed his nose mask. "I was almost sent to the afterlife."

"You're chased, right?" the driver asked.

Mason and Raymond exchanged a look and then turned to the driver.

"They're wearing a black hoodie, aren't they?" the driver continued.

"You saw them?" Mason wondered aloud.

"Of course. They're girls, maybe two or more," the man replied.

Mason stared at him for a moment. It took him a while to realize the cabman was not serious.

"You can't expect not to be chased having that kind of face," the driver said. "How the hell can a man be this handsome?"

"Can you please shut up and drive in total silence?" Raymond grumbled.

"Well… since you paid a lot. I'll try," the man said and stepped on it.

Soon, the cab stopped at Mason's house, and the passengers stepped out. The driver smiled at them again, showing the hole between his teeth. "Good luck, handsome, hope you get rid of your pursuers," he said and drove away.

"I guess this is a change of plan," Raymond implied, staring at Mason.

"Of course. Do you expect me to go find the necklace with those monsters on my tail?" Mason sniffed. "I need to come up with a plan. Whatever those things are, I'm sure they'll leave me alone when I find my necklace."

He turned around and led them to his apartment. When they got inside, they saw Vivian sitting on a couch in the living room, staring at her iPad. When she saw them, she stood up and bowed.

"Welcome, sir," she said.

"She looked strangely familiar for some reason," Raymond said, now taking a proper look at the secretary. "Do I know you?"

"Perhaps the person you knew was my mother," Vivian responded.

Mason left them and wove his way to Nana's door. He knocked and went in.

"I said I want to be alone–" her words were cut off when she laid her eyes on him. "Mason?"

Mason smiled and approached her. "Is something bothering you?" he asked.

"Yes. You're bothering me, Mason," Nana replied, standing up from the bed. "You look like a different person now. You're hiding so much from me, and I can't bear it."

"I don't understand you, Nana. What's going on?" 

"I should be asking you that. What's going on, Mason? Why were you worried earlier? Was it the same necklace you sold two years ago?"

Mason wasn't surprised that she was already aware of what's going on. He'd told Vivian to treat her as she'd treated him. He stepped closer to her and held her hands, pulled her toward the bed, and they both sat. 

"I don't know if you're going to believe me, Nana," he said. "I don't know how to explain it in a way you wouldn't see me as a crazy person, I'm–"

"Just speak. I'll decide if I'll believe it or not," Nana cut in, her curiosity on full display.

Mason sighed deeply and narrated the mystery behind his necklace to her. How it'd returned to him each time he sold it and how he'd raised so much money from it. How he'd begun to hallucinate ever since he lost it, he told her everything, leaving no details in the shadows.