Chapter 25: Chapter 25

She sits down on the lavatory seat in the toilet staring at the picture of the document William had sent her.She sighs resting her back as she wonders how and where she's going to get it from.

“Kemi! Kemi!" She turns to the door as she hears Rose's voice.

"I'll be done in a few minutes Rose!" She says loudly.

“Madam Teju is fuming Kemi! She says you left your duty!"

Kemi sighs as she hears that. That woman wouldn't even let her use the toilet?

“Tell her I'm using the toilet Rose.”

“Em... Kemi I've told her that like a hundred times but she doesn't even want to hear from me..." Rose pauses leaning closer to the door and whispers, "Is she always like this Kemi?”

Kemi chuckles lightly before going over to wash her hands. She walks out and meets Rose now standing close to the bed.

“She was really angry Kemi." Rose says with widen eyes.

Kemi smiles lightly, “Don't worry, its fine.."But before she could finish what she's saying, madam Teju burst into the room.

“Why haven't you cleaned the boss's room?” She asks glaring directly at Kemi.

“Em...Well...I went to the toilet for a while." Kemi tries to explain.

Madam Teju scoffs, “What's my business with you being in the toilet? My friend will you go and clean the room before the boss returns?”

Rose nods and is about to dash out of the room.

“Where do you think you're going? Did I ask you to do it?”

Madam Teju says to Rose making freeze in her track. Kemi, knowing it's her, walks out of the room. She takes the cleaning items and goes over to Lexis's room. She enters into the room taking a look at the huge space.

This isn't the first time she's entering this room but everytime, she can't stop but wonders how someone'sbroom could be so magnificent but then, it was very lifeless and dull. Everything in the room was of the color black. She goes over to the table and starts cleaning it. As she wipes the lamp, her eyes travel down to the cupboard.

She looks at the cupboard and an idea comes to her head. She could just check the cupboard for the document, maybe it would be there. She looks around as if checking to see if there's anyone and then she turns back and pulls out the drawer. She didn't see any document but only first aid items so she closes it and opens that other but still nothing and then she opens the last drawer where she sees a brown envelope that has a red seal on the side. Her eyes widen as she stares at the envelope. She takes it out and looks at it.

“Could it be this?" She mutters as she looks at the envelope. She recalls how the one William sent to her looks like and concludes that it's it. Just as she moves to stand up, she hears the sound of the foot steps close to the room so she quickly put back the document. The underboss enters into the room and stares down at her while she pretends to clean the table.

She gets up and stands in front of the table as her hands tremble badly in fear and nervousness. What if he senses something?

“Em...I was just cleaning..." Just as she moves her hands on the table without looking, she mistakenly hit the vase on the table sending it crashing on the floor.

Lexis's eyes widen in shock staring at the broken pieces. He walks over to the broken vase and as if trying to fix it back, he starts picking the places putting together but they wouldn't fit. He stands up and turns to her with anger visible in his eyes.

"I'm sorry..." She starts to say bending down to try and pick the pieces but he abruptly grabs her wrist and forcefully pulls her up.

“Get the f**k out of my sight!" He yells as he glared at her.

Kemi flinches and quickly runs out of the room. She runs into her room and closes the door behind her slumping on the ground and breathes out. How would she get the document from the room now?

She bit her lips and sighs loudly.Then,she hears a knock on the door and she gets up to open it. Her eyes meet Rose's bright ones and she flashes a broad smile at her. Her smiles fades when she sees Kemi's unhappy face.

She enters into the room and stares in puzzle at Kemi. “Are you fine? What happened?"

Kemi shakes her head, "It's nothing Rose, I'm just tired."

"Is it madam Teju?”

Kemi smiles slightly, “No not at all."

“You can tell me if you have a problem." Rose smiles at her.

Kemi nods,"Thank you."

Madam Teju opens the door abruptly and walk inside. “You must have done something stupid..." She says staring at Kemi. “-because the boss doesn't want you to clean his room anymore.” She scoffs and turns to Rose. “Go and clean the boss's room Rose.You are in charge of it from now on.”

Rose nods, “Yes ma."

Madam Teju eyes Kemi and kisses her teeth at her before walking out of the room.

Rose place her hand on Kemi's shoulder. “Don't mind her, just take it that I'm helping you clean it, no big deal." She shrugs before walking out of the room.

Kemi sighs and runs her hands across her face. “What do l do now?" She mutters to herself in confusion.

TWO DAYS LATER.

Kemi receives a text from William telling her where they would meet. He told her to walk down to the junction and that someone would pick her up.

After she is done cleaning some parts of the house, she walks out of the house. At first, she thought the guards at the entrance wouldn't let her go so she wanted to find another root for leaving but luckily, the guards aren't at the entrance so she quickly comes out of the house and start walking down heading to the William had told her.

