Chapter 65 DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
\[IXORA’S HOUSE\]
“Morning, mum,” Ixora greeted, climbing down the stairs.
Georgia smiled. “How was your night?”
Ixora held her rails, smiling to herself. “Amazing.”
Georgia narrowed her brow, staring at Ixora. “You look exceptionally happy today. What happened?”
Ixora shook her head and glanced at the door to see Nelly coming in.
“Xora,” Nelly mumbled.
“You’re here,” Georgia said, standing up. She picked up her purse from the table.
Ixora looked away from Nelly. “Mum, where are you going?”
“We have a meeting, and your dad is coming back. I will go to the airport straight from the office,” Georgia explained.
Ixora walked to her mother. “Great. I will come with you. Drop me off at work.” She held her mum’s hand.
Georgia glanced between her and Nelly, noticing the awkwardness between them.
“But, Nelly is...”
“Mum, I have to go to work.” Ixora cut her off.
“Okay.” Georgia stretched, leading the way.
She smiled at Nelly when she got to her. Ixora wanted to walk past Nelly when Nelly held her hand.
“Can we talk?” she muttered. “Please,” she added.
Georgia went to Ixora. “I don’t know what happened to both of you. I can feel you are ignoring her. She’s your friend, talk it out with her. Hmm,” she cupped her cheek with her right hand. “Go, listen to her.” Georgia left.
As they walked inside, silence reigned between them. Nelly lowered her gaze, having no idea how to start.
“Are you hungry?” Ixora asked, breaking the silence. “I’ll get us something to eat.” Ixora wanted to leave when Nelly spoke up.
“I’m sorry.”
Ixora stopped on her steps.
Nelly came to her front. “I’m sorry. I overreacted when I shouldn’t. No matter how angry I got, I shouldn’t have asked you to leave my house,” she held her ears, pouting. “Sorry.”
Ixora laughed, bringing down her hand. “Stop being dramatic. I’m also at fault. I was wrong to have touched your stuff. I shouldn’t have snooped around, so I’m sorry as well.” She pulled her into a hug.
“No,” Nelly broke the hug. “You are right. I know so much about you, yet you barely know a thing about me. I know I’m not open about myself, and I hope you can give me some time.”
“It’s okay, I understand,” Ixora muttered.
Nelly smiled, pulling her into a hug. “You’re the best.”
The same silence reigned between them again until Nelly broke it.
“You wanted to know who Nashira was, right?”
Ixora broke the hug, staring at her.
Nelly exhaled. “Nashira was a friend of mine who’s now late,” Nelly turned, slowly walking away. “We were close back then. She was my friend, my only companion. She was the only one I could confide in. She was like my other half, and one day, the same one I could confide in, betrayed me. I was hurt and became mentally unavailable for months. She had died. I could barely move on until I found you. I lost my cool that day because you brought back old memories I want to forget,” she sniffled, taking off her glasses to wipe her tears.
Ixora held her hand. “I’m so sorry. I should have tried to understand you. It’s all my fault for awakening buried memories. Forgive me.” Ixora wiped Nelly’s tears, feeling tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.
“I will try to be understanding next time and not jump right into conclusions,” Ixora said, patting Nelly’s back as her tears wet her clothes.
“Stop crying,” Ixora whispered.
Nelly raised her face, wiping the remaining traces of tears. Her eyes fell on Ixora’s shoulder.
“I just ruined your clothes, sorry,” she mumbled, wearing her glasses.
“No, it’s fine. I can skip work today.”
“Your boss...” Nelly trailed.
“It’s fine. For some reason, he doesn’t care if I come to work or not. Let’s go inside.” Ixora held her hand, taking her in.
\[HELL DEVILS’ HIDEOUT\]
“Old man’s coming back today,” Maddox muttered when Jaxon walked in.
Jaxon nodded, settling beside Maddox. He peeked at his phone to see Maddox scrolling through Nelly’s information.
“Is it me or just like Drexton, you’re getting obsessed with her?” Jaxon slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette.
Maddox shot him a glance. “She’s interesting. And obsessed? Psychotic.”
Jaxon took in a long drag, fixing his eyes on Nelly’s picture.
“Where’s Drexton?” he asked.
