Chapter 58 - Flashes

''Okay ''

Tiana replied calmly, although she did not expect Nicklaus to give her any assignment, she didn't think much of it; it was one file anyway, after that, she had the whole day to herself.

Nicklaus took in her expression briefly before walking out the door;

After he left, Tiana slumped back on the couch. Picking up her phone from the table, she clicked on the company email; and the next second, she was sitting up from the couch, her eyes wide open.

' 10… 10 files!'

Tiana gasped in shock. How am I going to review all these files today?!

She wondered as her brows creased in infuriation.

Was he angry because of the first aid kit I gave him yesterday?

Tiana wondered because there was no other reason why he would want to crush her bones with work. If that was it, then he was pathetic!

In fact, he deserved nothing good! If he liked, he should break his neck. She won't even bat an eyelid!

She cussed as her excitement for the day dwindled.

…

''It is one million dollars, Mr. Nicklaus. These arms are contraband and you know it, we can't take such risks with anything below that price.''

The man who spoke looked dreadful. He was wearing a singlet and his whole body, apart from his face, was designed with tattoos of different shapes and sizes such that there was no spot without ink on his body. Two armed men were standing by his side and they were as horrendous as their master.

They were the dealers of arms and ammunitions in the underworld. Nicklaus had been having engagements with them for a year now, but this one was the biggest deal so far.

From the way things were going, he knew his life would soon be in danger_ that is if it wasn't already. He needed to be prepared at all times and be one step above his enemies.

''I'll transfer the money to you now, when do I expect the package? ''

The man smiled and caressed his thick beards which occupied a sumptuous amount of his face;

''Expect it in the US in one week, Mr. Nicklaus.''

The man concluded; a grin on his lips. Nicklaus tapped on his phone for a moment and after a little while; he turned to the man again.

''It's done, confirm the payment. ''

The man grinned audibly and waved to one of his bodyguards, and the guard placed a phone in his hands. He tapped through the phone for a moment and when he saw that the payment had been sent;

He raised his eyes to Nicklaus; ''It's always nice doing business with you, Mr. Nicklaus. ''

He said, stretching out his hand for a handshake. After some other brief discussion, Nicklaus left.

…

After lunch, Tiana printed the 10 files in the printer in the penthouse; then she sat on the couch in the living room and started reading through them. The writing was tiny, and it made her feel sleepy. She wanted to abandon them and go do something else, but she didn't want Nicklaus coming back to find a reason to unleash his venom on her. But no matter how much she tried, she couldn't finish reviewing the third file before she fell asleep.

By past six in the evening, she heard a loud thunderclap outside, and she flung up from the couch; her eyes wide open. The thunderbolt came with a huge wind, which clapped the windows and curtains;

She looked outside and saw that the sky had darkened, and she knew it would be a thunderstorm. And she hated the storm.

Her face paled as she watched the sky darken through the windows, but she could not move; she wanted to go close to the windows, but she couldn't bring herself to approach them. Her heart was pounding and her palms folded into fists;

There was another thunderbolt and Tiana's eyes shut instantly; she scrunched herself up like a ball on the couch and closed her ears with both hands.

No… please… not again…

Then there were the flashbacks;

Her mother died of cancer on that fateful stormy night. Their father had gone with Gwen, while she stayed home with her before the storm started. She held her mother's hands as she listened to her agonizing cries amidst the thunderclaps. She had no hair on her head anymore and she was so lean because they didn't have any money to send her to the hospital for treatment.

Her mother's eyes were blue and her lips dried from pain as she slowly slipped away. Tiana's tears were deafened by the loud storm and the wind which blew right into the room, clapping the windows. She held her mother's hands tightly, crying her balls out. She had not seen a dead body before, so she didn't know her mom had died already, so she kept on calling out to her, her whole body shaking from terror.

The most grueling thing about that night was the fact there was no-one home and the storm could not let her go call for help. She lay beside her mom crying till her father returned after the storm and pulled her away from her mother.

It wasn't until the next day when she saw a few men carrying something wrapped in a white bed sheet that she knew her mother had died. Ever since that day, the stormy days had been her nightmare.

Tiana remembered almost every detail of that night, but the most painful sight to remember was the agonizing look on her mom's face as she struggled for help. She lay on the couch; sweat all over her body, her face was deathly pale as she remembered every scene from that night.

…

Nicklaus entered the penthouse, taking off his shoes by the door. His brows creased when he saw that the windows were still open and they were clapping against the window frame because of the wind.

Was she sleeping and didn't notice when it started raining? He wondered as he walked to the windows and closed them quietly. Turning around to go to his room, his eyes glanced towards the parlor and he saw a figure shivering on the couch and his brows creased.