Chapter 34: Chapter 34

All through the day, Kemi studied and worked like a slave. Lexis has been sending her to do the slightest of all jobs. She served him coffee several times, made photocopies and even ran numerous errands until her legs ached.

It's already 6 pm and Lexis is still working, it dosen't seem like he's ready to leave. Kemi is sitting at her table exhausted from all the work but she is still going through the files on the table trying to study more. The workers at the workstation are all still working because they can only go home when the boss leaves.

Lexis stands up from his chair and walks over to where Kemi is. “Make photocopies of this before l get back from the workstation."He hands over some files to her. She quickly takes them from him and stands up to her feet. Her hair is all messy and she's looking like a homeless person in just the first day of working as a PA.

He walks pass her and leaves the office after giving her the files. After Kemi finishes photocopying the papers, she moves to go back to her seat but then, she hears Lexis's phone ringing on table, so she goes over to collect it. She didn't know whether to answer the phone or leave it. She wonders if she should she take it over to him? Then, she decides to go and find him to give the phone to him, she would probably receive less query if she does that.

She walks out of the office and goes over to the workstation where she sees Lexis standing in front of the same lady who had shown her directions earlier today.

“Is it allowed or not?" She overhears him ask the lady who is trembling in fear standing in front of him with her head facing down.

“Sir...Sir I...I made a mistake, it will not happen again sir."

Lexis scoffs, “A mistake? You were smoking, in your working place. What sort of mistake is that?”

Tears clouds the lady's eyes as she falls down on her knees in front of him.

"It was only that one time, Sir. Please... Please I beg of you...Please...”

Kemi stares at the situation with widen eyes. She feels sorry for the lady who is crying on her kneels.

Lexis dips his hands into his pocket, “You're fired, so get out." He says to her in a serious tone.

The lady shakes her head abruptly as if in disagreement as she rubs her palms together in plea. “Please... Please sir... Don't fire me. I...I have a family to feed,please."

Lexis stares at her as if he's not hearing anything she's saying. He starts to walk away from her but she grips his legs stopping him.

“Please...I beg of you." She continues begging.

Lexis looks down at her holding his legs tightly and then, he drags his legs off her hold making her fall back in the process.

"Don't touch me." He glares at her before walking away. Kemi stares at him leave in disbelief. She runs over to the lady who is crying deeply on the floor and squirts before her.

“Please don't cry." She pats the lady's back. The lady looks up to her and grips her wrist.

“Please...This is my only source of income.How will l settle my child's hospital bills and...and... Help me to..." She trails off as she cries hard. Kemi pats her back some more before she stands up to her feet. She walks pass the lady and goes after Lexis. Reaching the lobby where Lexis is, she stretches out her hand giving the phone to him.

He collects the phone before looking up at her.

"What were you doing with my phone?" He asks with a frown.

"It was ringing so l thought I should get it for you."

He sighs and shakes his head,“You can't even do anything right.”

She didn't say anything but simply bit her lower lip. He starts to walk away from her and she watches him leave with a sigh before going back to the office.

FEW MINUTES LATER..

Lexis stands up from his chair and starts walking towards the door. As he gets to where she is, he looks at her from the corner of his eyes.

"I'm done." He says curtly.

She nods and quickly packs her stuffs before running after him. Reaching the garage, he slides into his car which was opened for him by Robert. Kemi enters into the car as well sitting beside him. The driver starts the car and hits the road. There is complete silence through the ride but Kemi definitely...has a lot to say. She really can't push out the scene of that lady pleading out of her head.She stares through the tinted glass and sees the cloud becoming dark and she figures it's about to rain.

She sighs and rest her head against the glass. "It's going to rain real heavy." She says in thought.

“You shouldn't take my phone around just to give it to me . You simply leave it." Lexis's voice makes her turn to him.

“Pardon me to say but you do smoke too."Kemi says instead. She just couldn't hold it in any longer as it has been bothering her.

Lexis looks at her in confusion. “What?”

"I have seen you smoke countless of times...but you fire an employee for doing the same?" She asks him as if demanding an answer.

Lexis stares at her in disbelief. “Are you actually questioning me for firing my employee?”

She gulps and looks him straight in the eye. "Yes. I understand that she shouldn't have smoked at work..." She nods her head. “-But you could have at least warn her first. She might have a reason for doing it."

Lexis sighs and bit his lower lip. He tilts his head at her. "She smoked..." He says between his teeth."-And that means she has broken one of the company's most important rules. So it's better you mind your business and think of how poorly you have performed today."He turns away from her.

“I really don't get why you do things like this. Don't you even have a heart? Don't you have feelings? You don't care about anyone.". She says with a disgusting look.

He scoffs and suddenly grips her wrist pulling her close to his chest. He leans close to her face and whispers in her ear.

"I do, just that...I don't think it works anymore." He moves slightly away from her and grins.

She stares at his face and for a second, it seems as if she could see a saddened expression on his face but it disappears like it was never even there.

“You... Do you find joy in others' suffering?”

