Daughters

Episode 8

“No!!”,Elliott yelled trying to get free from the hands that restrained him. “No!!”,he was seeing his world crumbling and there was nothing he could do about it. “No!!”,that was his house burning and all he could do was stand and watch as it turned into ashes. The fire department hadn’t arrived yet.
Elliott turned back,seeing his wife and child,he broke down
“What happened?”,his wife asked in hysteria
“I came back and saw that the house was on fire and I thought… I thought you and Mandy were at home”
“How did it happen?”
“I don’t know”

It was just two days after the takedown of Elliott’s home,Tiara and her crew were seated in the sitting room of her new mansion
“Sam,you’ll take me to see Elliott. It’s time for him to Tiara Michaels-the peasant”
“Yes boss”

Tiara found Elliott in his company,she requested to see him and in no time,he came out
“Look Tiara,I might have lost my house but I am not selling my company to you”
“You’re not selling?”
“Do I have to repeat myself?”
“No,but if you don’t sell,the three bedroom apartment you just rented would be burnt and this time,your wife and child would in it”
“What?,you burnt my old house?,I think I should alert the authorities”,he said as he made to stand up
“Sit down”,Tiara ordered
He obeyed and she continued “I am giving you thirty minutes to make up your mind or your family together with your new house would be burnt”
“No,you can’t do that. You can’t murder an innocent child”
“You’re talking to a girl whose father you murdered”
He was surprised, yet he wanted to explain but Tiara continued “Are we in business,Mr.Elliott?”,after some seconds of looking lost,he spoke with total resign “Fine,I’ll give you my account details to wire the five million”
“Two million”
“But your messenger said it was five million”
“Yes it was as of three days ago. Now,do we have a deal?”
“And if I refuse to sell?”
“Your family and your house would fade away and the price would be reduced to one million. Do you want to take that chance?”
“No”
“Fine,we’re in business then”
No reply
“Have you a new contract with Paul Green?”,Tiara asked
“Yes”
“How many years?”
“Five years”
“Good. It is important not to tell Paul that you sold your company”
“Done”

She collected his account details and walked out,leaving Elliott wondering if he should tell her about the call or not.

It was the early hours of a beautiful evening when Fiona stomped into Tiara’s room,probably angry
“How dare you!”,Fiona shouted and Tiara stopped what she was doing,stared up at Fiona, facial expression unreadable
“How dare you burn Elliott’s house and threatened to burn his new one with his wife and a child in it?. How dare you?”
No answer
“You think that’s what revenge is all about?”
“Get ready,you start work on Monday”,Tiara said still maintaining that ice cold voice
“Work?,why would I work and where do I work?”
“Elliott’s company has been sold”
“And you bought it”
No answer
“Look,I’m not working in a company that was sold in distress”
“I am not giving you an option”
“That’s your problem, not mine”
“Fiona,this is what revenge looks like and you’ll work. All you’ve been doing is shop but now,this is the time for the real work”
“I said I am not working”
“Do no try my patience,Fiona”,with that Tiara left the room.

Mr. Paul Green sat behind his large table, he has been pondering trying to think of any possible reason why Elliott had refused to pick his calls and his supplies are due like since a week ago. Could it be the phone call of that Tuesday morning?. He had ordered Elliott to murder all the Michaels.
He knew what he did to d!ckson was way too wrong but at that time,four years ago,it hadn’t seemed wrong but necessary and worse part was that he hadn’t felt an atom of remorse.

Paul Green stood and walked to the mini bar in his luxurious office,poured himself some vodka and then walked to the window that overlooked the beautiful city of Port-Harcourt. On a normal day,he would have admired the cars running, pedestrian trying all possible ways to cross,the people rushing to catch up their daily activities, he simply admired the hustling and bustling of the city of Port-Harcourt but today wasn’t a day,Elliott and the Michaels occupied his mind. He knew Elliott was adamant about killing d!ckson but he had threatened him that if he doesn’t do it,he would give the contract of his paper supplies to somebody else and Elliott reluctantly agreed. Elliott can go to any length to sign a contract.

He knows what to do,he knows a way to end this misery. He reached for his intercom “Get me Joshua and tell him I need to see him now”,he disconnected

Paul Green knew that there was something wrong with d!ckson Michaels as he paced the hard wood of his office.
Paul Green’s a heavily built man that although, he tried to dye it,has a mane of grey hair. To Paul,everything was either profit or loss,everything was money.

He stopped pacing when the door opened and in came Joshua.
“Dad,you alright?”,Joshua asked
“Why would you say that,Josh?,do I look worried to you?”
“You tell me. There are tiny beads of sweat on your forehead and that means you’re either scared or worried”
“Scared?,What do you mean scared?”,he asked already afraid that his son was seeing through him. How would he explain yo his son that he was planning to kill the woman he had loved and even still loves. Joshua still fusses about Fiona.
“Dad,you sure you’re alright?”,Joshua asked bringing him back to attention
“Yeah. Why?”
“For a moment there you looked lost”
Paul gave a short laugh “Give the old man a break”
“The last thing I consider you,Dad,is old”
“Oh… Is that so?”
Joshua nodded.
Silence.

Joshua has the colour of a baked-clay with catching black eyes,rounded lips,has the body of an athlete; one would think he was a tennis player or a swimmer, has a good gait,fun to be with. Everyone knew he would one day run the PJ Group of Companies and would make a good CEO and chairman of the board.

“Joshua?”,he called his son
“Yes?”
“The reason I called you is to go retrieve supplies from Elliott’s paper company”
“Why should I have to do that?,the sales manager should be the person doing this,dad”
“Joshua, I want you to deliver a message to Elliott”
“What message,dad?”
“Tell Elliott that I am still waiting for his answer and I think he should consider what’s at sake for his company if he doesn’t comply”
“Are you threatening him, dad?”
“Just send the message, Josh?”
“What’s going on,dad?”
“Could you stop questioning my every move,statement and order and do as you are told for once”,Paul snapped and Joshua couldn’t help but stared at his in disbelief, he nodded and began walking towards the door.
“Joshua, please I didn’t mean to…”,but Joshua didn’t wait for him to finish his statement as he politely slammed the door

As Joshua left his father’s office,he went straight to the garage. He had decided he wouldn’t need his driver to run this useless errand. Driving out of the company,his mind wondered to Fiona. Fiona had left him even without a text,a call,nothing and the annoying thing was that he still cared. He had met countless of women, attractive woman but it instantly came to an end because he always compared them with Fiona and after sometime,he’d given up the hope to settle down. Even thinking about her makes his body tingle. He was into Fiona,in fact he had come into one conclusion over the years and that was-without Fiona,there would be no Joshua and that was it.