Mikal clicked on his intercom, "Delaney, can you get to Marcus. Tell him I need to see him in my office. It's urgent."

"Yes, sir."

Mikal reclined on the chair, passing the soft ball between his hands as he watched the second hand of the clock mounted above the door of his office tick. Just a few doors down from his office, his father sat in the conference room, carrying on with a conversation he wanted to weigh in on.

"Mikal?"

"Marcus." He sighed, setting the ball down on the table and offering him a seat.

"What can I do for you?"

"I need someone trustworthy, not from this office. An investigator who also has a history with laws. I want someone who would know what they are doing with legal documents."

Marcus pursed his lip. "I think I have someone I can call."

"If he is trustworthy, I want him in my office...today."

"Today? What's going on? Does it have anything to do with the Popes?"

"Heavily. Can you get it done?"

"I'll make a call."

"Thank you. And Marcus," He called as Marcus made to stand. "Please let this stay between us. I don't want anyone knowing about it save for me and you."

"You got it."

"Thanks. I'll be waiting."

As soon as Marcus left, he picked up a phone number he stashed in his drawer. After meeting Keziah, he had this niggling voice at the back of his head that drove him to dig into the past. She accused him of not remembering how things were, so he was pinched to see if things were different from how he remembered them. He wanted to know if she was overreacting or his parents did more than the other witnesses presented in the case against her father.

If he wanted a chance to understand the extent of what was coming, he needed to be ahead and behind at the same time. He needed to keep his eyes open to check her moves three steps in the future. But he also needed to know what drove her, and it required looking back into the case with her father.

"Mr Volva."

"Yes, Delaney?"

"Your father wants to see you in his office."

"Has Miss Pope left?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay. I'll be there in a minute."

Before heading to the door, Mikal strolled to the window overlooking the parking lot. He watched. Waiting for her to appear, and she did. Keziah stepped out of the building, and a man came running to her. He lifted an umbrella over her head to shield her from the unforgiving sun. He began speaking as he accompanied her to the car. He couldn't see her face clearly enough to tell how she felt, but from their first conversation, he knew no meetings with his family were bound to leave a smile on her dance.

He stared for a few seconds before leaving the office. There was a lot of tension between them and the Popes. He wondered what his father was thinking. Maybe his father was trying to get her to relinquish the shares, but Mikal was doubtful. His father was no idiot. He had to know she wouldn't go for it.

"Dad."

"Come in, son. I am sorry for being curt with you earlier. I wanted to handle the meeting alone."

"It's alright." He sat across from his dad and unbuttoned his jacket. "Is it okay if I ask what was so private you couldn't discuss in front of me?"

"Nothing private. I did what I thought would rectify the issue. I offered to buy the shares from her at a higher price than she paid for them, but she was reluctant. I offered to provide her with anything she requested, but still she refused. She wants to play with us and wouldn't give up the only key she has to do so."

"That is not a surprise to anyone, Dad. Even I knew that. She didn't buy the shares to get your money."

"We have to keep our eyes open from now on. She claims she doesn't want anything bad to happen to the company because she has invested in it, but I can't trust her word."

"Not just our company. We have to keep an eye on the company of anyone who has anything to do with her father's incarceration. Especially if they are connected to our family." His father chuckled, and Mikal's brow furrowed with worry. "What's funny."

"I don't think we have to worry about that yet."

"That's why measures exist. We don't have to wait for her to make the move. it's to keep our interests secure if she decides to take that route. Besides, we don't know what she is doing. We should be alert. Don't you think?"

"I think you are right, but those girls wouldn't last as long as they think they would. They plan on growing a business here. Can you imagine it? the daughters of a criminal." He laughed heartily.

"When has that ever stopped someone who is determined, Dad? When?"

"She only bought some shares, son."

"She has been buying." Mikal corrected. "Hallan's was the biggest she bought but she had been buying long before that, over a year. Long before she even came back. She isn't here to be underestimated."

"Don't worry about her. I'll handle her. You focus on keeping your eyes on our shares and finances."

"How?"

"As you have been doing all these years."

"No, how will you handle her."

He couldn't believe the feeling that was settling low in his stomach. His father was not worried. Not because he had no reason to be but because he thought there was no reason to be. The straightforwardness she had when they spoke attested that she knew what she wanted. There was no way her father didn't see it. He was choosing to ignore it.

"What is your plan to handle her?"

"Her company is the best way to start. I'd see to it that it doesn't go up as planned. No doubt she intends to use it against us. But till then, we have a lot of work to do for our company. Audits, shareholder meetings and working our way to keep her out of as much as we can."

"I see."

"Keep your eyes on our shares. Ensure the Popes can not but a single per cent more after this."

