Chapter 51

51 A Visit To The Executive Warehouse

“Susan!” Ella spoke even softly. “Are you all...”

“Don’t bother about me! First, I get lied to by my best friend, even though I had confessed my feelings to you concerning Leon. Secondly, you betrayed my trust. You allowed me to humiliate myself even when you knew you were in a relationship with him. And now, you make me sound like the enemy. It took my whole being to swallow my pride and feelings, to reach out to you. Still, you are been mean to me. Why?” Susan sniffed louder and ended the call. She knew that Ella would immediately call her back.

Susan watched her phone ring for the first time. She smiled wickedly and didn’t pick up the call. Towards the end of the second ring, she picked it up and yelled into the receiver, “What do you want from me?”

“Susan, I am truly sorry,” Ella sounded very genuine with her pleas. I understand if you want to stay away from me. I have been a really bad and undeserving friend.”

Like a hawk sighting its prey’s weakness from a vantage position, Susan seized the moment and made her demands. She started with an amusing story, followed by a mild but genuine request, and progressed to a difficult and demanding request.

“It’s okay Ella, everyone makes mistakes. Take for example, did you know I deliberately glued my boss’s iPad and car keys to his desk? I requested a few weeks’ leave from work and he refused. Guess what I did afterward?” Susan sounded like her cheerful chit-chatting self.

“What did you do, you mysterious girl,” Ella was amused.

“I sent an anonymous video, of him making out with his secretary, to his wife. And because he couldn’t get his car keys off his desk, he hitched a ride with his secretary home and was met with a divorce letter. The following day, when I got back to his office with my request again, he speedily approved it without delay. Somehow, he knew I was responsible for the video. He became horrified of all the things I was capable of doing.”

“That was indeed wicked. Don’t you think you went too far?” Ella questioned her in disbelief.

.....

“No, I didn’t, He had it coming. He had even flirted with me,” Susan lied. She had a knack for handsome, wealthy, and classy guys. She flirted with them at first. But when they turned her down, she would resort to violently blackmailing them. It gave her so much joy to see them suffering for rejecting her. If they had simply accepted her, they would have been enjoying bliss and warmth, or so she thought.

“Ella, I’m currently lodging in a hotel and it’s bloody expensive. Is there a place I could stay for three weeks? I could really use a friend’s help in this expensive city.” Susan made her first cunning request. Susan knew Ella’s kind-heartedness towards family and friends. Tapping her left forefinger lightly on her lips, she waited patiently for Ella’s response.

“Hmm... Three weeks you say. How about staying at my place, if that’s okay with you.”

“Oh, Ella, thank you...thank you...thank you.” Susan screamed into the phone overly excited. I love that beautiful villa. It is captivating! It is magnificent! it is paradise on earth... It is...”

“I never said anything about a villa, Susan! I clearly stated my home. I have a house before I moved to Leon’s villa, remember? You can stay there for three weeks.”

“Oh...! That’s harsh! You just burst my bubbles! But thanks anyway. Where are you now? I would love to come and get the keys now if you don’t mind?” Susan played her second request card.

“Umm... How about I hand them over to you tomorrow? I’m currently not in the best frame of mind to come out.” Ella bit her lower lips in anxiety. She knew it would be a bad idea to invite Susan over to Leon’s apartment.

“What if I come over and cheer you up? Just tell me where you are. Are you currently at the villa? I know my way there,” Susan persuaded.

“I’m not at the villa. But don’t worry yourself, like I said earlier, I will hand over the keys to you tomorrow.” Ella knew that Susan wasn’t going to give up on her. So she made up an excuse to end the call.

“Susan, I got to go. Leon just arrived. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Bye!” Ella ended the call without listening to Susan’s reply.

Susan hissed loudly when Ella abruptly ended the call. “I’ll show you, you little tramp! Do you think you can enjoy all the good things of life alone? You’ve definitely got that wrong! When I’m done with you, neither Leon nor Richard will want you.”

