Diana returned to the hospital downcast. She had been rejected at the king's donaldation for turning up to submit the proposal. What she done? Why does she have to suffer this kind of humiliation at the hands of the new director of the park's project? She walks into Clara's ward thinking about this but as she saw her daughter laughing and gisting with her brother, she decided to keep it to herself. She would not want to spoil their mood.
'Welcome mama. How did it go?' Clara asked.
'It went well. I will give details later. Has Liam come here yet?'
It was Steven who responded. 'The man has not come here. What's up?' he noticed that his mother was distressed. She scratched her forehead and looked around with her hands akimbo.
'Let me call him.' Diana said. She picked up her phone from her pocket and dialed Liam's number. Liam entered the room almost immediately.
'Oh I was just calling you.'
'You were? I was wandering where you had been all morning?'
They stepped away from the room into the reception, as Clara and her brother continued their talking.
'I was at king's donaldation today.'
'How did it go?' Liam found them both a seat close to the window, away from every other person. Diana sighed. Liam could read the answer from her face already. He opened his mouth and gasped.
'You mean they rejected your proposal? He tried had to maintain a low voice. He didn't want to attract attention.
'Yes they did. Can you imagine that?' Clara put her head on her open palm and tried to prevent tears from rolling down.
'Something needs to be done. How can someone be so wicked?' Liam was pacing around now. Then he sat down and looked at her. She asked him.
'What do you think we should do?'
He responded
'Remove him from the seat.'
She looked. Understanding showed in her eyes. She was willing to d anything to get her family's company whatever it wants.
'How do we go about it?'
'We have to set him up.' he wasn't looking at her. He wasn't looking at anything in particular. Diana nodded, showing total agreement. Liam continued after a moment of silence.
'That will be good. We will need a prostitute. I can get a prostitute to that for us.'
Diana almost stood. She was giddy with happiness and clapped even, but not loudly.
'That is wonderful.' She exclaimed. Liam became serious and looked at her, then said.
'But first let us find out who this director is.'
'Good idea.' Diana nodded.
The next, Diana stands guard outside donaldation office. Already she has bribed a guard. The guard watched the door through which the director would pass ion his was to the office. Since the guard didn't want to give the information away so easily and given that he didn't get the amount he had requested for Diana (Diana had told him that his price was too high), he told her to stand at the park and keep her eyes on a particular spot. The director usually comes to park there. It was his reserved space.
The day was dragging long and Diana was already feeling tired. Her stomach rumbled. Moreover, she was supposed to Robert & co to see how things were going. She had not been going there because of Clara's hospitalization. Grandpa Robert wanted her attention. He had not recovered from the shocking revelation that Clara and Michael were not longer married. He had been bugging her about what to do to repair the situation. She didn't want the situation to be repaired, ever.
Just when she was about to leave, she saw a familiar figure walk up to the car, in the spot reserved for the director of the parks project. She gasps when she discovers it is Michael. Had Michael been the director? When did he get to this position? She thought to herself.
'This boy again? No wonder we didn't get the contract.' She exclaimed and got out her phone, but for fear of being discovered by Michael, she hurried out of the parking lot and got into her car. It was there that she calls Liam to tell him everything. She didn't need to prove it to him. She knew that he would believe her. He listens to her and responds. 'Now that we know our enemy, we can find out where he lives and send the prostitute there.'
'Good idea. I totally agree.' She says and after listening to him some more, she turns on her car and drives away.
Michael had just gotten a call from Isabella that she was on her way to his hotel. He was already dome with the food. He loved to cook and allow people eat his food. He didn't mind cooking for Isabella, in fact, he had come to be fond of her and found in her a friend. And now they were working together, they were closer.
He had just put in the last ingredients, waited for the food to be done and then put off the gas and removed his apron. The he ran to the living room to tidy the place when the door bell rings. Is she here already? He wonders. And he had not changed his clothes or showered. What was he going to do? The doorbell rang again and he went to the door. The person who was standing at the door was not Isabella. She was beautiful with full lips and fuller hips. She wore a revealing gown with low cleavage and walked into the room uninvited.
'Excuse who are you? How can you just waltz into another person's apartment? Or did you miss your way?'
The lady didn't answer but circled around looking at the walls and the interior decoration. Michael reached in his pocket and fished his phone from his pocket. He wanted to call security when the lady came to him, seized his phone and threw on a chair. Then she pushed in and straddled him almost immediately. She was on top of him, rubbing his chest and trying to kiss him.
'Who are you?' Michael kept repeating, trying not to harm the woman. She could have been sent and if he harms her, there was a chance that the people who sent her are outside now waiting for the right time. He wandered what to do. He has to find a way to run out of here. Already the later was trying to kiss him. She was definitely sent by someone.
'Don't be shy baby. I can make you feel good.'
'Will you get out of my apartment?'
'Let us not be this way. I can make you happy. I can show you a little trial to prove myself, you know.' The lady pinned him to the chair. He couldn't move his body.
'Security, come and take this lady out.'
'There is no security here. You asked to go away remember?' Michael remembered that there was no security because he had asked Isabella to take them all away.
'get out of here' he struggled to push her away. She seemed formidable, not shifting her ground. The lady shifted her weight and Michael found a means of escape. He pushed her away, and ran for the door.
Isabella arrived at the hotel. She had called Michael's phone but he didn't pick up. Could it be that he was still in the shower? Maybe he left it on his bed before hitting the shower, she though. She walks to the elevator and walked it. The elevator ascended slowly towards her destination as she tried his number again. When she got to his door, she pressed the bell; there was no answer. After a third time, she brought put her key. Michael had given her his spare key for her to use the apartment when he is not in. it was one of the reasons she respects him and has fallen in love with him.
She oushed open the door and she saw a woman, sitting on his couch and holding his phone.