"I will."

"Thank you, son."

Mikal nodded and left the office, making a bee-line for his secretary's desk. It was painfully obvious his father didn't see Keziah Pope as a problem. Maybe he was overthinking things, but her sincerity put him on edge.

"I need you to place an order to our legal department. I need them to gather some information for me. On the company, Boland Graces."

"Yes, sir."

"I want it before the end of today."

"Yes, sir."

"Mikal?"

He turned. Esther, one of his university coursemates, walked towards him. He smiled, catching her against his body as she threw herself into his arms. He rocked back on his heels, unprepared for her weight but laughing as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Oh, Esther. How have you been?" He set her down and adjusted her jacket.

"Fine. Fine. I heard you came back and didn't know if I should be offended that you didn't even call to check in on me."

"I am so sorry. How rude of me. Not an excuse, but I have been swamped since I came back."

Her nose crinkled. "I heard. Pope?"

"Do you work here?" He joked.

"No, but my ears are always on the ground. Have you met her?"

"Um...I did."

"And?"

"And?"

"There wasn't much to talk about."

"Maybe. Are you busy?"

He started to answer but changed his mind. "Not as far as I know."

"Then let me invite you out."

"I don't know."

"Just a cup. I won't take up much of your time."

"Okay ... sure." She smiled and took his hand.

They ended up at a cafe nearby, with a plate of toast and a cup of tea each. Esther first inquired about the shares and his parents. Before he knew it, they were discussing the Popes.

"When the rumours started that the girls had returned, I didn't believe it. Then, I was visiting a friend nearby when I spotted the youngest one standing by the gate."

"They were at the party last week, too. Must have been their grand reentering into society."

"Were you at that party?"

"Yeah."

"Did they make an entrance?"

"If they did, I missed it." He answered honestly.

"Of course you did. I applaud their courage in coming back. Granted, things won't be like before as they are no longer in high school and so many years have passed."

Mikal wondered how much Esther remembered about Keziah and her sisters. He remembered she went to the same high school as the girls.

"Must have been interesting back then." He began, tearing into his toast. "Having reporters outside the school, hoping to catch a glimpse of the girls."

"We had to get guards. I mean, we had the one that watched the gate, but three more had to be hired. It was awful. I am surprised they kept coming to school for as long as they did. But one day, they decided enough was enough."

"Yeah, they left."

"No. That was after. They just stopped coming to school. The guards were let go, and things returned to normal. My mother could finally drive to the gate without a barrage of cameras and microphones barricading the door."

"Were you friends with them?"

"The Popes?" He nodded. "Nah. They had their circles, and I had mine, but they were decent. I guess. Good grades, wealthy, alright in sports. The typical thing. Then they became the 'demon girls'."

"Demon girls?"

"Because their father was called a demon back then. Don't you remember? After he was arrested for the murder, speculations started flying left and right."

"About his daughters? They were kids."

"About him. The company?" She scoffed and gazed at him adoringly. "You are so out of touch that sometimes it gets surprising. One would think you grew up outside of town."

"What can I say. I was never good at following the latest news."

"Shocking, considering your line of work." He grinned. "Her father's company was previously owned by someone else. Some guy, not too old, but he died after the Popes came to town. It came out that Pope was the new owner. A week later, the rest of that man's family disappeared."

"Disappeared?"

"Like dust. Never heard from again. People believe he killed them, too."

"Proof?"

"None that I heard, but that was one of many."

"And what did you think?"

"What did I care? I don't give opinions on rumours that don't involve me or someone close to me. You know that. I like to know things."

"Good way to live."

"Helps me live longer, but let's talk about you. How are things? I've missed hearing from you."

"And I am sorry. I don't know how to keep in touch, it seems."

"It's easy. You pick a phone, and you call."

"Right. Skipped lessons that day."

She chuckled. "And how long will you be back?"

"Not sure. Indefinitely, for now."

"I'll keep in touch then because I don't trust you."

"I apologise. I'll try to do better, starting now. What are you into now?"

"Accounting."

"Hey! Where?"

"PHBL."

"That's great. How long?"

"A year after you left."

"Lucky you. Not only did you finish at the top of our class, you also ended up exactly where you aimed to be."

"And in the office, too. Got promoted three months ago."

He clapped with a smile. Esther was ambitious, if anything. It was what he admired about her. And one of her more outstanding qualities. He was proud of her accomplishments.

"I hope it has been treating you well."

"Of course."

His screen lit up, and his eyes fell on it. Marcus.

"Work?"

Found the man you want. Be in your office in 45 mins.

"Yes. But not for the next thirty minutes."

She smiled and raised her cup, and he laughed, raising his to toast with her.