He smirks, “If it would please me, then I would make every single person on this planet, suffer."

She cringes her face,“You...You disgust me."

He stares at her for a while before bursting into a sarcastic laugh. "The feeling is mutual." He says still laughing.

“Don't you even feel at least the slightest pity for her?"

"Just as you find reasons in smoking, she might also have hers. Just that, she did it in the wrong environment."

He stops laughing, “That's enough, she's fired and that's it. Do not cross the line.”

“How will you feel if your mother is insame situation?”

Lexis turns to her, his expression becoming hard,“What did you say?”

It was definitely a warning for Kemi to stop talking but she continued anyway. “That lady is also a mother, if your mom is in such a situation, will it make you feel good too? Or don't you care about her as well?”

Lexis's face becomes hardened as he glares at her. "Stop the car." He says to the driver and he pulls over immediately.

"Get out." He says to her without looking at her.

Kemi stares at him in confusion. "I should...”

"Get the f**k out of the car!" He yells at her hitting his fist against the glass making her flinch. She gulps before she quickly opens the door and steps out of the car. As soon as she steps out, the car zooms off. She stands there in the middle of the road confused, not knowing what to do.

She sighs placing her hands on waist wondering what she's going to. Where would she go from here? Just as she starts walking, she feels rain drops on her body. It has started showering and the rain would become heavy any moment from now. She looks around if she could see any place to hide but there's none. Here she is, standing in the middle of a long tar road which doesn't even seem to have an end.

She wraps her arms across her body and continues walking. The rain starts pouring more heavily and she is starting to get drenched. She does not even have any idea where she's going. There is no one on the road or even cars passing by.

Is this how she would keep walking without a destination?

“What kind of life is this?” She mutters to herself as tears starts to flow down her cheeks mixing with the rain droplets that has already soaked up her body starting from her hair. She wraps her arms around her body tightly as she's already feeling cold. Then she squirts at the side of the road crying like a baby.

Few minutes later, she sees a car coming from ahead and she stands up to her feet, hoping it would stop.She waves her hand so whoever is driving can see her. The car slows down when it gets to her and the glass pulls down revealing an elderly man.

"Pretty girl, are you lost?" He asks poking out his head from the car window.

"Um...Please could you take me over to the nearest junction?...I...I think I can find my way from there." She says to the man not caring if he is a stranger.

The man looks at her from head to toe before smiling. He nods, "Of course, hop in.”

Just as she is about entering the car, a white Benz pulls up in front of the car. She pauses and turns around before she sees William stepping out of the car. He walks over to her in a hurry and grabs her shoulder.

“Why are you in the rain? What happened?" He asks with a worried voice.

She stares at him blinking without saying anything.

William glares at the man. “I will take her, so get lost."

The man gulps and quickly drives off.

He turns back to Kemi. “Are you out of your mind? Were you about entering that man's car?”

Kemi shrugs off her shoulders off his hold and wraps her arms around her body.

“What else could I do?” She sniffles.

William sighs as he place his hands on his waist. “I gave you a goddamn phone Kemi! What are phones used for? Why didn't you call me?!"

“I left it at the mansion. I...I thought it won't be allowed?”

William sighs, “I was the one who didn't allow you at first but I have given you a phone now. Unless Lexis told you not a have a phone, l don't see any why you're not with it."

She looks down, “I didn't know." Her voice shakes as she starts to shiver from the cold.

He takes her by her wrist, “Come on, let's get you inside the car, it's cold."

He leads her over to the back seat and slides in with her.

“Drive." He says to the driver who starts driving immediately.

Kemi sighs and rests her head on the edge of the car seat while William stares at her.

“Why are you working at the company?" He asks her.

"I needed to get closer to the underboss, just like you want me to. That's the only way l can get you what you want.”

“How did you make him employ you?”

She shrugs, “I didn't do anything, I'm surprised myself."

"It's not going to be easy Kemi. You didn't have to do this."

Kemi turns her head to face him. “You..." She sighs. “What exactly do you want?”

He stares at her, "What do you mean?”

“You keep acting nicely to me...It makes me wonder what you're up to."

"What I'm up to?"

She tilts her head at him, “I do not want to expect anything, so please...stop."

"Stop what?”

Kemi sighs and rubs her hand over her neck. “All of it. You can just go back to the way you used to, it's less scarier that way. Stop being nice, it's strange."

William looks at her in disbelief, “What? It's less scarier?”

Kemi nods.

William sighs, “I don't even know why I'm being like this to you either..." He smiles showing his white set of teeth. “ I guess I'm just too kind." He shrugs.

Kemi gives him a look like 'are you being serious right now?' before shaking her head.

“What?” He asks.

“No mafia member is kind, you are all worse than devil."' She says.

For a moment she thought William is going to yell at her or probably tell her get out of the car as well but to her surprise, he suddenly burst into laughter.

"I will give you a free pass on that one."He says still laughing.

She twitch her lips,“You...You do agree." She says as if finding it hard to believe.

