ESTHER

Chapter thirteen

   

    Work the next day was okay. It wasn't stressful at all. But above all my calmness, the bottle of nerves inside me was about to tip over. I feared the evening and prayed that the day would go slower.

    My boss was very observant today. He could tell that something was bothering me and he once questioned me on it, but that was it. I felt guilty for not telling him what his cousins were up to, but I quelled that guilt when I thought of what I'd do that evening. It hasn't even been a week yet and I already found myself as part of a conspiracy.

    I looked up at the wall clock and checked the time. It was a few minutes to closing hours. Sighing, I rounded off my work, getting ready for the dreaded date.

     "Good bye sir." Jack Rhodes merely nodded his head in response. I made my way out of the office, to the downstairs hall where Kinsley was already waiting for me. He smiled and walked over to me, holding out his arm.

     "You ready for this?" He asked me, smiling wide. I swallowed down my nerves and offered him a huge smile of my own.

     "Sure."

We made our way  towards a huge black Range Rover that was already parked outside, as if to leave the area. We entered the car, Kingsley as the driver and me at the passenger seat.

     The drive was long and silent. Kingsley had put on the radio in an effort to drive away the tension brewing in the car. He even brought on topics we could discuss but they always seemed to end on terse notes.

    The car finally pulled over at a very huge restaurant. We both made our way out of the car and I took my time to observe my surrounding.

     The restaurant was huge. Its signpost read   EVA, written in royal fonts that highlighted its already obvious extravagance. The glass doors at its entrance were huge, and you could see two waiters standing behind it inside the hall from where I  stood.

     I made my way towards it's steps, climbing it as graceful as I could, with my arm connected to Kingsley's who kept up with my pace. We made it to the glass doors which were opened for us by the standing waiters, and we made our way inside.

     The interior decor was amazing. There where wall plants strewn across every wall or glass window. The table was earthy wood, and was decorated with common plants to give it an earth vibe. The whole place was lit up with earthy green and brown neon lights with hints of yellow, blue and white, which made everything seem all fairy tale like.

     Kingsley looked around, as if looking for someone and then he started moving us across the restaurant. I followed his gaze to see Duke already seated, waving his hands at us with an expectant gaze lighting up his eyes.

     "Hello Esther. " he  greeted when we finally arrived at the table he saved for us. We were all seated, trying to quell the silence hanging around us like a damp cloth.

     "Hi Duke. Good evening." I answered him.

     "How has your day been? I didn't see you at all yesterday, or today either." He pointed out. I could see the honest curiosity in his eyes.

     "I have been very busy. I just had a day of leave and the work piled up on my desk is massive."

     "I understand. I assume it isn't any different from Jack is it? If not worse?" I ignored the warning bells that started to ring loudly in my head, at the mention of my boss's name, wondering if it was a trick question. I convinced myself that it wasn't.

     "His is obviously worse. That man is so hard working, I admire him but can't help feeling pity for him at times."

     "Why is that?" Duke asked and in an effort to fish out information, I replied.

     "It seems he has a had time trusting people. He doesn't even tell me about things until I point them out along with their importance." I said, studying their faces.

     "So he doesn't tell you anything?" Kingsley suddenly asked.

     "At all." I replied. They both looked at themselves, and I noticed the silent communication that passed through them.

     "You guys told me that you have something important to tell me. What is it?" I question, bringing the matter to the reason we are here in the first place.

     "We need your advice with something, but for you to understand, we need to tell you a story."  I raised my brow, curious.

    "Go on." I told them.

     "There were two guys, let's call them A and B. They were the best of friends and their friendship was so deep and trustful that they started a business together. That business grew into a big company, but sadly at the cost of their friendship. " Kingsley said, pausing for what I assumed was a dramatic effect.

     I looked at him questioningly, urging him to continue. He just looked at me in confusion.

     "Continue." I pointed out.

     "They started getting competitive, both wanting full sovereign ownership of the business, while the other became the second highest, because all the while it was ran by the both of them." I had no idea where he was going with this story, but I was curious.

     "Why didn't they just continue like that then? Working together, I mean."

     "Because it's a business, Esther. There can only be one leader. If they are both two, they can't pass it down to both their children. One must have supremacy." Duke suddenly answered.

     "And also, business is all about profit. The plan of leading together is bound to fail at some point." Kingsley continued.

     "So what happened to the both of them?"

     "Well, they drifted apart, and suddenly started to fight. There was a very huge tension hanging around their business and everyone could feel it. Their dispute also affected not only their work, but their families too. One of them took it too far." Kinsley said.

I sat forward, leaning towards the middle of the table with both my arms crossed, placed on it. I was very curious now and telling from the look of achievement and amusement on Kingsley's face, I could tell he was enjoying my reaction.

     "What happened?"

     "Mr A killed Mr B." Duke said, also wanting to be part of the conversation. I gasped, sitting up straight immediately.  Kingsley looked at him frowning. He had been enjoying narrating it to me but Duke had spoilt it for him.

     "K..Killed? Why would he do that?" I wondered, although deep down I already knew the answer. Money was a very dangerous thing. It can make brothers kill each other.

     "What else?" Duke said, nonchalant. "One of them is out, the other takes over." I grew weary, hoping that whatever they are about to tell me is in no way related to this.

     "So, what does this have to do with you needing my help?" I question.

     "More like advice, Esther. These few days we have known you, you seem like an intellectual person and we also trust you. Whatever we are about to tell you now, is something that we just recently found out." Kingsley said, all ounce of playfulness  gone.

     "And what is that?" I asked, having a bad feeling.

     "Well we just found out that apparently Mr A is the father of your boss, Jack Rhodes."