Chapter 21: Chapter 21

~Third person POV ~

"Boss, are you okay?" Robert asks with a worried look on his face. He has been sick worried since he found out Lexis was stuck inside the elevator. Lexis walks over to him and nods while Margaret runs over to them with a panic face.

"Are you okay sir? We're very sorry about this sir."

Lexis sighs, "It's cool. The clothes?" He asks her and she nods quickly.

"This way please."

"I'm not the one buying, she is." He refers to Kemi. "You can attend to her, I don't have a problem."

Kemi turns to him in shock. Did he really believe she's here to buy clothes??

Margaret walks over to Kemi and gestures for her to follow her. "Come with me."

Kemi shakes her head, "No... There's... There's no need. I will buy some other time."

Lexis gives her a puzzled look. "Why?"

"Em..I'm feeling very em.. I'm feeling very tired right now, some other time."

"Why? You can buy it now." Lexis presses further.

Kemi gulps at his words, "Em... ..." She shut her eyes tightly before saying. "I...I em.."

Lexis turns to Margaret, "Go on Margaret, you have a customer."

Margaret turns to her, "Come with me, I will show you nice clothes that we have."

Kemi gulps as she slowly follows Margaret to the clothes section.

"Do you have any preference?" Margaret asks her showing her some classic gowns. Kemi bit her lips not knowing what to say. She didn't have any intention of buying clothes and here this woman is, asking her for preference? Just as she turns around, she sees Lexis behind her standing with his hands in his pockets.

"Miss?" Margaret calls her to gain her attention.

Kemi turns back to her before looking at the gowns onnthe cloth stands. She looks away from them and turns back to Margaret.

"Em..I don't..." She starts to say.

Lexis cuts in, "I bet she can afford better than these, don't you have limited editions?"

She turns to Lexis with widen eyes. Did he just say limited edition? Now she realizes that he's doing it on purpose because he's clearly aware that she cannot afford these things.

She opens her mouth to say something but Margaret has already starting bringing different set of dresses. The salespersons are also holding hangers of clothes showing it to Kemi.

Kemi sighs in frustration as she stares at the clothes. "The thing is... I can't buy them. I... I forgot my money." She says shutting her eyes in embarrassment.

Margaret blinks at her in surprise. "Oh."

Kemi sighs and place her hand on her forehead looking at the floor.

Lexis scoffs before turning to Margaret. "Package the clothes and settle the bills with him." He says to referring to Robert.

Margaret nods smiling before turning to the salespersons. "Package everything."

The salespersons nod quickly and starts doing as they are told.

"No no no, you don't have to pay for me. There's no need for that." Kemi protests.

"Do you have money?" Lexis asks without looking at her.

Kemi bit her lips before saying, "No I don't but you don't have to pay for me." As she keeps telling him not to pay, the salespersons brings over the clothes all wrapped in two light bags and stretches them out to her. She stares at them in disbelief and turns to Lexis still not taking the clothes from them.

"I said you do not have to pay."

Lexis didn't say anything but simply starts walking away with Robert following him from behind. She stares at him walking away speechlessly.

"Miss, your clothes." Margaret says smiling broadly at her. She sighs before taking the bags from them, because of how light the bags are, they are heavy. She quickly starts walking fast to catch up with Lexis.

"Wait! I said I don't want them! Why did you have to pay?"

Lexis didn't turn around but continue walking towards the exit while Kemi runs after him dragging the bags of clothes with her.

"Wa...Wait!"' She grunts as she runs towards him. Just as she gets close to him at the premises, she stumbles on her toes losing her balance but as she's about to fall, she feels a hand catches her, grabbing her waist. She looks up at the person and her eyes grow wide when she sees Lexis staring down at her. First, she stares at him in surprise and in confusion. She never thought him to be a gentleman who would catch her from falling. Lexis stares at her still holding her on her waist as she holds his hands and she suddenly realizes he has been holding her for long and tries to free herself from his arms but she loses her balance again and is about falling when he grabs her waist again pulling her to his chest but her hair accidentally touches his face.

"What...The...F**k." He squeezes his face in disgust as he quickly lets go of her making her to fall down on the concrete ground on her butt.

She winces in pain and looks up at him with a frown. "Why catch me if you are going to throw me back on the floor?" She mutters to herself as she stands up.

Lexis is still wiping his mouth violently  with disgust.

"My hair is not disgusting." She says with a frown as she reaches for the clothes. She picks them up and stretches them out to him. "Here, take them back, I don't want it."

He scoffs, "You can throw it in the trash can, I don't give a f**k." He turns away from her and starts walking towards his car.