After walking for a while, she reaches the junction and a guy in suit walks up to her.

“Come with me." He says to her and Kemi quickly realizes that he must be William's man.

He leads her to a car and she enters before he starts driving. He drives her down to a quiet beach resort. Kemi looks around the beautiful surrounding. She steps out of the car and follows the guy who leads her over to beach area where William is resting on the lounger chair. She walks over to him and stands opposite him.

William sits up and looks at her before he points at the lounger chair beside Kemi.

"Sit.”

Kemi nods and quickly sits down fidgeting with her fingers.

“So? My document, you do have it right?” William asks or rather daring her not to say no.

She slowly shakes her head, “I... I'm sorry.I...em...l saw it but before l could take it, he...he sent me out of the room.Could you give more time? I think...”

William scoffs making her to stop talking. "More time?" He stands up from the chair and walks over to where she's sitting. She stands up and he moves closer to her before he reaches to her face and slowly moves the strands of hair from her face tucking it behind her ear. "I gave you a simple task, but you couldn't even do it. Huh?..." And suddenly, he grips her neck making her eyes widen in shock and she places her hands on his hands trying to loosen his grip on her neck but his hold on her neck tightens.

“Ple...Please..." She manages to say as tears come out from the corner of her eyes.

William quickly lets go of her and sits down back on the lounger adjusting his shirt. Kemi coughs out loudly gasping for air as she holds her neck with tears coming out of her eyes.

"I...I'm sorry." William says quickly staring at her neck. "l... I've just been having bad days at work recently.”

Kemi didn't say anything but looks down at the sand while rubbing her neck.

“You have to get me that document Kemi.”

Kemi nods, "Yes." She says with a cracking voice.

“My driver will take you back. I need the document in the next 48 hours."

Kemi shut her eyes as she nods. The guy who brought her in walk up to her. “Let's go."

Kemi slowly gets up and walks away with the guy. He drops her off at same place he had picked her up and so Kemi walks down back to the mansion. When she enters into the foyer,the first thing that welcomes her is a hot slap. She places her hands on her right cheek staring at madam Teju wondering why she has hit her again.

“I..." She blinks hard trying to suppress her tears.“-I didn't leave any place unclean. I...I already cleaned...”

“My friend, shut up!! Where did you go?”

Kemi bit her bottom lips looking downwards not answering.

“I'm asking you a question, you witch!" She yells loudly pushing Kemi's head backwards.

“I...I went to get some air.”

Madam Teju scoffs, "You went out to get some air. Ohh..." She claps her hands together before adding on. “-So you think you can go out and get air whenever you want? Is it because I don't deal with you?”

"I'm a human being ma..." Kemi starts to say as she lowers her hand. “I can't remain in one place for eternity. It's not like l can even run away, so what's the issue?” Kemi blurts out without even thinking.

"Are you talking to me like that?” Madam asks in disbelief as she raises her hands to hit her again but someone holds her hands stopping her.She turns to look at the person and a deep frown appears on her face

“Have you gone mad? Let go of my hands!” She yells glaring at Rose.

"It's not like you're even the boss's mother or aunt.Why are you carrying the whole thing on your head?"Rose asks still holding her hands.

Madam Teju's eyes widen and she drags her hands away from Rose's before slapping her hard on the face.

“You don't have respect you small witch! You think you can come here and run your mouth?”

Kemi's eyes widen as she sees blood coming out from the corner of Rose's mouth.

"Now listen to me, you two!" Madam Teju points at the two of them. “You will clean the whole house all over again and I will come to check them.Most especially you!" She says pointing at Kemi before walking away.

"Are you okay?” Kemi quickly asks Rose.

Rose nods, “I have no idea this is how she is. What a shameless woman."

Kemi smiles and shakes her head, “You'll be dead if she hears you.”

"Did she also strangle you?" Rose asks looking closely at Kemi neck.

Kemi shakes her head quickly covering her neck with her hands, “No no, it's nothing."

Rose narrows her eyes at her, “But it looks as if someone strangled you. See, it's even red and swollen." His says trying to touch Kemi's neck. Kemi fakes a smile and start walking pass Rose.

"It's fine, you can get back to what you were doing while I get back to mine. You should also treat your bleeding lip. Thanks by way." She climbs upstairs.

Lexis sits in the office room in his house staring at the vase Kemi has broken on the table. He had asked for it to be fixed but they told him that it's already very old and he could only use it's broken pieces to make a new one.

The vase belonged to his mother and he had kept it with him for a very long time now. It was a very important piece and he has been holding on to it and she came out of no where to destroy it.

