“Wicked doesn’t even begin to describe you! How could you? Sending violent thugs to come and assault me and an innocent girl? Huh? You’re an evil woman, Elizabeth! Very evil woman!”

“You think I’m the evil one? Me mohm, I’m the bad one? Joker! You are the wicked one, Philip, you are the wicked one! After everything I’ve done for you! After I stood by you through all those hard times, when you had nothing, you betray me! Sleeping with some useless prostitute!”

“Oh, massa, please, please, please, stop it with that tired speech. Yes, I know, you stood by me, but that doesn’t mean I have to stay chained to you now! You standing by me doesn’t change the fact that you don’t excite me anymore. And frankly, you haven’t in years. Why won’t I go for fresh blood?”

“You ungrateful bastard! I gave you everything. I built you up when you were at your lowest. I helped you to become who you are. And this is how you repay me? By humiliating me with this… this little sidepiece who’s not even a fraction of the woman I am?”

“Herh! See what she’s saying ooo! Have you seen the breasts on that girl? Huh? Have you seen the fullness of those boobs? Not even a fraction of the diɛben? Get away! You think you’re entitled to my loyalty just because you helped me once? With your haggard, controlling, constantly nagging ass? Please! I deserve better!”

“Fuck you, Philip! Fuck you and your entire generation! Fuck you and that dirty whore of yours! Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!”

“That’s it! I’m done. We are done. I’m leaving this place, and I’m calling my lawyer straight away. I am going to divorce you. And I swear on my father’s grave, I will make sure you leave this marriage with nothing. Not a cent. Do you hear me? Nothing!”

It was another busy day in Quantum Leap Capital. In the office of the company’s Hedge Fund Manager, Mr. Graham was seated at his desk, staring at the papers in front of him. He tapped his pen absentmindedly against the side of the table, his thoughts on the upcoming call with his lawyer.

The time had come to end that charade he called a marriage. She had helped him when he was down, sure, but that was in the past. He didn’t owe her any obligation to stick only to her, especially considering how boring she had become. And the fact that she arranged for thugs to beat him and his sweet plaything up was unforgivable.

He had already moved out of the house after a most vicious argument, replete with Elizabeth throwing glasses and vases at him while cussing him and his entire family tree, settling in a hotel in the interim. As he waited for the lawyer to call, his main concern was the property involved. Ending the marriage was simple enough, but he wanted to punish her for daring to employ Rex’s men to hurt him and his girl. And ensuring she got absolutely nothing out of this divorce was the best way to break her, as far as he was concerned.

Then he could get back to playing with his favourite girl. For obvious reasons, she was staying at the Duplex, but he sure couldn’t wait to get back in her bed and give her the strokes she deserved! How badly he missed that magnificent body!

His phone buzzed, breaking his reverie. He glanced at the screen and saw Darlow’s name flashing. Frowning in disappointment that it wasn’t his lawyer, he picked up the call regardless.

“Darlow! What’s going on, my good man?”

A sigh followed. Then a moment of silence.

Mr. Graham raised an eyebrow. “Uh, Darlow? Are you there?”

“Yeah, yeah, Mr. Graham,” Darlow began, sounding uncharacteristically shaky. “Umm, it’s just … something happened last night. Something… terrible.”

Mr. Graham’s grip on the phone tightened, and panic instantly dropped in his bowels. “Why? What? What happened?”

Darlow took a deep breath, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Three of my men… and Brianna and Saree… They’re gone.”

For a moment, Mr. Graham couldn’t process the words. “Uh… gone?” he echoed faintly. “What do you mean, gone?”

“They went to complete a transaction yesterday,” Darlow explained, his voice hollow. “A deal with Rafael and Alonso. Everything went smoothly, you know those fools fold at the sight of a sexy woman. They wrapped it up and left the site. But…” He paused, struggling with the next couple of words. “There… there was an explosion. A… a-a bomb was attached to the car. They didn’t make it. Gillie. Pee-Tee. Jauns. Saree. And… and your girl… they’re gone. I’m sorry… so sorry…”

Mr. Graham’s heart felt like it had stopped.

He leaned back in his chair, feeling like the air in the room had suddenly vanished. “Oh my God…” His voice cracked. “Brianna… my sweet, sexy Brianna… but… who-who did this?”

Darlow’s voice dropped even lower, tinged with fury. “Rex is behind it. He sent me a video, showing the explosion. He wanted us to know it was him. He decided to hit back. He… hit us hard, chale. He hit us really hard. Now our people are gone.”

Mr. Graham sat in stunned silence, his mind reeling. For a few seconds, he struggled to breathe. This could not be real. It was only a few seconds ago he was fantasizing about having Brianna’s breasts in his face. Now suddenly, he was receiving news that she was caught up in a targeted assassination?

“I-I… I can’t believe this,” he finally managed, the hurt apparent in his voice.

Darlow took another deep breath over the line. “So… we’re meeting tonight to discuss the way forward. In light of this tragedy. You need to be there. This involves all of us now. And we know Brianna was your plaything. So please, we need you there. It’s at 6 pm. Usual headquarters.”

Mr. Graham nodded reflexively. “I’ll be there,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

“Good,” Darlow replied, the faintest hint of gratitude in his tone. “We’ll talk then. See you.”

