Amelia wore a bright smile on her face as she toured the house, everything was provided for her, leaving no room for reasons to go outside the apartment until the contract was over.
The apartment had upgraded appliances, in-built exclusive amenities like a pool, a fitness center, a hospital ward with advanced hospital equipment for treatments, a movie theater, a provision store and a spa.
The walk-in closet was filled with clothes, shoes, and bags neatly arranged in sets and sizes in perfect order, from different renowned brands, Amelia could tell some and the others she couldn't spell out the brand.
She wasn't concerned about brands though, she loved how beautiful they were that she started trying some on.
The jewelries dazzled on her fair skin as she tried them on, she felt a tear coming out her eyes gazing at herself.
This was the first time in her life that she actually felt gorgeous, she knew she wasn't ugly, but she also accepted the fact that she wasn't stunning and considered herself average at best.
Liam would usually sing to her how beautiful she was but, she would blush in shyness because she thought he was saying that out of kindness because of their relationship.
The young lady she was staring at in the mirror wasn't one she had thought she would look like.
This was a drastically different person that, unlike her, didn't seem to have gone through life under the rose bed that was full of thorns but sailed smoothly on top the rose.
She didn't understand why she was provided with this many things even though she wasn't allowed to come out of the apartment, but, she was going to do this everyday to remind herself of this alter ego.
In the flesh, she is a million miles from her photographic alter ego, but in the mirror, she could see her in full-view staring back at her.
She would name her second self, Delilah. She has discovered a new life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Alex gave an order to John to go to Amelia's apartment to fetch the things she had asked for.
John was given a mission to protect Amelia disguised as a driver for the next fourteen months.
He didn't like the mission, but he also didn't have a say to refute it.
As an assassin, his job was to kill, not protect, with the way this has started, he knew he would soon get bored.
First, he was assigned to drive Amelia on special occasions, and now he was being ordered to go fetch things for her, were these people looking down on him because Joan is back?
The phone on the center console of the car rang out just as John arrived at the run-down neighborhood where Amelia used to live.
"Yes…,". John answered as he accepted the call.
"Boss said you should bring the things for inspection before delivering it to Ms Amelia". Mr. Alex passed the order.
"Anything else?".
"where are you now?".
"Parked outside the neighborhood". John replied as he put on his black gloves and a black face cap on his ruffled long hair.
Mr. Alex ended the call without a response.
John got out of the car and walked into the public squalor.
He strolled around quietly, obscured from the people's notice until he reached Amelia's apartment, he pressed on the door handle, but it didn't budge because it was locked.
"Who are you?". A voice behind him asked in a low tone.
***************
Mr. Adams woke up and looked around him, he was chained to a hospital bed in an unfamiliar environment, he raised his head up to look, and he saw no one except for a wooden table with a silver-colored briefcase, small bottles of drugs and syringes, he tried wriggling on the bed to release himself, but he couldn't. He heard footsteps coming from outside the door, but he couldn't turn.
A few seconds later, Calvin walked inside with Joan at his back and a man dressed like a doctor.
''Let's do this fast, where is the money?''. Calvin asked immediately he entered.
''What money?''. Mr. Adams asked, no trace of fear in his eyes.
''I am not here for games, Mr. Adams''. Calvin said, his tone hinting his seriousness as he got closer to Mr. Adams.
''You can't do anything to me''.
Mr. Adams spoke confidently like he wasn't tied and looking powerless.
Calvin had a sinister smile on his face, he liked when weak people acted tough, it made the game more fun.
Unlike Mr. Shaffer, Mr. Adams was very strong-willed, which would mean that someone was definitely backing him up. If not, there wasn't any reasonable reason why he wasn't asking to be spared, or maybe he had a bigger plan prepared to stop him.
''Well, the drug in your body begs to differ''. Joan said with a smirk.
''I should have killed you when I had the chance to, sly slu...''. Mr. Adams couldn't finish his words as Joan sent a punch flying to his face.
''Joan, step outside''. Calvin spoke as he brought out a picture from the drawer on the table.
Joan gazed at Calvin angrily as she left the room.
Calvin looked at the watch on his wrist and back at Mr. Adams.
''You don't seem scared for someone who has less than an hour more to live''. Calvin spoke callously.
''If you kill me, that would be the downfall of you and your monster father''.
Calvin let out a wry chuckle.
''I see why you can come this far, you are making threats instead of pleading for your life…''.
''It's not a threat Mr. Calvin, it's a warning''.
''Well, I get to define that Sir, return the money and I let your family go''. He said, as he showed Mr. Adams the picture in his hands.
Mr. Adams face turned white like he had seen a ghost, now there was fear in his eyes as he saw what was in the picture.
''LEAVE MY FAMILY OUT OF THIS!''. Mr. Adams shouted at the top of his lungs, making him vomit blood.
How did they find them? She didn't protect them like she promised, she deceived me, why would she do this after all I have done? Mr. Adams questioned himself regretfully in his mind, as he continued to cough.
''It was easy getting to know where you hid them, I am very sure you know what this means, you tell me where you have hidden the money or who you have given the money and I let them go''. Calvin spoke calmly, but his face slowly chameleon'd to a darker shade when he saw the blood.
''Why now? I thought that would be in the next hour?''. Calvin asked, turning to the 'doctor' who was standing close to the table holding a syringe.
The 'doctor' rushed to Mr. Adams side and started examining him.
''He was given an overdose''. The 'doctor' answered after a check.
''An overdose? Why would Ryder give him an overdose?''. Calvin asked, genuinely confused.
Mr. Adams continued coughing out blood, his face was turning ash as all the veins on his forehead became visible and his breaths uneven. He looked like something was sucking the life out of him.
''I think there was a larger dose of the drug in his body; he was going to die later, but he was given another dosage which made the effects of the drug start earlier than when it was supposed to''.
''You think! Why would that be?''. Calvin asked angrily.
''Well, someone wanted him dead but didn't want to be the one to give the final blow like they knew you would or, rather, they expected you to…''. The 'doctor' hadn't even finished his statement when Calvin walked out of the room angered, someone was always a step before him, the person who was backing Mr. Adams had killed him to shut him up.
Things would definitely get more complicated now that Mr. Adams died before he could get an answer about the stolen money.