He sighs and walks over to the window before he hears a knock on the door. “Who is it?" He asks looking at the door.

"It's Henry, underboss." The voice replies quickly.

"Come in." Lexis says and Henry opens the stepping into the room.

“I have something to tell you underboss."

Lexis turns to him, “Go on."

“Mrs Teju said Kemi has been leaving the house frequently."

Lexis sighs and leans against the table.

He nods, “I know that.”

Henry blinks in surprise, “But... She knows about the mafia underboss. I think someone needs to follow her."

“Let her be." Lexis sighs before sitting down. "She's only here as a maid.”

“But there's a new maid in the house underboss."

Lexis nods, “I know that too. I asked Teju to get her."

Henry sighs and nods, "Okay underboss." He turns around and exit the room.

Lexis sits down and entwines his finger. He had asked madam Teju to get someone to assist Kemi.

Kemi sits on the bed as she applies ice pack on her neck. She has only less than 20 hours now to get the document and now she cannot even enter into the underboss room to clean not to even say collect the document.Then, Rose enters into the room yawning widely.

“Are you okay?" Rose amidst yawning.

Kemi nods lowering the ice pack.

“How can you say you're okay when you're applying ice on your neck?" Rose says as she walks closer to Kemi.

She sits beside her on the bed and collects the ice pack from her.

She tsk at her, "And you say it's nothing earlier? This looks like someone strangled you."

Kemi shakes her head collecting the ice pack back from her. “I said it's nothing Rose." She says in a low cracked voice. Since she came back, she has not been able to talk properly.

Rose sighs and collects the ice pack again from Kemi.

“Fine, I won't ask anymore. Let me help you with it." She says smiling lightly at her.

Kemi tilt her head allowing Rose assess so she could place the ice pack on it.

"It must have hurt a lot right?" She asks as she applies it Kemi didn't says anything but only nods.

Rose nods before muttering, "I know just how it feels."

Kemi moves her eyes to look at her. “Did you say something?”

Rose quickly shakes her head, "No, nothing."

They became silent for a moment before Kemi asks. “Could you help me with something, Rose?”

Rose looks at her. “With what?”

Kemi bit her lips already regretting what she's about to say.

“I...I em...I left something in the...in the boss's room and I want to take it but...em...I can't because l broke something in his room and he wouldn't let me in again." She lies.

“Why don't you try telling him your stuff is in there, maybe he might allow you in."

Kemi sighs, “I... I'm not that bold Rose."

Rose laughs lightly, "Is he that scary?”

Kemi nods.

“Okay, so you want me to help you get it?”

Kemi shut her eyes,“Can you?”

“What is the stuff? I will help you get it.”

"It's um... It's actually a brown envelope which has a red seal." Kemi says hoping Rose would believe her.

Rose narrows her eyes at her, "An envelope? How come you left that in the boss's room?”

“Well em...I took it with me...So I forgot to take it back after I finished cleaning.”

Rose pauses for a while as if contemplating whether to do it or not while Kemi bit her lips and curses herself inwardly. She couldn't believe she's deceiving the poor girl to do something so risky. What if the underboss's catches her and she lands in trouble?

She quickly opens her mouth ready to tell Rose not to bother but...

“Okay! I will get it for you, don't worry." Rose says suddenly with a smile.

Kemi's words get caught in her mouth as she smiles at Rose. “Thank you." She says.

Rose nods and stand up to her feet. “That's actually the room I'm going to clean now. I will just check and bring it." She says to Kemi before she starts to walk out.

“Oh, Rose!” She calls out.

Rose turns around,“Yes?”

“I place it in the cupboards, just check them.”

Rose nods before exiting the room.

Kemi sighs as she runs her hands through her hair. Even if she succeeds in getting the document, won't Lexis notice later? She really doesn't want to put Rose in trouble or get discovered either. She takes out her phone from the cupboard and dials William's number. After the third ring, he picks up.

“Hello?" His deep voice says.

“Em... Consigliere, I need to tell you something.” She whispers to the phone.

“Go on."

“If I succeed in getting the document, I'm afraid the underboss might notice it has gone missing. What should I do?”

William didn't says anything for a while.

She opens her mouth to speak thinking he has hang up but then, he speaks. "Just get the document to me first. I will give you a counterfeit to replace it with."

Kemi nods, "Okay." She hangs up and keeps the phone back into the cupboard. She stands up and move to open the door but the door opens and Rose enters holding a brown envelope in her right hand.

She raises the envelope up showing it to Kemi. “Is this it? The thing you need."

Kemi stares at envelope in Rose's hand in disbelief. That's the document, she got it already?

She turns to Rose,"Ye...Yes, it is."

Xoxo