Her Family Will Pay
Her Family Will Pay
"No that can't be possible, maybe I'm just overthinking the matter," she muttered to herself, shaking her head as if the physical gesture could dislodge the ridiculous thoughts that had taken root in her mind. The idea seemed absurd now that she was standing here looking at Allan, who was clearly interested in women if his appreciative glances at her were anything to go by.
Allan looked over at Queenie again, his eyes warm with the kind of genuine interest that suggested he found her both attractive and intriguing, which definitely put to rest any questions about Jamal's sexual preferences, at least where his best friend was concerned.
"Why did you call me," Jamal asked, his tone shifting from the casual banter to something more serious as he focused on his friend, clearly ready to get down to whatever business had brought them together in this private room.
"I wanted to talk to you privately. I didn't expect you to come with your wife," Allan said, glancing meaningfully at Queenie in a way that suggested whatever he had to discuss was sensitive, possibly confidential, and definitely not meant for her ears.
Jamal nodded, understanding immediately what his friend was getting at, the silent communication that came from years of friendship and shared experiences.
"I can give you guys privacy," Queenie said, sensing the tension in the room and feeling like an intruder in what was clearly going to be a private conversation between old friends.
"You don't even know your way around, where do you possibly want to go," Jamal asked, his voice carrying a note of concern that suggested he wasn't comfortable with the idea of her wandering around a club by herself, especially one where she was completely unfamiliar with the layout.
"Let me go get a drink from the receptionist," Queenie said, trying to sound casual and unconcerned about being left alone in an unfamiliar place filled with strangers and loud music.
"That's not important, anything he wants to say to me can wait till next time," Jamal said, his protective instincts clearly overriding whatever curiosity he might have about what Allan wanted to discuss so urgently.
"It's really fine, I can find my way, I'm no longer a kid," Queenie said, her voice carrying just enough irritation to suggest she didn't appreciate being treated like she couldn't handle herself in a simple social situation.
Jamal looked at her for a long moment, clearly weighing his concern for her safety against his friend's obvious need for privacy. "If you lose your way make sure to call me," Jamal said finally, his tone carrying the authority of someone who expected to be obeyed without question.
Queenie nodded, relieved to have won this small battle of independence. She glanced at Allan again who offered her a smile that was warm and genuinely friendly, the kind of expression that made her think she might like him under different circumstances.
She smiled back before walking away, her heels clicking against the polished floor as she made her way back toward the main area of the club, leaving the two men alone with whatever secrets they needed to discuss.
Immediately Queenie left, Jamal faced Allan, his posture shifting subtly as he prepared himself for whatever conversation his friend had been so eager to have in private. The casual mask he wore in public slipped slightly, revealing glimpses of the harder, more calculating man beneath.
"What's the problem," he asked, his voice direct and businesslike now that they were alone and could speak freely without worrying about what his wife might overhear.
"I must say I'm surprised, I didn't expect you to really get married, especially to her, have you forgotten what her father did to you," Allan asked, his voice carrying the weight of old memories and shared pain that stretched back years between them.
"She's part of my big plans," Jamal said as he took a seat, settling into the leather chair with the confident ease of someone who was completely in control of his destiny and everyone else's.
Allan looked at him and chuckled, but there was no humor in the sound, just the kind of bitter understanding that came from knowing someone well enough to recognize when they were being deliberately evasive.
"What is it that you're planning that would make you get married," Allan asked, leaning forward slightly as he tried to read his friend's expression in the dim lighting of the private room.
"The last time I checked you were never interested in getting into a relationship," Allan continued, his voice carrying the frustration of someone who felt like he was being shut out of something important.
"Then I guess it came as a shock to you which is perfectly fine and understandable," Jamal said, his tone maddeningly calm and noncommittal, giving nothing away about his true motivations or feelings.
"Why are you being so nonchalant about this matter, I'm your best friend, you should tell me what you're planning," Allan said, his voice rising slightly with emotion as years of shared confidence and mutual trust seemed to be crumbling before his eyes.
"I always shared my plans with you," he continued, the hurt clear in his voice as he tried to understand why this situation was different, why his oldest friend was suddenly keeping secrets.
"I've always dreamed of being your best man on your wedding day only for me to see the news that's trending," Allan said, the pain of being excluded from such a significant moment evident in every word he spoke.
"I have nothing to say other than what I've already said. She's part of my plans. One by one slowly and steadily I'll break the Vale family and make sure they regret ever messing with my family," Jamal said, his voice taking on the cold, calculated tone that Allan remembered from their younger days when Jamal had first started building his empire.
"Then once you accomplish your plan what will then happen to her," Allan asked, his voice quiet but insistent as he pressed for the answer he wasn't sure he wanted to hear.
Jamal kept mute, his silence stretching between them like a chasm filled with all the things he couldn't or wouldn't say, all the complicated emotions he was trying so hard to deny even to himself.
"Don't tell me you've started falling for her already, I mean she's really pretty which is very normal if you fall for her," Allan said, his voice carrying the kind of gentle understanding that came from years of watching his friend navigate the complicated waters of business and personal relationships.
"You're saying nonsense," Jamal said, but there was something in his voice, a slight defensive edge that suggested Allan had hit closer to the truth than either of them was comfortable admitting.
"I'm saying nonsense then why can't you reply to the question I asked you," Allan pressed, recognizing the deflection for what it was and refusing to let his friend off the hook so easily.
"I'll ask you again Jamal what will happen to her after you get your revenge," Allan asked, his voice carrying the persistence of someone who knew exactly how stubborn his friend could be when he didn't want to face uncomfortable truths.
"She's part of the Vale family of course you don't expect me to fall for someone whose father took something precious from me," Jamal said, his voice hardening as he forced himself to remember the pain and betrayal that had started this whole elaborate scheme.
"I'll only use her to get what I want," he continued, the words coming out like shards of glass, cutting even as he spoke them.
"Once I'm done then I'll cast her away she'll become nothing to me. We'll go our separate ways," he said, each word carefully chosen to convince both Allan and himself that his heart wasn't getting involved in what was supposed to be a purely business arrangement.
"Her family will pay the price of what Edward Vale did to me," he finished, his voice carrying the weight of years of planning and the cold determination that had driven him to this point, even as something deep inside him whispered that maybe, just maybe, things weren't quite as simple as he was pretending them to be.