She stares at him walking away not knowing what else to do. She has no idea why he would suddenly buy so much expensive clothes for her when he should be asking her what she's doing walking around the street and that's what scares her. He didn't even ask her anything or show suspicion.

"Can I give the clothes back to them?" She yells after him.

When Lexis didn't turn around to her, she sighs in defeat and carries the clothes along with her to the car. The ride back to the mansion didn't take much time as they reach there in less than 30 minutes. As soon as Lexis comes down from the car, Erica rushes out from the mansion to him and whispers something to his ear.

He nods and follows her into the entrance while Kemi walks behind them but pauses when she arrives at the foyer. She sees Madam Teju sat standing close to the staircase glaring at her and she bit her lower lips knowing she's about to get scolded.

She slowly walks close to her and feign a smile. "Good evening madam Teju."

Madam Teju scoffs and before just as Kemi opens her mouth to speak, she lands a hard slap on her cheek causing her to stumble backwards. Kemi's hand reaches to her cheek she rubs it staring at madam Teju.

"What are you staring at? Where you not supposed to clean the house? Where did you go?" She yells at her.

Kemi blinks hard fighting her tears as she searches for the right words to say."um... I went out to um..." She pauses when she sees Madam Teju's eyes travel down to the clothes she's holding.

"You went shopping?" She asks Kemi in disbelief. Kemi opens her mouth to speak but nothing comes out. What was she even going to say? She would just end up crying.

"You left your duty and went shopping? Wow." Madam Teju claps her hands together before taking one of the bags. She looks inside and starts bringing out the clothes. She stares at the dresses with a disbelieving look before she turns to Kemi.

"So you can afford such clothes? How delightful." She says taking out the clothes and throwing them on the floor.

Kemi shakes her head quickly, "I. I um...it wasn't me... I didn't.." But she didn't get to finish what she's saying before madam Teju grabs her hair, puling it hard until Kemi's head is forced backwards. Kemi moans in pain as madam Teju continues to pull her hair hard.

"You..." Madam Teju continues. "—probably think that you can walk out of the mansion and come in whenever you like, right?"

Kemi holds her hands as she pleads with her eyes for madam Teju to let her go. Abruptly, madam Teju let's go of her head and slaps her hard on the cheek again and this time, sending Kemi to the ground. Kemi falls on her legs and screams out in pain. The leg she was beaten has certainly not healed properly and hurting it again now would make it worse.

"Now, you must clean this whole mansion and I don't want to see any stain or you will taste your own blood. Do you understand?!"

Kemi nodded.

"I thought as much." Madam Teju says.

"What's going on?" Lexis voice startles madam Teju and she looks up to see him climbing downstairs. She quickly lowers her head and holds her hands together in front of her

"Nothing of importance sir." She says with her head facing the ground.

"ls she giving you problems, Teju?" He asks madam Teju referring to Kemi.

"Nothing I can't handle Sir." Madam Teju says with her head still lowered.

Lexis turns to Kemi who is looking down with her hair covering her face.

"Do you hate the clothes that much to throw them on the floor? He asks Kemi.

She didn't say anything but simply shakes her head. "Please take them back." She says biting her lips to muffle her cries.

"I said you can put them in the trash can." Lexis says with a shrug before walking away.

As soon as he leaves, madam Teju turns to her. "Now go and do your duties you idiot." She curses loudly at Kemi.

Kemi moves to walk away but madam Teju stops her. "Won't you take the clothes along with you? Why acting like you don't need them?"

Kemi turns back and puts back the clothes into the bag and taking the other bag as well. She walks away from madam Teju and goes right over to the trash can. She throws the two bag of clothes inside and starts walking away. Madam Teju watch her leave in disbelief wondering why she would throw the clothes away.

Kemi climbs up the staircase with tears streaming down her cheeks as she keeps wiping it away. As she goes over to collect the cleaning equipments, she feels a sharp pain in her leg and she wince reaching down at her leg to rub on it.

"Those clothes cost 500,000 naira in total. It's a waste to dump them." Turning around to see whose voice it is, she sees Robert standing in front of her with his hands in his pockets.

Kemi's eyes grow wide at the mention of the price. 500,000 naira? She will wondered how someone could spend so much money and still asks her to dump them? The clothes were not even up to 15 in number, so she wondered why they cost so much.

"I don't care how much it is, I didn't ask him to buy them for me" His says picking up the broom.

Robert sighs, "You are really stubborn."

"He has a lot of money and that's why he could spend so much for someone who doesn't want it?"

"It's not a good idea if he sees those clothes in the trash can." Robert says with a warning tone.