He nods, "Of course, we wouldn't be the mafia if we are not cruel.”

She sighs, “True. I guess you were brought up the hard way."

William takes off his suit jacket and places it over her shoulders and she turns to him in puzzle.

"You're shivering." He says still smiling at her.

She opens her mouth to say something but closes it back and just stares at him. The smile on his face looks more genuine than before. And for some reasons, she hopes he's being sincere.

“Can I ask you something?" She asks in a low voice.

He nods,"Go on."

She wraps herself properly with the jacket,“Why...Why don't you get along with your brother?”

His smile suddenly fades and she quickly regrets asking. "I'm sorry...I...I shouldn't have asked..." She starts to say.

William sighs before cutting her off, “We just have our differences. I don't like him and he doesn't like me, that's it.”

"I can't imagine hating my siblings..."Kemi shrugs.

William twitches the corner of his lips, "That's because your parents love you the same way and they treat you equally..." He stares at her. "If they treated your siblings better than they do you, I'm sure you won't say the same thing."

Kemi shakes her head, "It would not be their fault if my parents treats them any better...Instead of blaming them, I will find out why they treat them better than they treat me.”

“And if you do not find any reason?" William asks her.

Kemi keeps mute for a while thinking about what he asked.

She sighs, "I will still not hate them. They're innocent."

“You're just saying that because you love your siblings."

“I'm only saying it from my perspective. Is that why you hate your brother? Does your parents treat him better?”

He smiles at her and gently cups her face with his hands, making her meet his gaze. Solemnly, he says “We only share a father."

She nods her head staring into his eyes as his hands still cups her face.

“Have you ever tried loving your brother? Or at least liking him?”

He smiles moving a strand of her wet hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "I can't, I don't even want to."

“Oh, okay.”

William tilts his head,“ 'Oh okay?' ” He repeats her words in disbelief.

She nods.

“I was expecting you to keep asking more questions. You can go on, I will answer them."

She stares at him as if hesitating. “Have you ever loved anyone? I don't mean a family member.” She asks him.

William blinks as if taken aback by the question.

He shakes his head,“No.”

She shrugs, "I'm not surprised."

He narrows his brows in confusion. “Why do you say that?”

“You obviously don't behave like someone who has loved before.”

He grins, “Oh really?"

“Yes."

“And what about you? Have you loved someone before?” He asks her.

She looks down and fidgets with her fingers.

William gives her a knowing her look, “Aw, seems you have been in love darling.”

She shakes her head, “It was in the past. I'm past it now."

He arches his brows at her not believing her, “Hmm, I see.”

“I'm serious!" She protests.

William nods his head raising his hands in the air as he chuckles. “Fine! Fine! You've moved past it! Agreed."

Kemi smiles slightly and shakes her head knowing that he still didn't believe her.

“Tell me about your siblings, you seem to love them a lot." He says as he stopped chuckling.

“My siblings..." Kemi starts to say as she wraps her body with the jacket. “They are just adorable." She says with a shrug before continuing with a more serious tone."My brother drew you one time saying you spoke to him.You must have digged into my family a lot."'

He sighs, "I wouldn't call it digging, I would say getting some info about your family.”

"It's same thing." Kemi says almost rolling her eyes.

“You said you and brother only share a father, do your mothers get along then?” She asks further.

William keeps mute for a while as if battling if to talk or not. “No."He answers curtly.

“Oh, that must be hard." She purses her lips. “I bet they don't live together.” She says.

“Lexis's mother is dead.”

Kemi's eyes widen as she hears that.She turns to William gaping. "His...His mother is dead?”

William nods,“Yes.”

Kemi gapes in surprise. Was that why Lexis asked her to get out of the car?

“Was she sick?" she asks.

He shakes his head, “No. Lexis shot her.”

Her eyes grows wider as she wonders what sort of son would kill his own mother? “He...Why? Was it a mistake?"

William shrugs, “No. I saw him shoot her and that's all. She was the first person he killed before he became the underboss."

Kemi looks down at her fingers as she tries to register what she just heard. He killed his own mother? She would not be able to live with herself if she hurts her mother in any way. How could he do something like that ?

William interrupts her thought, “Don't think about it." He says to her.

She sighs and nods before looking out through the glass .Her expression changes to her confused one. “I might not be familiar to this place but I know very well that you're not taking me to the underboss's mansion."

He grins, "Smart. I'm taking you to my house."

She blinks,“Why?”

He leans so close to her that his nose is almost touching hers. “You want to go there? Do you think someone who left you in the rain would care less if you're not there?”

She stares at him in silence thinking about what he said and then she nods in agreement.

He smiles at her before he moves away. She relaxes her back against the seat looking out through the tinted glass. Then she slowly moves her head to his direction and stares at him. She reads the expression on his face and could tell that his facial look is conflicted. She can't help but wonder what he's thinking and why he looks bothered but then again, she chides herself for even bothering about that.

“Don't be stupid Kemi." She mutters to herself.

Xoxo