Susan clasped her hand and grinned maliciously as an ingenious idea hit her.

“Leon can’t stand Richard in close proximity to Ella. I have seen it at Springchad and I’ve witnessed it firsthand, back in the hospital. What if I set up Ella and Richard in her home and send an anonymous picture to Leon? After that, I would send Ella the video of Richard raping me. That would put the final nail to her coffin.” Susan chuckled wickedly at her smartness.

...

Leon walked into his executive warehouse and spoke with Sky for a while. He clenched his fist and scowled as Sky revealed everything that the brutalized falcon had confessed to him.

“He isn’t of much use to us anymore!” Leon looked menacingly into the interrogation room, through the two-way mirror.

The Falcon’s bloodied face was swollen and his clothes were covered in his blood. His head was bashed. Three of his fingers were missing from each hand that have been fastened to his seat. In his current state, death was a gift.

“No, boss! He is dead meat for the dogs.” Sky’s hideous voice echoed in the room.

Leon quietly stepped into the room where the Falcon was held, prisoner. He took a seat opposite him and smirked evilly at the physically drained man.

“So you sent your baboons after me?” Leon’s low but deep voice resounded in the empty room.

The Falcon shook his head in response. His weak eyes begged for mercy at the sight of the handsome bloodthirsty man seated opposite him.

“Would you like to know my other name, before I send you to the world beyond? Leons picked up a claw-like serrated dagger from the table beside him.

The Falcon continued to shake his head still pleading weakly for his life.

Leon stood and walked up closer to the Falcon. He squatted to look into the Falcon’s eyes before granting him penance.

“I am known as ‘Lyon the Annihilator’. Would you like to know what I annihilate?”

“Please...”

“No need to beg, your fate is sealed. But I would grant you a merciful death because I feel generous today,” Leon scowled.

“I don’t blame or judge you for your misconduct. In your next life, choose wisely and decipher when to reject a hit.” Leon brought down the serrated claw-like knife into the Falcon’s thigh like a lightning bolt. He twisted the dagger causing the man’s screeching screams to resound in the empty room. He took another same shape dagger and repeated the action in the second thigh.

Leon stood up and walked out of the interrogation room.

“Grant him a merciful death! Leon spoke in a frosty tone and left the warehouse.”

After driving for a while, Leon stopped and parked safely by the roadside. He sat back in his car deep in thoughts. If he decided to go after Richard with the vortex of fury burning in his heart, Ella would hate him for life. He thought of a way to deal with Richard but with Ella’s approval. He wanted Ella to despise Richard to the point that, if he was involved in a fatal accident that cost him his mobility for life, she wouldn’t feel sorry for him.

There was no denying that Leon had a dark side. He was certain Ella could sense it. But Richard was a guileful and deceptive young man. He had the potency to camouflage to his advantage.

Leon feared that Ella could fall victim to Richard’s deceptive claws. He needed solid proof to deal with Richard once and for all. After critically and logically analyzing various scenarios, Leon decided to monitor all of Richard’s movements. He called his spies and engage them with the tax of watching Richard’s every move, even when he left Amzone city.

Feeling a bit satisfied with his decision he started his engine and drove back to his second house. It had been just a few hours away from Ella and he missed her so much.

——————-

It had been a horrible experience for Chloe when she found out about Ella and Leon’s marriage. She was bedridden due to heartbreak and suicidal threats. After a few days of constant therapy and unconditional love showered by her parents, she recuperated slowly.

Through gossip from her friends in the media world, she discovered that Leon and Ella’s marriage was not accepted by both families. This acted as a ray of hope in her dark tunnel.

Chloe promised herself that if she couldn’t have Leon, then Ella was sure to have a miserable marriage with him. She would do everything in her power to see Ella ruined. She no longer cared about the dangers of pursuing Ella. Even though it would cost her her life. Her love for Leon was worth it all.

Didn’t they say, a true test of love is how much pain you’re willing to endure for it? As long as Leon was concerned, she could give her heart to him on a platter of gold.