"I don't need anything from anyone. I just need.." Her voice chokes in her throat as she blinks trying to stop herself from crying.

"The underboss...He..." Robert sighs. "Just go and get the clothes Kemi, you do not have to wear them. They might be useful for you later." He shrugs. "I could help you with simple wears if you want in exchange of just one of them."

She turns to him with interest. "I...I thought you hated me. You glared and frowned at me all the time."

He nods, "Yes I did and I still do."

She purse her lips not expecting his blunt answer. "So why talking nicely?"

"I'm not. I just felt the need to give you a suggestion, that's all."

She sighs, "Sure but thanks for the suggestion, I could just keep wearing the dress Ron gave to me."

Robert rolls his eyes, "Oh come on, you look hideous in that gown, the pockets in it could even drown this whole building."

Kemi chuckles lightly, "it's not that bad, don't say it like that."

"Madam Teju was hurting you that time right?" He suddenly asks her and she sighs at the question.

"Not really, she was just scolding me." She lies.

"I know it's more than that. Every knows, that's why no maids ever last more than a week working here."

"Really?"

Robert nods, "Yes but the underboss dosen't mind though." He shakes his head. "It's a shame that you can't leave by choice, it would be hard for you."

Kemi sighs, "I'm stronger than you think."

He chuckles lightly, "I see."

Kemi takes up the cleaning bucket. "I have to go, I don't want to get baked."

He smiles and nods. "Okay. So what do you say? Should I exchange it for you?"

Kemi sighs, "Alright then."

She starts to walk away but she feels a sharp pain in her leg again and she bit her lips in pain. "Wait, you're bleeding! The leg still hurts?" Robert asks as he looks down at her leg.

"I hurt it again, that's why. It will get better."

"You can't work like this, you should rest. You can continue tomorrow."

"You talk like I have a choice" She sighs. "Thanks for the concern by the way." She starts to walk away limping but Robert holds her back.

"The underboss will not even notice if you're not working. Don't worry about madam Teju." He starts leading her room. "You should rest."

Kemi withdraws her hand from his. "Don't worry, l'll be fine. What's your name by the way?"

Robert sighs, "lt's Robert."

Kemi smiles at him. "Thank you Robert." She continues to walk away still limping even when she tries not to. As she heads back to the staircase, Lexis climbs up walking towards her.

She stands there waiting for him to come up first before she goes down. He reaches where she is and stands before her.

"Since you do not want the clothes..." He crosses his arms on his chest. "You will have to pay me back since you now owe me."

Kemi stares at him in shock as fear travels down her spine. She's already suffering trying to pay for her father's debt and he's adding more to it?

"I.... just don't want them, I can't pay you back."

Lexis twitch his lips and moves close to her. She steps backwards and he keeps moving towards her until she loses her balance and almost trips over when he catches her on her waist pulling her close to his chest.

Robert looks away and pretends to be ignorant at the scene. Kemi struggles to get away from his hold but his grip onnher waist tightens around her.

He leans close to her ear and whispers, "You were saying?"

She moves her away and moves her head backwards. "I...I dont owe...." She couldn't seem to finish her words as her body shakes from fear.

"Do you choose to owe me or will you go back downstairs and get those clothes?" He asks her with his eyes not leaving hers.

She gulps unable to say anything. He leans closer to her face and she shut her eyes tightly. "I treat my debtors specially, you know that don't you?"

She gape at him as she panics, her mind going back to the scene when he shot that man dead because he owes him an item. Her brain now seems to function properly as she recalls that he's the same man who almost kiled her father.

"I...I will get the clothes." She manages to say.

He smirks, "Your choice though." And then, he lets go of her and looks down at her leg.

He tilts his head as he looks at the blood flowing downbher legs. "I love the design on your leg." He says still staring at her leg and she looks down in puzzle wondering what design he's talking about but all she sees is her own blood stain on her legs.

"You should clean it up" He says before walking pass her. She looks down at her leg before looking back at him leaving.

"A design?" She mutters with a frown.

Robert chuckles, "It does look like a design though" He points at her leg. "You can see how the blood trails down and forms a zigzag down here."

She stares in disbelief as she wondered how these people can be joking around other people's pain.

She shakes her head and takes back the broom.

Robert sighs, "Didn't you hear the underboss when he told you to take of your wound? What are you still doing with the broom? And besides, why don't you make use of the vacuum cleaner? Don't you know how to use it? Or did Ron not teach you?"

Kemi shakes her head, "He did but madam Teju only permits me to use broom."

Robert sighs, "That woman." He moves closer to her and holds her arm. "I will walk you to your room."

XOXO