Chapter 29: A game of wit.

ELLEN'S Pov

“Oh no! This can’t be happening,” I gasped the moment I raised my head.

Blood was plastered all over the windscreen of my car. My hands were glued to the steering, my eyes was widening in surprise and I just sat there, shocked.

My thoughts were a mess, scattered all over the place as I struggled to put the pieces of what just happened together.

A crowd was beginning to gather, and I began to tremble on the driver's seat, where I sat, wondering, “What was I going to do?”

A voice screamed in my mind, telling me to run, but another advised me to get down from the car to see what, or rather, who it was I just hit.

My lips quivered on their own as I saw the shocked expressions on the faces of everyone outside.

“I swear I didn’t know; he just came and ran out when I wasn’t looking,” I whispered in a shaky voice, speaking to no one in particular.

The windows on the side of my car were down, and I could hear the whispers of those outside.

“My goat!” A man screamed out of the blues, running from a distance till he got to where my car was. “You’ve killed my goat, oh no!”

At that moment, it dawned on me. I had not killed anyone; it was a goat—one that strayed away from its owner’s sight and into the road.

A long sigh of relief escaped my lips as my quivering lips became calm. I still felt chills around my body and sparks around my head.

I realized that the situation was not as serious as I thought. I came down from the car to see the goat I had hit. It lay on the ground, still gasping for air, with its owner crying beside it.

“Can you see what you have done to my goat? What were you thinking? I swear, you would pay for it!” He yelled, shaking his fists at me.

I felt bad for him—for a second or so before my expression darkened and all that moved through me was anger. The fact that Alissia was in the hospital and might wake up, destroying my plans, was one of the reasons for my supposed anger.

I also had to get home to meet with the lawyer to convince him to be on my side if possible so as to frustrate Bryan and get him out of my way for a while.

There was also the issue with the imposter, who she was, and what she was there to do. And yet, all this delay by a goat.

I tried to lash out at the man but decided against it. He was right; I should have been more careful with my driving. I checked the watch on my wrist and saw that the time was well spent and I needed to get home quickly.

There were some damages to the body, coupled with the blood and goat hair on the dashboard and windscreen on my car, but it was the least of my worries.

So I dipped my hand into my bag, brought out a bundle of cash, and threw it on his lap.

“There, get yourself another goat,” I said, marching back into my car.

I caught the look on his face as I drove off, and I could tell that he was shocked beyond words. He was probably expecting a fight, but there were urgent matters that needed to be settled.

Not even for a billion dollars would I bring myself so low, so much so that I would quarrel with some low-life peasant over a few hundred dollars, not when I had a reputation to protect.

Faster, but carefully, I drove home.

As I drifted into the garage of my house, I noticed the lawyer’s car already in the compound. I came down and threw the key to one of the guards walking about.

“Mrs. Dion,” the lawyer, rose up to greet me as I stepped on the red carpet that adorned the floor of the spacious living room.

“Mr. Ilios, please, have your seat, I responded, pointing to the chair he stood on.

He sat up straight, staring at me. I knew he was uncomfortable with the news he heard; anyone would be if they were in his shoes. I snapped my fingers, and a maid brought a bottle of El Drák, one of the most expensive wines exported from Spain.

A bodyguard followed after, carrying a briefcase and setting it on the mini table before us.

Mr. Ilios watched as all these went up without speaking a word. Our eyes met for a second, and I smiled in a bid to put his mind at rest.

“Mr. Ilios, I must say a very heartfelt thank you to you for honoring my invitation. Please make yourself comfortable,” I said as a glass of wine was poured by the maid and handed over to him.

“Thank you, Mrs. Dion,” he began, but I cut him short.

“Let’s drop the formalities, shall we? Please, call me Ella,” I appealed, squinting my eyes at the corners.

I could see him trembling in his seat. He dropped the glass of wine on the table and cleared his throat. “Ahem… You sent me very disturbing news. I find it hard to believe, Mrs. Sorrry Ella.”

"Yes, Mr. Ilios, I sent for you, and trust me on this, I meant every word I said,” I announced, dropping the bomb.

“B… but how?” He stammered. “Who is the lady I saw then?”

I smiled, knowing I had him just where I wanted him to be. It was the perfect time to play on his mind and get him to my side.

“It turns out the person you saw was an imposter, and I fear she might be working with Bryan,” I stated further.

“Bryan? He replied, surprised.

“Yes, Bryan,” I affirmed. “Tell me, Mr. Ilios, did Alissia come to you at any time for any special request? I demanded, crossing my legs as I studied his facial expressions.

He suddenly seemed uncomfortable. He looked around and recoiled in fear at the sight of my numerous bodies present around the house.

“Uh… I don’t know, ma’am; I’m not supposed to reveal my clients affairs to anyone without their permission,” he replied, stammering. He was sweating profusely like a man under severe pressure and began to fan himself with his hands despite the air conditioning blasting in full force.

Knowing he was going to be difficult to convince, I had prepared before hand. With a wink, one of my bodyguards came and opened the briefcase on the table, turning it towards the lawyers.

“Not even a hundred thousand dollars?” I asked.