Images blurred, words echoed, and her breath seized as gruesome thoughts filled Jema's senses—her lover's hands severed horrifically, leaving his body in tatters.

Despite her denial, the familiar ring on his finger spoke a different truth. Clutching her phone with trembling hands, Jema, after ending the call with her Gran-gran, gazed at the gory pictures sent moments later, realizing her initial hope had been shattered.

She was ready to abandon everything for him, even contemplating boarding the next train to Hartwood just to confront him, to witness his lies and dismantle them. Closure was what she yearned for, but this was far from what she had anticipated.

Her legs gave way, and her chest tightened with anguish. Despite her phone incessantly vibrating since the disturbing image arrived, Jema couldn't find the strength to respond to her gran-gran. Instead, she let it slip through her trembling hands, watching it fall to the floor.

Pushing open the double doors, Jema hurried to the veranda. The cold air filled her constricting lungs, and she took a deep gulp, releasing silent wails into the night.

"Jacob," she whispered, tears flowing like water streams from above a cave. She struck her chest forcefully, desperate to quell the pain, the agony, the unending misery engulfing her.

Accusing him of ghosting and abandoning his family for seven months, she built her hate and resolve on false assumptions. The weight of the truth hit her, and she found herself curled on the cold floor, shivering in tears. Wretched sorrows filled the quiet night as she drowned in grief and self-guilt.

She didn't know how long she lay there until she felt the sensation of water squashing over her as if she had been dropped into a cold, wet river. Shivering, she tilted her head behind to investigate the source of this sensation.

In her boisterous suit, Madame Evana stood by the door, holding an empty pail in one hand. Jema, tears now mixed with water, couldn't discern the expression on her face. She sat up, wiping the wetness from her face.

"What madness is happening here? I've been calling for you endlessly, yet you seem completely detached," Madame bemoaned, her face displaying a killer look, shoulders rigid as a brick, and eyes squinted in horror.

Collecting herself, Jema rose, her undergarment dripping with water as she walked inside. Grabbing a towel from her bed, she began wiping her face, hardly acknowledging the older lady.

Lost in her thoughts, Jema's world had crashed right before her, leaving her helpless.

"Jema! I'm talking to you, answer me!" Madame Evana exclaimed but received no response. Rushing over, she shook Jema to life.

"What happened?" The older lady inquired, her breath catching at the disarray in Jema's appearance.

Shaking her head, Jema struggled to find words to convey the harsh truth. How could she reveal that the man she had held responsible for her misery was innocent, brutally killed, and denied even the chance for peace?

"Jacob..." she whispered.

"Jacob? Your lover," Madame questioned in shock.

Jema retrieved her phone from the floor where it had slipped, showing the older lady the heartbreaking picture of her beloved.

Madame Evana grimaced, turning away from the gruesome image. "So, he didn't just disappear, he was murdered," her gaze then shifted to Jema, who sat on the bed, lost in thought.

Sitting beside her, Madame Evana spoke, "I understand how you must feel right now, Jem, but Jacob is in the past. This here," she gestured to the mansion, "is your future, and you need to focus on that. Get yourself together and concentrate on the job you're here for. Let the past be in the past. The baby has been crying non-stop for you; it's time to feed him."

Madame Evana was terrified by Jema's dreadful stare in response to her statement. Instead of replying, Jema fixed her with a cold, eerie expression that the woman knew would linger in her memory.

"I'll be excused," Jema stated without a second glance. Rising from the bed, she proceeded to change out of her wet dress, opting for a warm sweater and pants. Without looking back, she headed downstairs and out of the confines of the Brick mansion, desperate for some fresh air.

**********

The plush mattress dipped from the weight of the two bodies heaped on it. More so because she twisted on her side of the bed facing him squarely.
Her right hand was tucked underneath her head and the other free hand hovered over the man sleeping beside her.

Regina sighed dreamily, noting every detail of the herculean man beside her. Of his heroic tales and charismatic deeds. He was a force throughout the nation, not just because his family had built a legacy for him but because he chose to keep the name alive through his courageous efforts.

