News of Benedict holdings been back in the hands of the rightful owners had caused little to no ripples at all. A shadow of its former self; it had long lost its footing in the business world. Abandoned by its share holders and investors, very few people had any hopes for it.

Dressed in a sexy, wine- red maxi dress, with her long blond locks hanging down her shoulders, Clere sat in the garden going through the company documents. She was determined to bring the company back to its glory days.

“Miss Benedicts. Good morning,” a deep baritone voice that could rival Barry White greeted her.

Clere lifted up her head to look at the sturdily built and dark umber skinned man who stood in front of the garden table. He was dressed in a blue blazer paired with a white crew neck tee shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers.

She looked at him with a frown then nervously shot a look past him, towards the garden gates.

“ Don’t worry your mother already went inside,” he told her as he pulled a chair and sat down.

Clere heaved a sigh of relief. The last thing she needed was her parents finding out what she was planning. She looked up at the Adonis before her with a frown on her face. “ What are you doing here? You shouldn’t have come here.”

The broad shouldered man who was spotting a chin strap beard threw her a disarming smile as he relaxed in his seat. “ I was in the neighborhood so I decided to pass by.”

“I see. Has the deed been done already? “

“I am working on it. Its not easy to get close to a man like Ian.”

“Mr.Monde,’ she began, casting the adonis before her an impatient look , “I do not pay to you to make excuses .I want results. Its been days already; are you sure you are up for?”

Monde Lubasi owned a successful Private Investigations agency. Doing what Clere wanted him to do was way out of his league but because he had taken a fancy to her from the first day he met her, he felt obligated to protect her, even from her self. Even if her request was way out of his league, it wasn’t impossible for him. Monde had done his investigation on Ian and what he found out about him was quite disturbing. Behind the mask of a power hungry business tycoon was a perverted sadist who preyed on the weak and powerless.

He had gotten away with so many crimes for many years due to his wealth, power and connections.

Before, even though he was not privy to the info of how the two got acquainted to the point the young beauty would want to take such drastic measures the sudden changes at Benedict Holdings the night after Clere spent a few hours in a certain hotel room registered under her name told him all he needed to know.

One if his men shadowing Ian had alerted him to Clere's arrival in the hotel soon after Ian. When he later saw her leaving the hotel looking weak and dazed as she clutched a folder close to her chest; he could only put two and two together.

‘’I just want you to understand and appreciate the situation .Ian Anderson is a powerful man…’’

‘Tell me, is there a reason why you are trying so hard to persuade me not to do this?”

The thrirty-one year old former soldier was taken aback that she saw through him so easily but then again, he hadn’t been too subtle in hiding his motives. Discarding his playful look, he pinned her down with his sharp liquid brown gaze. “ I am going to ask this of you for the last time, are you sure you really want to do this?”

“Ian Anderson deserves everything that is coming his way.” She reached for her cheque book, opened it, signed on it then ripped the page and handed it to him.

Clere's words sunk Monde’s heart. Having lived for almost thirty-two years; he was well aware there were some lines that once crossed, you could not go back to your former self. Even though he was reluctant to carry out her request, the determined look in her green that brook no argument had him nodding his head.

"Fine, but we will do this my way.”

Clere raised her neatly penciled brows at the man before him. “ I am the client here Mr. Monde.”

“My way or the deal is off Miss Benedict.”

“Fine. What do you have in mind?”

Det. Monde spent the next twenty minutes giving her a full detailed plan that did not involve shedding of blood. Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Charlotte, who carried a tray of snacks.

Clere quickly covered the documents on the table with one of her economics books as her mother headed towards them, something that Det. Monde did not miss.

Later, Clere stood by the window and watched the tall, dark man get in his car and drive off .Only after the vehicle had disappeared from her sight did she heave in relief .She had no idea what she would have done if Monde had decided to call her bull to her face and walked .Each day that passed her anger and hatred for Ian grew. She wasn’t going to be at peace until he had paid.

Her mother walked into the room carrying a laundry basket. “Clere, who was that handsome young man. He is so charming and polite. Is he your suitor?

Clere nearly rolled her eyes, "Just an acquaintance mom,” she answered quickly before her mother could put her match making skills into play. “Where is dad?I want to talk to him.’’

“On a video conference call with Ronald.’’

‘’What about?’’

Ronald Mudenda was one of the few employees who had stuck with them through the whole Ian fiasco.

“I don’t know. Some company stuff. I think your father wants him to run things for him while he recuperates .’’

“No,’’ Clere protested already heading towards the study. “Dad can’t do that. Hasn’t he learnt anything from what had happened with Ian?’’

‘’But he is only one we can rely on at this moment. There is no one who can do this better than him. You father has had too many death scares .He is just not yet ready for this dog eat dog world. The stress will send him back into the hospital. Am afraid that he might not survive the next attack.”

She stopped mid-stride on the stairs and turned to face her." Then I will do it.’’

Charlotte was taken by surprise. " What?"

"I will run the company in dads stead."

" Honey, I know you mean well but we can’t ask that of you .You are just a kid.’’

Clere scoffed internally as a feeble smile fleetingly flickered on her face. A kid? If only she knew. “I'm eighteen years old. I know all that there is to know about the company.’’

Charlotte put the basket down and went up to her daughter. She reached for the girl's hand. “Honey, I know you mean well but this is not for you. It’s a cruel and cutthroat world. It will rob you of your innocence.’’

Clere looked down at her mother who stood a step below her. “You don’t have to worry about me mom. I know all there is to know about the company and what I don’t know, I will learn along the way.”

