Chapter 36

"Hello..." Maria Hall said nervously as she picked the call.

No response. He had decided to teach her a lesson. He so much hated being stood up or having to wait.

"Hello?" Maria Hall called out again. She was begining to think it was a mistake. Probably he didn't intend to have called her back. She was about to put her phone back into her purse when she heard someone heave.

He really was trying hard to not get angry. He was loosing it. This lady had a way of getting him irritated easily. It was a natural gift she possessed. His mouth pouted into an ugly frown.

She wasn't mistaken, she was sure she had heard right this time. He just heaved. I'm sure of it, she thought.

She decided to try again. If after this she gets no reply, she'd be ending the call and be on her way home. It was even risky for her to still be here after supposedly leaving Jasmine's room and the Palace more than an hour ago. What if somebody catches her? She tried to think of the many excuses she'd give as her reason but all these excuses would meet unpleasant stares as they would know she was lying. Moreover, she was hiding! No excuse could beat that.

"Hello?" She called out for the third time.

"What kept you?!!!" The voice from the other end was so loud and thick that Maria Hall nearly dropped her phone again. She struggled to grab it before it completely drops, her hand messing with the speaker.

Poking her head once again from behind the car she checked to see if anyone was watching her and considering how he had shouted, she checked again to be sure no one had heard her.

He was getting impatient. He sneered. "I really don't know why I bother"

Maria Hall knew that was her cue to beg. "Please, Al..."

"No names!" He thundered.

What is even wrong with this woman! She knows mentioning my name is very implicating. We talked about this, we had an agreement. Now, she stands there of all places to call me by my name? He was getting pissed off.

"You must never call me by my name, ever! Not with friends, enemies or whoever"

Squinting, he added "I'm watching you Maria Hall".

No spilling, she got the message. He didn't really have to shout. She was equally getting angry but she managed to press down the hiss almost choking her.

"Sorry sir, I completely forgot" she managed to sound convincingly sorry.

He rolled his eyes, "If not for relationships I would have done this work myself. Besides, I'm trying to help you. I know you don't own a dime and I'm trying to give you money that you don't deserve nor have to work to earn. Still! You're slacking".

Maria Hall's heart started beating rapidly at the drop of this last statement. Where was he heading for? She hoped he didn't think her incompetent. She was trying, she really was. It's hard convincing Jasmine and if he were as all knowing as he had claimed, he would have know that.

Jasmine is a stubborn self centered girl who wouldn't want to listen. She was getting tired of this whole idea. She wondered why she had to be the one convincing Jasmine and not him.

She already had a bad reputation but he has a good one with Jasmine or so she thought.

Tap! tap! tap!...

Maria Hall realized that he's had been lost in thoughts again. Can't she control her thoughts and know when to be focused. She would hear him impatiently tapping at the screen, waiting for her to respond.

Searching for what to say, she smiled "Sorry sir, it won't happen again". Her smile widening, she continued. "It would even please you to know that I'm at Jasmine's place at the moment. I just left her room not quite long and I was heading out when your call came in".

His eyes narrowed. "I know that!" He snapped.

"That was why I called immediately you left the room".

"Oh..." Maria replied

"What did you think you were doing there? You better not be trying to pull some tricks" He said cutting her off.

Guilt flushing Maria, she knew she had to be constructive with her reply. " I was just trying to get her to spill and be entirely open..."

"I didn't ask for that!" He shouted.

Pretending not to be hurt, she proceeded. " I know, I just wanted to pick on what was bothering her before asking for more".

Jaw clenching. This woman must really think I'm a fool, he thought.

Getting no response, Maria Hall decided to continue. Anything to buy her more time and less interrogatory questions.

"The more open she is about what's burdening her, the easier it'd be for us to get some information from her". Maria Hall really hope he was buying all this.

He waited till she was done before correcting that word. "You" he said gently.

"Huh?" Maria asked in confusion

"I said you, not us. That is your job not mine. There is no we in this". He snorted.

He hated that word "we". "We" hardly fetches anything good, he thought. He doesn't want anything to do with teaming up. He had learnt his lesson the hard way and wouldn't want a repeat.

Taking a sip from the dark colored content in his mug, he made for the red button in front of him. He had so badly wanted to press that button since the start. He wondered how he managed to keep up with this lady this long. Probably because of Jasmine, he thought.

He was going to put an end to this unbearable call now but not without his warnings. "I honestly don't know how I keep up with you. Just so you know, I am watching you. Every step of the way. It is not a joke".

Gulping down the rest of the dark colored content, he added. "By now, you should know that. I don't play Maria, I don't like games one bit. Anything that makes me sweat, I don't get involved and when I do, I rather kill".

Maria Hall rolled her eyes, already anticipating an end to the call. It's not the first time he would be warning her without taking actions. She was by now, already used to his continuous warnings and threats that it no longer moves her.

"Keep rolling those eyes until they'll actually be plucked from their sockets and be left rolling on the ground". He said, every word carrying a heavy note of warning.

She shivered in dread. This man may be more than his words.

"I sure am!" He sneered, ending the call.


"What the ...?" She thought aloud. Could he have read my thoughts? No... Of course not, he couldn't have... Who is this man exactly? I have to find out.

He stood tall grinning. "Before you'd be done figuring it out, you'd be long dead by then. 6feets underneath the earth". He muttered as his jaws tightened.