His raven black hair tousled over his face, his lips thinned into a frown, that was the face of a man who'd seen war. A man who'd encountered his adversaries in a colossal battle and won. The scars on his body were enough to give one such impression.

Regina ran her index finger over a slightly faded scar on his right arm. It looked like a knife wound, a long crooked line with roughed edges.

All her life, she'd never dreamt of settling with a man, she only saw men as a tool to be used. This was not coming from any childhood trauma or anything, she was just never intrigued by men. They were all the same. Wealthy, paunchy with an excessive ego that disgusted her. They thought they were better than women with their belly-wrenching misogynistic attitudes.

She's had enough of them while growing up and was keen on keeping them all at arm's length only taking what she wanted when she wanted from them.

But Theo was different, it was love at first sight for a man who barely saw her as a woman. When her father George had introduced him to her, Regina had been hooked and swore to make the man take notice of her. It was a difficult task that took two years of her life to achieve, not achieved but if having to satisfy his virile needs was the only way to get closer to him then she was willing to be used. It gave her a chance to admire and dream of a future with him.

She knew he was a light sleeper, a trait he'd learned from his days in the military so she was careful not to wake him but Theo shivered underneath her touch and snapped his blazing eyes open.

They stared at hers for a moment before he jerked up from the bed.

A seductive smile graced her beautiful face, hoping it would ease his mind and make her more appealing to him. "How was your night?" Her soft voice spoke, she knew what it did to other men she bedded in the past, but was disappointed when Theo tore the thin covers off of him and grabbed his phone.

He let out a low grunt, acknowledging her question. Regina sighed and sat up, she contemplated luring him back into her arms but she didn't want to overstep her boundaries. Theo wasn't like other men, he had his own rules and they required little contact between them especially when he wasn't the one initiating it.

She bit hard on her lower lip, sucking in air to calm her raging heart. "The inauguration went well, Keira May seemed astonished by your presence. I think you can use that to your advantage."

Theo sent a quick text to Jose reminding him to get out of bed and prepare to leave the hotel. They had lodged after the inauguration event last night, needing to cool off before the following day.

"Shouldn't you be heading to work?" Theo said over his shoulder. He needed to be on his way and not when Regina was acting like they were a couple. There was just one reason he kept coming back into her arms and it was the same reason her lovers kept coming back.

"I thought maybe we could have some tea in the lounge and look around the hotel. I heard there's a wildlife conservation in the area, doesn't it remind you of our trip to South Africa?"

He watched her meticulously sweep her platinum hair into a bun with her scrunchie, exposing her soft bare skin to the lights in the room. She sat like a Blanriguelo painting of Cleopatra, only that her hair shone like a halo.

Theodore wrapped the white sheet around his thin waist and headed to the bathroom. When he strolled out looking refreshed and dressed, Regina was sat in the next room in a white robe sipping on hot tea. The weather was perfect for such, her eyes ravaged the handsome man who stood before her causing a pang of regret to fill her heart. He was everything she ever dreamed of yet couldn't have.

"You have a meeting?"

"Yes, a very important one."

She made a sound like she wanted to speak but relented. Rather she watched him tuck his shirt in, the door opened and let in an exasperated Jose.

"There's bad news Theo," he announced, his eyes briefly falling on the gorgeous woman by his left. "Cecil Knikorff was assassinated yesterday."

"What?!" Theo bellowed, his hands falling to both sides in shock.

Jose stood in plain silence watching his friend's reaction, he was so out of by the news. "The board has called for an emergency meeting and has requested that you take up the position of acting chairman before any further actions."

"I do not want to be chairman Jose, you know the risks!"

"There's no better person."

"If they can take down Knikorff with ease what do you think will become of our organization? These bastards have been left alone for far too long."

"There's rumor her security forces must've been jeopardized. Like a mole." Jose added he was scared of the underlying meaning behind this incident. Every one of their members would fear for their safety as well.

"I think I should come with you guys, seeing that this has something to do with my field" Regina stood from where she was. Both men turned to her with a hard glare. She didn't flinch. "You'll need to dig deeper into this case, your organization has been compromised and maybe, just maybe one of you is selling the others out for a huge sum."

"I thought we had that settled?" Theo asked, looking at Jose. "We have a flight to catch then."