“But honey, that is not what you need right now. You need to go out to college, meet friends, have a boyfriend-live a little.” Charlotte always felt sorry and guilty towards her only child. She had been only twelve when Ian ruined their lives. The past six years had been a roller coaster of emotions and unending drama. “ You know that man who just left, he is very handsome and looks like a nice young man .You should try dating him if he is single.’’

Clere frowned at her and headed up. She wasn’t going to be swayed by anything else. She had already made up her mind. Her father had put too much trust in Ian Anderson and he had nearly paid with his life. She wasn’t going to let the same mistake repeat itself. She knew where her mother’s fears came from, but her mother had nothing to worry about. She did not lose what was most important to a woman just to have someone ruin it all.

***

Walking past his son’s office, Edmond Zimba stopped and watched him through the glass wall as he sat lost in thought. He walked over to his office door, knocked and entered when there was no answer.

“Lemba?’’

‘’Dad?’’ he turned his chair to face him.

‘’Everything okay? You haven’t been yourself of late. Tell me, are you regretting your decision?’’

Edmond had been worried about him but had decided to give him space hoping he would come to him when he was ready to talk.

‘’How did you know mum was the one? Can you really love someone at first sight?’’

‘’I guess. Where is this coming from?’’

“I think am in love.’’

Edmond was taken aback as his son talked of the woman he was supposedly in love with. He didn’t know what to make of it. He had only dated Nacilele and was afraid it could be rebound love.

“Trust me, dad. It’s not. I am really in love with this girl.’’

He couldn’t help but laugh at his father’s fears. He had had a month to think through things and with each day that passed, he was more convinced that the woman he had met on the night he officially announced the end of his relationship with Nacilele was the one.

****

Teliwe was busy with her customers when Edmond and Edna pulled up in the driveway. The garden was located in the affluent residential area. Edna, a petite and elegant woman, consulted the piece of paper in her hands when her husband asked if they were at the right place.

They got out when she confirmed it was. They went in and were welcomed at the gates by Arnold. They asked to speak to the owner but Teliwe was held up with other clients so, he offered to show them around. By the time the tour was over on the forty by forty residential plot and they headed to one of the two chalets that served as an office, they were both in awe at the beauty of the place. Teliwe joined them and Arnold introduced them as the Zimba’s.

“So what can I do for you?’’

‘’Chonta actually sent us to you,’’ Edna said and told her she was her sister-in-law and her husband’s cousin.

Teliwe smiled at the mention of the woman who was more a mother to her than her own. “Any friends of aunt Chonta are friends of mine.’’

And so they sat and got to plan for the best landscape that suited their just finished house.The couple were very impressed with the young girl and Edna would not stop talking about her on their way home.

***

Later that night, the Benedicts sat their daughter down. But Clere could not be moved for anything.

“Don’t argue with me on this. My mind is made up.’’

‘’Honey, your mother is right. You have a life and we can’t take that away from you. Ten years from now, you might be regretting your decision. Besides this is a sacrifice I can’t ask of you,’’ her father said.

If only you knew, she thought looking down. She had sold her virginity to the pervert Ian in exchange for the company. It was a secret she would carry with her, to the grave. “Its no sacrifice. Can we please talk about something else?’’

But her father was not barging either, he even brought on his ‘Dad is angry voice' but that too would not sway her.

‘’Thank you for protecting me always but your little girl is not so little anymore. You can’t protect me always.’’

She was grateful that they loved her this much but their love would not right the wrongs Ian had done to them. She went and hugged her father in the wheelchair and assured him that she would be fine.

‘’What about her dreams?’’ Charlotte asked.

‘’They were just pipeline dreams mom. What matters now is restoring the glory the company once had.’’

Bernard was frustrated with his daughter's stubbornness. She was his only daughter. His only child. He cursed the wheelchair he was bound to. If he had been able-bodied, she wouldn’t be sacrificing so much.

***

The Zimba’s were having dinner when Lemba came down, dressed for the night.

‘’Son, I didn’t realize you were home. Are you going out?’’ she asked. “Come join us for dinner.’’

It had been a while since she had seen him around the house since that night of the party and it was worrying her but she choose to let him come to her when he was ready to talk. She had liked Nacilele for him and thought of her as the ideal daughter in law. She had been disappointed to know they had not been doing so well after all. She hoped they would get back together.

‘’There is something I must do,’’ he said fastening the wristwatch. His mother told him she would leave his share in the microwave.

Easineya watched him go amused.‘’ I can’t believe he still gets to go about like all is well after breaking Nancy’s heart.’’

‘’How is she?’’ Edmond asked.

Easineya shrugged his shoulders. “She has it worse. He really messed up this time.’’

‘’And we are not going to interfere. That is his business,’’ her father said. Easineya pushed back her chair.

‘’I’m going over to see her. It’s the least I can do after my brother made a fool out of her and turned her into the town’s laughing stock,’’ she said when all she wanted was to tell her father that it was a silly rule.

‘’There’s some Chikanda I baked this morning.’’ Edna said. “Take them some and do ask Nacilele to visit sometime.’’

Later as they prepared to go to bed, Edna sat at the dressing mirror and talked to her husband’s reflection in the mirror.

‘’So,’’ she began, “Are you going to share?’’

Edmond looked up from the book he was reading. “What about?’’

‘’Where does our son disappear to every night?’’

‘’Oh, that. He thinks he is in love. So every night, he goes out to look for his mysterious girl.’’

He told her what her son had told him and Edna was appalled. “Edmond, how can you be okay with all this?’’

‘’I wouldn’t worry much about him if I were you. All he has to go by is her name and the memories of the night they spent together.’’

‘’What kind of girl sleeps with a total stranger just because she had her heartbroken? And our son? What was he thinking?’’

Edmond tried to assure her that it was nothing but Edna wasn’t having any of it. She was scandalized.