Chapter 48

48 Two Can Play The Game.

Maggie was hell-bent on dissolving Ella’s union with Leon.

All through her lonely hours on the hospital bed, she had been meditating on a possible drastic measure to apply. She knew Ella was strong-willed and only a stringent decision could make her reconsider her plans.

Spending time with Marissa had given Maggie enough information that her daughter was not welcomed into the Treshvire family. She couldn’t bear to witness her daughter being trampled under feet by this wealthy and arrogant family.

Maggie’s desire for Ella and Richard to settle down together was unwavering. In her heart, Richard remained the perfect match for her beautiful and stubborn daughter. Even if Ella rejected Richard on any ground, Maggie didn’t mind her considering someone else other than the Treshvires.

“Mum! Please! Just give me a few months!” Ella kept sobbing. Amidst the emotional turmoil, she somehow remembered that the marriage contract duration was for six months. At the end of it, she could conveniently divorce Leon on her mother’s wishes, or would she? She pondered.

“Leave my room!” Maggie’s heart hardened towards Ella. “One week is all I give you. After that, I will sever my ties with you. And it will be known in all of Springchad that I have only one daughter.”

“Mum! Don’t say that! You can’t possibly mean it!” Olivia looked at her, riled by her inflamed glares.

“Olivia! Don’t test my patience!” Maggie warned. “If your sister’s heart could be so hardened to betray me this way, then I’m certain, two can play the game.”

Ella’s whole body quivered at her mum’s acrimony. How would she save herself from this predicament? She couldn’t just leave Leon. Definitely, not at the moment. Was her scary dream; back at Beryl Hula island, coming to pass? She probed herself within.

.....

“I said leave my presence until you have come to your senses!” Maggie bellowed at her, causing the nurse to come in a third time with a strict and final warning.

Ella jerked out of her half-conscious state. She looked distressingly at her mum for the last time and walked out. Olivia wanted to follow behind her but Maggie forcefully held her down.

“If you leave with her, then go ahead and prepare for my burial. I won’t be alive when you return.” Maggie glared at Olivia with a determined expression.

Outside Maggie’s ward, Uncle Moses who ended up being the peacemaker, led Richard out of the ward, while Susan tagged along.

While Ella and her mum were having their moments back in Maggie’s ward, Leon garnered sufficient information from Abigail about who instigated the whole charade.

When Leon saw his demoralized wife walking weakly out of Maggie’s room, he briskly moved to her and held her firmly in his arms.

Although Aunt Edna had intentions of scolding her niece, she was too horrified to speak to her. Leon’s intimidating and dangerously glowering stares, made her reconsider her decision.

Leon led Ella to his car and instructed John to take her to his second apartment. He didn’t want Ella to be taunted by his family. And he also didn’t want her to interfere in the decision he was about to make concerning his mum’s meddling.

When John left with Ella and Denise, Leon took a chartered car back home.

...

After pleading and persuading Richard to give Ella some space due to her vengeful husband, Uncle Moses left Richard and Susan, to return to the hospital. While Richard and Susan returned to their hotel room.

Although Richard pretended to listen to Moses, his mind was made up about dealing ruthlessly with Leon.

Not only did Leon steal his love, but he also had the impudence to strike him in a public place.

Richard’s whole body quivered with animosity. Even Susan that was hovering around him, advised herself and gave him some space to steam off the burning heat.

Richard made some calls and smirked wickedly when he ended the last call. He ordered some dry double martini and without sipping his drink, he took the shot whole. As he drank, he mentally painted a picture of Leon’s maimed body.

“Let’s see who will finally own Ella, bastard!” Richard thought out loud.

When Susan noticed that Richard was calmer, she played the part of a loyal and loving girlfriend. Though she had lusted over Leon previously, she knew she had no chance with him. It was clear by his animalistic behavior that he cared a lot about Ella.

Susan didn’t appreciate the fact that Leon had struck her man in public like a little child. She also wanted him and Ella to suffer dearly for it. She would support Richard in any way possible to ensure the two love birds, paid dearly for their crime.

Currently, Ella had no knowledge about Richard and her affair. So Susan intended to keep it that way to gain Ella’s trust.