The line went dead, leaving Mr. Graham in suffocating silence.

He set the phone down on his desk and stared at it, his mind now a swirling storm of grief, rage, and disbelief. Memories of his time with Brianna sprang to mind, each sweet moment of intimacy between them now cutting like sharp little blades.

His favourite girl was gone. Just like that.

***

“Ahhh, such a beautiful work of art!” Rex sighed, a satisfied smirk on his face as he rewatched the video of the explosion. “I knew you’re a genius with harrowing ideas, Koni, but this… this is a masterpiece!”

Koni and G-Tack nodded as they sat before Rex in his office, looking pleased at their boss’ approval. “Nothing a lil UVIED can’t sort out, you feel me? It was easy-peasy! Now they’re gonna know they ain’t fucking with some dumbass schoolboys. We’re bigger and better than they could ever be!”

Rex nodded. “You’re damn right about that! The son of a bitch hasn’t responded since I sent him the video and the warning. And you can bet he can’t do shit! Nobody fucks with me and gets away with it. Nobody! It’s been that way since time immemorial, and nothing’s changing that! I will not be scorned, and I will not be disrespected! Never!”

***

“Do you see that, you little shit? Do you see that? Let this be a reminder to you and your stupid little boys. Nobody messes with me and gets away with it. You think you can cross me? Try me again, and next time, I’ll burn you and your fucking little clique down!”

The meeting room in the Duplex that early evening was packed, the tension so thick it could almost suffocate a person. The air was heavy with the weight of loss, and associates were fiercely debating what to do as they waited for the arrival of Mr. Graham.

“Chale, chale, chale! We can’t just let this slide! They’ve killed three of our strong niggas, and those two sexy bitches! If we let them walk, we’re as good as dead anyway.”

“Massa, inobi smooth matter like that ooo. That Basilisk Garrison, them be beasts oo…”

Standing at the head of the large table, his face etched with a grim disposition, Darlow’s attention was barely on the various opinions flying around. As the content of Rex’s vicious message following the horrid explosion video echoed in his mind, he thought about the conversation he and Mr. Graham had half an hour before the meeting.

It appeared the financier had come up with a plan for the Duplex, and wanted to convey it to the entire faction at the meeting.

How did he feel about it?

Conflicted.

He didn’t really enjoy the direction of this plan; left to him alone, an entirely different approach would have been adopted. But Mr. Graham had promised to furnish him and the others with more details, so maybe he’d be sold out once he was done.

Whatever the case was, he needed help right now. This attack from Basilisk Garrison had proper rocked the Duplex, and it was clear that cracks of fear were seeping in. He had literally spent the day alternating between dealing with his own grief and shock, comforting Kofi and Romie who were both extremely broken by the losses of Saree and Brianna, and holding the mourning associates together. If Mr. Graham could step in and help, that would be magnificent.

The room was a cacophony of voices, some calling for vengeance, others for caution. Darlow simply stayed silent, watching as the debate raged on.

Then, the door creaked open.

And in stepped the man they were all waiting for.

Everyone fell silent as Mr. Graham walked into the room. His face was pale and his eyes shadowed with grief, but his posture was upright. He looked like a man stricken with profound grief, but also a man with a plan concerning the source of that grief.

He slowly walked to the center of the table. No one uttered a word, waiting on him. Even Darlow stepped aside, giving him the floor.

Mr. Graham took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping the room as he began. “I would’ve said good evening, but… obviously, there’s nothing good about the evening right now. I know you’re all hurting. I am, too. I really am.”

His voice was low but steady. “What happened… it’s unforgivable. Totally unforgivable. Gillie, Pee-Tee, Jauns… these weren’t just names on a roster. They were family. Solid family. Saree, we know her value to the Duplex and how much she helped with some missions and stuff. As for Brianna… hmm, you guys know that was my sweet plaything. My sweet, sexy Brianna…”

The steadiness in his voice broke as he mentioned Brianna’s name. Everyone remained silent as he stopped and took in a deep breath, fighting back the tears that burned his eyelids with their threat to spill.

He opened his eyes, and looked around the table. “I’ve thought long and hard about this. About what Rex has done. About what we need to do now. The bastard’s set down a huge gauntlet, and he’s made it very clear to us how far he can go. I know some of you think we need to go hard after him, and some of you think we should be careful. I know. Obviously, those opinions will be flying around. But after Darlow told me to come this morning, and I thought long and hard about this, a plan came to mind.

“Now I’m going to share this with you, and… please, hear me out to the end. I know it won’t sound good, and a lot of you won’t like it, but believe me, this is the best route to take, in light of what we’ve just suffered. We’re dealing with one hell of a ferocious foe, and wisdom is very much needed to move forward. This is the wisest way to go, as far as I’m concerned. It won’t seem that way in the beginning, but in the long run, you’ll all see I was right.”

The room was still as stone, every person holding their breath.

Mr. Graham straightened, his face a mask of steely resolve.

“Now, let me start,” he stated, “and remember, once we start, there’s no turning back. So, this is the plan…”

Well, what could this plan be? Coz they seem seriously humbled by this loss. What does Mr. Graham have in mind?