85 New Allies
After Fiona ended the call with her father, she calmly dropped the phone onto the bedside table, the sudden silence of the room echoing the chaos in her mind.
Athena was still alive? She couldn’t believe it. Morgan had never failed at anything before. If her father was right, this would be a first. But how could it be? It didn’t make sense.
She darted a glance at her phone again, Worse, he wasn’t picking up his calls! Was it because of the failure? Was he embarrassed to speak with her? Was he afraid she would cuss him out?
Well, he should be! A wave of fury washed over her. Fiona angrily picked up the phone and called the number for the umpteenth time, but it kept going to voicemail.
Frustrated, she threw the phone to the ground, where it shattered upon impact, glass flying across the floor like tiny pieces of her crumbling reality.
Well, Ewan can get me a new one,‘ She thought bitterly, clucking her tongue in irritation when one of the maids rushed into the room.
“Ma’am, are you okay? I heard a noise…” The maid stammered, her eyes wide with concern as she took in the disarray.
“Yes, I’m okay” Fiona snapped, her irritation evident as she waved the maid off, but the woman’s persistence only fueled her anger further.
The maid hurried to the other side of the bed, stopping when she saw the phone shattered on the floor. She bent down to pick it up, but Fiona shouted at her, “Are you pigheaded? I told you that I’m okay! Get out of here!”
The maid trembled, clearly shaken by Fiona’s harsh tone. She stood up and scurried toward the
door, but before the maid could escape, Fiona stopped her. “Wait.”
Fiona stepped forward, her tone shifting as she gathered herself. “Turn around.
The maid complied, eyes darting nervously.
“Where is the master of the house?” Fiona asked, her voice a mix of demand and desperation.
“He went to work today. The maid replied, her voice trembling.
Fiona pursed her lips, contemplating her next words. “Apart from work, is there any other place he goes?”
The maid hesitated, seemingly weighing her response carefully. “I’m not sure.
“If you give me a reasonable answer, I’ll give you a thousand dollars on the spot, Fiona said, her eyes narrowing with intent.
The maid’s eyes widened in surprise. She glanced around the room, as if searching for hidden cameras, and then leaned in slightly. “Doctor Athena is in the hospital. I overheard him speaking with Mr. Sandro. Sometimes, he visits her, and he prepares food for her on the days he goes to see her
Fiona felt her heart sink, anxiety twisting in her stomach. She rubbed her chest, but the
discomfort wouldn’t budge. Tears of frustration and anger burned in her eyes. So she shouted, to the chagrin of the maid, again and again, until she felt a little better.
“You can go. She finally said, flinging her hand dismissively at the maid.
However, the maid hesitated, lingering in the doorway.
“Ma’am, the payment…” she began, her tone hesitant.
“You didn’t give me reasonable information. Now, get out! Fiona snapped, her voice piercing. The maid folded her lips in anger. It was clear she wanted to retort but felt powerless. She faked a shallow bow and walked out of the room, her footsteps echoing in the silence that followed.
Fiona noticed the slight defiance but chose to ignore it. The maid’s freedom should be a reward.
Her hand itched to call Morgan again, but deep down, she understood there was no use. He would reach out when he was ready.
She wished she could call her father, but the old man had only fixed a meeting a few days hence to discuss the future of the company after it had been handed over to Athena. He wanted to see
the miracle she would work with it.
They would only pounce after she had revived it, a strategy that mingled anticipation with despair. This was a waiting game she had no choice but to play.
So, the only option left was to call Ewan. She turned around to pick up her phone, cursing when she remembered that she had thrown it in anger. “Maid!” she shouted in frustration.
The maid from earlier hurried back into the room, her demeanor sheepish. “Yes, ma’am?“
“Tell Master Ewan that I need a new phone. Fabricate a good excuse for him, Fiona ordered, her annoyance bubbling back to the surface. “And include an extra five thousand dollars to the amount required for a new phone. Once it’s sorted out, buy me a better phone than this junk, and keep the five thousand for yourself. So do your research well!“
The maid nodded dutifully, sensing the urgency in Fiona’s voice,
“I need the phone in an hour from now. So chop chop, Fiona commanded, impatience etched across her features.
The maid bowed deeply, her sense of purpose realigned, and hurried out of the room.
Fiona laughed, a bitter sound that echoed around the otherwise silent room. Poor people were so easy to please. With her newfound influence over the maid, she felt a surge of control return to her life.
Meanwhile, at a nearby bar, Zack was drunk again, but this time he wasn’t alone.
He sat nursing a drink beside Alfonso, who had maintained a reasonable distance despite recognizing Zack’s inebriated state.
“Hey, what happened to your company? I haven’t seen anything about it in a while, Alfonso slurred, leaning in closer to get a better look at his friend’s demeanor.
“I sold it–that’s why. I sold it to Ethan Patterson…” Zack replied, pride peeking through his. drunken haze.
Alfonso furrowed his brow, perplexed. “Ethan Patterson? The one with that new thriving company we wanted to invest in?”
Zack nodded, a smirk spreading across his face. “I barely thought twice about it. It was around twenty million dollars, but it’s better than nothing considering all the debt that piled up during my last debacle. I’m actually curious to see how he runs the show.”
“What about you?” Zack leaned closer, pressing for details. “How’s your company faring, especially after that publicized balance sheet debacle?”
Alfonso shrugged, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “I don’t really know. Beats me. I sold it to Athena for eight million dollars, by the way.”
Zack burst out laughing, tears welling in his eyes as the absurdity of Alfonso’s admission hit him. “You are stupid! How could you possibly sell to Athena?! She has won you completely! She offered to buy mine, but I wouldn’t let her dictate what I did, so I sold it to a stranger instead.” Alfonso’s expression soured, rage bubbling beneath the surface. “I want to kill her.” “Same here. Zack agreed, his laughter fading into a grimace. “We should do it. She has caused enough misery for all of us.
“Do you even care that she is your daughter?” Alfonso shot back, his voice low and menacing.
“I don’t care,” Zack replied, hardening his heart further. “Let’s do it.”
