QUEEN OF DIAMONDS

CHAPTER 33

Andile

"Babe can you hold this for me, please?" she said giving me her flowers. I took them from her and she kissed me on the cheek. "Okay, off to mingle! Wanna come with?" she asked and I shook my head. "Go swindle people out of their millions with your charm," I replied. "Do you think this dress shows enough of my boobs to charm the men?" she said, her eyes glistening evidently taunting me to respond. "What boobs?" I asked and she swatted me playfully. "Mxm, uyaphapha," she said rolling her eyes? "Ngiyaphapha?" I asked stepping towards her and she stepped back. "No, baby. Ngiyak'thanda, bye!" she said practically running from me. I chuckled and turned to the bar. I ordered a whisky and watched Qhawe approach and order as well. "Uyathanda ukubukisa ngathi wena," he said nodding at the flowers and I laughed. "Ngenzenjani mengimthanda umkami?" I asked? "Mxm. Sathi iyochomelana ngabafazi, ayi ngokuba umyeni oromantic," Sandile said joining us and we all laughed. The rest of the guys joined us and we spoke about business, family and everything in between. About 20 minutes in to the conversation I noticed that I couldn't see Keabetswe anywhere. I excused myself from the guys and went to ask the ladies. "No she did come to us but then she saw someone she wanted to speak to, wahamba. Is everything okay?" Refiloe asked. I nodded still scanning the room for her. "I'll go check the bathrooms," one of them said and I nodded again. "Where's my wife?" I asked speaking to security on my wrist comms. "She hasn't left the building sir, all exits and entrances have been heavily guarded." "Her phone says she's still in the building" I remembered her giving Kim her phone so she can charge it for her. "It's with her assistant," I replied. Amanda tapped me on the shoulder and shook her head. "She's not in the toilet, and neither Kim nor Jazmin have seen her," she said and I sighed. She took the flowers from me and went back to speak to the ladies. "How the fuck did you lose my wife? You had one fucking job!" I was whispering so as to not draw attention to myself. "We're sorry sir. Our guys are scouring the grounds to look for her" "I don't want your fucking apologies. Just find her," I replied. "Sir, CCTV shows her speaking to Mark Thwala but I can't seem to find her afterwards." My jaw ticked as I walked around the room trying to find her. "You have 3 minutes to find her or I will impale your heads on your legs!" I whispered fiercely. "Have her on the East stairwell with him" "Can't tell which direction they went in" "I'll take the roof, take the basement," I said racing towards the stairs taking my gun out. The door to the roof was open and I heard glass shattering and Keabetswe screaming. I took the stairs 2 by 2. ".........kill me. Oh my God!" I heard her say and Mark laughing. I flung the door open and saw her outline leaning over the building with Mark hands on her back. I aimed my gun at Mark as I ran towards them, grabbing her by the waist, shoving Mark off and pulling Keabetswe away from the ledge. "Are you insane?" I asked her, my gun still pointed at Mark. "Found her," I said in to the comms and heard sighs of relief. "Oh my God Andile, what are you doin? Are you insane?" she said trying to lower my gun while rubbing her forehead. "Mfana, ngitheni kuwena?" I asked Mark and the idiot laughed. "She's the one who invited me," he said with a leer and felt my blood boil. Keabetswe wriggled in my grip and I let her go. "Andile please stop. He didn't do anything, the champagne glass fell and, oh my God, KG is going to kill me! Just stop," she was breathing heavily, rubbing her head and forming incoherent sentences so I lowered my gun and held her. "Baby, calm down breathe, ngiyakucela," I said brushing her hair. Mark reached for her but I held my hand out. "She's having a panic attack, I'm a fucking doctor," he said and I just glared at him. "It's okay. I'm fine," Keabetswe said, leaning against my chest. "Thank you Mark for coming," she said and gave him a brief side hug. "Baby cela sihambe," she said grabbing my hand. When we got to the ballroom she said her goodbyes, saying she felt unwell. When she was ready with her phone and flowers we left through the back entrance so as to avoid the press. In the car, she rested her head on my lap and fell asleep.