'who are you and what are you doing with that phone? Isabella asked.
'what are you doing here too?'
'Where is Michael? Isabella walks to the kitchen and the bedroom to find Michael. When she returned, the lady said to her.
'Michael has gone out to get a drink for me. We have a date tonight and he wanted it to be special for us. See he even left his phone here with me.' The lady lied, dangling the phone in her face.
Isabella was shocked. Had Michael not known that she was coming? She had called him after work and thirty minutes ago that she was on her way. She wanted to get angry but how could she be angry in front of a complete stranger?
'Why would Michael decide to get drinks for another woman when he knows they have a date that night?' She exclaimed, and then turned to the door and left.
The doctors were now sure that Clara was out of danger and since has refused to amputate her leg; she is no longer required to be in the hospital. Diana and Liam walked behind Steven and Clara. Steven was pushing Clara who was sitting in a wheel chair.
'It didn't work.' Diana exclaimed. Disappointment was clearly showing in her voice.
'Why?' Liam asked. 'Are you sure of what you are saying?'
'Didn't you see hear what the lady said in the voice note that she sent? She said Michael ran away, leaving her in the house.' Her voice was rising in anger but she put it down immediately when she saw that Steven and Clara had turned and were looking at Liam and her. 'She is not professional enough.' She said accusingly at Liam, expecting him to feel bad. Liam looked away, not feeling bad at all and answered her.
'Do you expect a woman to overpower a man?'
Diana gasped. She was shocked that Lima would show such disinterested attitude to the matter at hand. She folded her hands and walked silently. At a point she left Liam behind and wanted to join her children.
'Where are you going?' Liam asked, noticing her change in attitude and the silent treatment. He joined her and she slowed down, then she looked at him and asked.
'What do we do now?'
He was deep in thoughts. He wasn't going to give up just yet. They might planned wrongly but it is time to restrategize and do things right. He turned to Diana and said.
'We have to get Michael drunk and ask the prostitute to pose with him. Then we can spread the pictures around. Such pictures will make the CEO sack him for misconduct and the ceo post will be vacant for me again. Then you can have the project, uncontested.'
Diana looked at him. Her mouth fell open. She thought it was ridiculous at first but on a close look at it, it could see some sense in it. The last heist wasn't successful because it was planned well. They didn't take into cognizance the fact that Michael had more strength than the lady they had employed, because he is a man. If he had been subdued by drugs, perhaps it would be easy for their plan to succeed.
'Good thinking. You are such a brilliant strategist. Let us get to work.' Diana pecks Liam on the cheek, who is shocked and they both look around to see if anyone was watching. And seeing none, being that they were in an underground parking lot and Clara and her brother had gone ahead of them, they turned and looked at each other and begin to kiss.
Michael had just gotten the files of all the proposals for the park project that Cynthia had approved for scrutiny. He trusted her judgment and decides to take her word as truth. Then he runs into Isabella at the reception. She had just come into work. He walks to her and tries to greet her but she turns and walks away. He calls to her but there was no response. Had he done anything wrong? He asks himself. He had called her repeated after he went home and saw his phone and door open with the lady out of the house. He wasn't sure if Isabella came to his apartment. And he had called repeatedly, even late into the night.
Michael's phone beeped. It was Liam inviting him for his birthday party. It was at a hotel downtown. He decides to attend, at least to relieve him of the stress of the week and since he won't be having Isabella over at his apartment. She used to keep him company on mist evenings, but now they were not talking, he had better go alone. Perhaps it would help him take his mind off the things that were bogging him.
The party was the following evening and Liam was there with Diana. Diana didn't talk to Michael. They had been enemies since he was married to Clara, her daughter. Liam introduced him to most of the guests there, while handing him drinks. The music was loud and exciting. Many of the guests ricked their bodies, no one stood still. Some even form a centre, some kind of makeshift dancehall, where they took partners and danced for a long time. Michael was moving his body, while enjoying his drink. Liam was delivering the drinks to him personally.
After a while, Michael almost stumbled while they were climbing down a stair. Liam suggested that Michael take some more drink and come to a side room to rest. Michael obeyed. He led Michael to the room and as soon as Michael hit the bed, he started to snore. Liam opened the door, called the lady and a photographer he had hired for the event to come in. Diana was also there. They stripped Michael of all of his clothes and placed him in the position they wanted on the bed. The prostitute laid on him, imitating different sexual positions. Sometimes Michael was on top of her and the photographer took more pictures.
After about an hour and thirty minutes and Liam were satisfied that they had gotten what they needed, he paid the lady and the photographer and left Michael there. Hours later, he clothed Michael, woke him up and drove him home. Diana was giddy with excitement over what they had done. Soon, this riffraff and social climber who thinks he can smile his way into riches will be shown his proper place among the poor. She couldn't wait. They went over the photographs and discussed the way to distribute it. Diana had the perfect plan.
Michael woke the following morning with a headache. The events of the previous night were still foggy in his memory. He remembered that he had been moving his body to the music. That was the last thing he remembered. He sat in the shower for a long time. then had a rushed breakfast and took three cups of coffee to knock him back to his senses. It helped to clear his head a little and he drove to work. When he strode to the office, everyone was looking at him. Even the receptionist, who usually greeted him and exchanged jokes with him, rarely spoke to him. She just stared at him and continued her work. He did understand what was going on. People came out of their offices to look at him as he passed, even Isabella. She had a huge look of disappointment and anger on her face.
Cynthia was not at her table when he passed by it. When he got to the office, there was a big envelope on his table. He called out to Cynthia; she was nowhere to be found. Then he picked up the envelope and opened it. It contained photographs. He saw himself in every one of those photographs and his blood froze. Hr put his hand over his mouth and now he understood why everyone was looking at him.