Susan kept Richard company for a short while, fuelling his rage against Leon. She was careful not to mention Ella’s name, as this was sensitive to him. After fulfilling her mission. She coated it with crazy and violent sex which Richard enjoyed so well.

“I will be going back to the hospital to check on things and also find out if Ella is still there.” She dressed up and walked towards the door.

“Okay,” Richard said sluggishly. Susan always drained him anytime he had sex with her. He was no longer perturbed about having sex with Susan. On the contrary, he seemed to be enjoying the whole experience. He was using Susan to keep all his fantasized sexual urge in check while he fought for Ella’s love.

But, unknown to him, Susan had initiated her second plot on keeping him to herself.

Back at Leon’s second apartment, Denise did all she could to console Ella. Denise was greatly hurt to see Ella in her most vulnerable state. She made Ella a glass of cherry juice, to relax her nerves, which Ella drank and thanked her.

Ella told her everything that transpired in her mum’s hospital ward.

“What am I going to do Denise? I can’t lose either my mum or Leon,” she sobbed calmly. Her mind strayed to her romantic night with Leon. She had given Leon her body and soul that night. She couldn’t just forget all about that. Even after their lovemaking, she still wanted more of Leon. How would she convince her mum that Leon and a few members of his family truly cared about her?

“Why do I feel like my mum doesn’t truly love me? She had never supported any of my decision, ever since I could remember.” Ella wiped the tears off her face with a handkerchief.

“Don’t talk like that!” Denise rebuked her. “Your mum loves you. She is just mad at you right now. I don’t think she meant what she said about severing her ties with you. Those are the words of a deeply hurt mother. Just give her some time and space to heal. When she has recovered from the shock and discovers that you are in love with Leon, she would have no choice but to accept you.”

Ella looked at Denise with a raised eyebrow, making Denise chuckle.

“What? Did I say something wrong? I don’t need a sorcerer to tell me you are in love with Leon. It’s written all over you.” Denise was looking for a way to cheer Ella up. She knew talking about Leon would put a smile on her face.

Ella’s face flushed at Denise’s statement. “How can you say that? Even if I do feel something for Leon, it is not meant to be. We signed a contract with conditions remember? Moreover, with his family and mine so rancorously against us, it’s just a matter of time before this contract is dissolved.” Ella’s head throbbed as her mind pictured Leon and her going their separate way.

“Denise, please I need to lie down for some minutes.” She stood up without waiting for Denise’s response and walked to the bedroom.

...

Before Leon arrived at the villa, he put a call across to Rex. He informed Rex about the trouble Marissa had cost his wife’s family. Leon also stated his decision concerning Marissa and Rex willingly approved.

Leon briskly walked into his villa and was met by a battle-ready Marissa with Yvonne behind her. Marissa walked up to him and slapped him.

“How dare you, Leon? Humiliating me that way like I am nothing?” Marissa scowled at him irritably. “Do you know the trauma I had gone through because of your vacuous decision? Do you want to make me the laughing stock of Carlpole? Not in this life!” Marissa wagged her forefinger angrily at him. “You hear me? I said not in this life!”

Yvonne stood firmly behind her mother but she did not utter any word. Leon’s vicious glowering at both her mum and her frightened the soul out of her body.

There is a saying that silence in the eyes of evil was evil itself. Leon’s silence was deadlier than his actual words.

Yvonne evaluated the situation and decided it was better not to interfere between the mother and son. Leon would never harm his mother. But she on the other hand could end up receiving his wrath.

“It comes a time in life when a mother should fight her battles alone.” She mused incoherently.

Leon glared at his mum for a while, allowing her to vent all her anger but said nothing. He was deeply hurt that she had gone this far with her meddling. And for the first time in his life, she dared to hit him. Even Rex knew better never to hit his son.

Just like Rex, Leon was born with a hankering for violence, if initiated.

The past generations of the Treshvire family were known for their physical violence and aggressive behavior. And people usually behaved around them.

Once, during a shareholders’ business meeting, Leon’s uncle; named Maxwell, stabbed a shareholder on the neck using a ball pen. The unfortunate man had dared to contradict Maxwell’s ingenious idea. The man died hours later due to severe hemorrhage. Unperturbed by the shareholder’s death, the company handed over his shares to Maxwell without question. While the man’s family was compensated for their loss. Also, business continued as usual as though nothing happened.