SHIMMER'S POV
A tiny knock was heard on my window, and I almost jumped out of my skin in great fright. What!! He was here already? I slowly opened the door and peeped to see a familiar face. He was there! Toast was standing there, just outside my car.
"One three seven nine reporting for duty.", he uttered without any emotion in his voice.
"Come in!" I pushed the door open and he came in, shutting the car door firmly behind him. Seated at the far end of the car seat, there remained a huge gap between him and me. The car started reeking of cigarette smoke, and I coughed slightly, immediately wishing for the meeting to end soon.
"You called for me," he said in a flat tone. He seemed to be in a hurry to leave.
"Yes I...I need something to be done for me. Israel referred me to you. He said…"
"Israel? Israel Bassard himself? He hardly ever refers anyone. But if you're telling the truth that he himself referred me to you; then you must be his VIP client." his voice was slightly raised, and impatience could easily be detected in it.
"You don't remember me? Umm, you used to come see me with Israel. Ummm…the case of…I mean…." I started stammering as I recalled the days of Logan's death.
"Oh! Its madam de Milo! Your Royal Highness! Oh please forgive me! I thought it was just a random client! I didn't even bother to look at your face. I am sorry. Why are you using such an ordinary car?" he smiled broadly.
"This car belongs to my helper. She is the head of my mansion maids."
"Oh yes, of course; of course!" he nodded his head.
Since I feared that Iris was going to come and find me in the car with the man, I got to my point without wasting any time. I pulled out the bag of money and handed it over to Toast, giving him my detailed instructions of the job that I wanted to be done.
"I don't want to be involved in it in any way, but I would be happy to get an assurance that it will be done exactly as per my instructions." I stated firmly.
"Of course, madam de Milo. I'll get it done."
"Ok, so please listen carefully…" I began to speak as I narrated my well detailed account of the job that I needed to be done. Toast nodded his head occasionally. I kept repeating most of the instructions over and over again, especially the ones that I thought were pivotal to my plot.
"Remember, under no circumstances shall my name be mentioned!" I repeated again and again.
"Of course, madam de Milo. I have done greater jobs that this; I won't ever mention your name." he assured me.
"And as I have said before, I really wish there is a way I can get involved ….OK, I mean…I would love to know what you do and say…I want to remain in the loop as much as possible."
Toast stared up at the car ceiling, then back at me.
"I can get cameras. Each time I talk to them, you will be able to see and hear everything. I will set the cameras such that you see their faces clearly, is that if OK with you?"
"Yes! I would love that! Will I see the meetings live?" I asked in great excitement.
"Live! Everything will be playing out live," he smiled.
"Ok so let's do that." I fidgeted in my seat.
The smell of cigarettes was beginning to chock me really bad. I opened my door a bit, allowing fresh air to fill the car, and then I closed it again.
"It will cost more. I need to buy the cameras, and I need to be paid for the extra labour."
"Yes, I will pay for everything," I assured Toast.
We concluded our meeting before Toast disappeared. I quickly walked inside the restaurant and saw Iris seated alone at the table, finishing off her meal.
"I am already done eating, ma'am de Milo. Are you going to order?" she smiled sweetly at me.
I decided not to order anything, but asked Iris to drive us back home.
Before she retired to her room, I handed her a cheque in her name.
"Oh! What is it for, ma'am de Milo! So much money!"
"Use it for whatever you want. It's my gift to you, for being my loyal helper for more than three decades," I smiled at her.
Iris started working at Clear Opal before we had children. She came in as a young mother; timid and broken. She had just been through a very rough divorce, and to be honest, when I took Iris in, I never thought she was going to last a month. She was highly emotional, at that time. She cried easily and she always curled into herself and refused to open up to me or anyone. She was older than me, and I hardly had any time to babysit her, so after I saw what bad state she was in, I suggested to Roderick for us to let her go.
When I broke the news to her, she went on her knees and cried bitterly, telling me that she needed the money and was not in a position to lose her job. I then allowed her to stay, on a six month contract. Six months later, she had started to recover from the pain of her divorce' or at least she pretended to. She still cried secretly, I knew that very well, but she managed to contain her emotions and that was when I started to see her friendly side. At that time, she was just one of the maids; cleaning around the house and doing the casual jobs around the mansion. Slowly, she drew close to me. Her loyalty and honesty drew her closer to me. When Ciera was born, that was when Iris and I became very close. Ciera loved Iris more than any other staff member, and Iris loved Ciera even more. She was too good with my child, and from the moment I realised that, Iris became my right hand girl. In the same loving manner, she also raised Dylan and Arianna.
When she had thanked me too much for the cheque, she left my room. Slowly I straightened my body and started removing my clothes. I was heading to the bathroom when Iris knocked at the door and entered, holding a glass.
"Here is a smoothie, ma'am de Milo! I figured since you did not eat anything, you might need the smoothie."
"Thank you," I took the glass with a smile.
"Oh! You need to take a bath? I will run the bath for you!"
"Yes please," I smiled.
Iris ran to my bathroom and filled up my bathtub with water; just the right temperature for me. She added the bath salts as per my liking, before she excused herself and went off to sleep.
I lay in the bathtub and looked up. I slowly closed my eyes and saw a video playing…my plan playing out nicely. I wished with all my heart that Toast was not going to make a mistake! I envisioned Anisha crying her eyes out, with red eyes and a puffy nose…and I let out a chuckle. And I saw in my mind's eye, Dylan coming back to mamma, crying and telling me that he wanted nothing more to do with Anisha. I saw myself hugging him sweetly, pretending to sympathize with him. Those images playing in my mind brought a smile to my face.
"You're smiling!" a voice brought me back from my world of fantasy.
"Oh Roderick you scared me!" I chimed.
Roderick apologised and asked if he could join me.
After a few minutes, he was sitting in the bathtub with me, with my head resting on his chest as I sat in between his wide spread legs.
"We're overworking ourselves. I may need to retire soon. I feel exhausted," he sighed.
"We're becoming grandmothers in a short while; but we're still far from retiring. Why don't you rope in Pete, train him for the CEO position and then one day we can hand over one of the hospitals to him and Arianna." I suggested.
"That's a brilliant idea," Roderick sounded happy. He proceeded, "being Group CEO for those many hospitals is no small job. My wish is, before I retire, Dylan must be able to stand alone as the GCEO."
"Dylan is smart. He can do that." I assured my husband.
"Of course he can. And then we can have more time for each other. We won't have to work until midnight; and then Dylan will be the one working till midnight, while you and I go yachting, just like he is yachting now."
"Yachting?" I sat up in shock. Huh? Yachting? Where? Since when? Why was I not told?
"Yes, they're out for five days. Just relaxing." Roderick cupped his hand and playfully filled it with some water as he spoke.
"They? It's Dylan and who else?" I asked, fury and irritation starting to get control of my whole being. Roderick seemed not to notice that I was really getting angry, and he answered casually,
"Dylan and the love of his life. The two of them are out in a yacht as we speak."
"Dylan and who?" I demanded.
"Anisha. Dylan went with Anisha." He stated as a matter of fact.
Oh no!! this son of mine!! Out on a yacht? With that dismal girl from a no-name family? I felt super irritated. The water around me, which all along had been feeling warm and relaxing, suddenly became freezing cold on my skin, and I instantly hated to be in that bathtub!