“Balcony,” Maddox replied, pocketing his phone as they both stood up and headed to the balcony.
\--
Drexton had his gaze fixed on a blackboard. On the board were pictures—pictures of people they’d kill.
Georgia, Smith, Cesario and Mrs. Vaughn. Each one of them has a knife in between their eyes and blood smeared on the picture.
Drexton’s blood was smeared on Georgia, Smith and Mrs. Vaughn, while Cesario had Maddox’s and Jaxon’s blood... he’s theirs to kill.
Drexton kept the extra two pictures he had come to keep, Lorraine and Bonnie. He picked up two knives and buried one knife in between their eyes.
Using another knife, he cut his wrist, his blood smeared on the knife. He kept the knife and raised his hand above their pictures, letting his blood drop on the pictures.
He felt satisfied seeing the blood that was on the sides of their faces.
They look good that way, and he was going to make sure they got that look.
Their mistake was playing with Ixora’s life, and their lives were going to bear the consequences—guilty as hell.
He took out a shot from his pocket and sank it into his arm, releasing the contents into his system.
His eyes were on his palm, and soon, the blood stopped flowing.
“Lorraine and Bonnie?” Maddox asked, with Jaxon behind him.
“They’d die by my hands,” Drexton replied, turning to face them.
“Six people to kill, the list keeps topping,” Jaxon grinned, putting off his cigarette.
“Vaughn isn’t trying to find her husband’s killers again. Perfect charade to fool black men,” Maddox said.
“And it worked.”
Drexton walked to the wall and picked up an ink.
He stretched his hand, slicing the air into an X pattern, as he splashed the ink on the wall. The ink met the wall with a loud splash, landing on the ground as the content he wanted to show slowly revealed itself.
It was a viper, the mouth wide open as it spat out venom.
Maddox and Jaxon walked towards him, staring at the thing he had sketched.
“What is that?”
“VIPoison organization,” Drexton muttered, feeling the rawness behind his words.
\[FIVE-STAR HOTEL\]
Mrs. Vaughn came out of the bathroom, a white towel draped over her chest. She sat on the dressing table and took her cream.
She began creaming her body, glancing over her shoulder at the man in the room.
His back was to her as he made several calls. He was dressed in a black suit, exuding raw energy and power. The way his lips moved beneath the mask he was wearing, and his finger worked on the table, was enough to show his authority.
She had no idea who he was speaking to, but whoever it was had something to do with him.
She might have hung out with him, but had never seen his face... he never takes off his mask.
She had no idea why he was always in a mask. Rumors from her informant said he was bad-looking and always hid his face behind the mask—no idea.
No matter the rumor, it didn’t stop women from wanting him... women like herself who needed more power to add to their collection. Power attracts worship, and she’d do anything to have them all.
And for the masks, he’s always sensitive about the mask. She had tried removing it when he was asleep, only to meet a silver metal mask beneath the black mask. Since then, she’s given up.
When their relationship was nothing but unending nights of sex, seeing his face was the least of her worries. Her benefits matter the most.
Seeing he had finished the call, she stood, leaving the towel on the chair as she walked to his bed and sat.
“J.K.,” A name he’s called. She hugged him from the back. “It remains to have his wealth transferred into my name,” she whispered.
“Sly fox,” he said, his voice carrying as much power as he looked. Even the room could feel the energy behind the huskiness that filled the room.
Mrs. Vaughn smiled, kissing his neck. “And that makes us a perfect team. We both are after the same thing, right?”
J. K finally faced her. She shuddered in fear, seeing his eyes. His eyes were nothing but milky orbs. No iris, no pupil. They might have met countless times, but his eyes that had no pupils still scare the shit out of her—who could be born without a pupil.
She was able to mask her fear, readjusting her position on the bed.
“The world respects and, at the same time, fears power. We work together, we achieve our goals.”
“And that is why I had to kill my daughter. She knows something that would have the government seize the properties I’ve worked for. I feared she might turn selfish when she finds out I’m not her mother. Pretending to care for her was sickening while I watched her real mother gather enough fame and power. The thoughts alone itch my skin, and I had to do something,” she muttered the last part, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.
She glanced at J.K. to see him looking at her. “What?”
He did something with his lips, which she’s sure was a smile, before pulling her closer to him.
“I’m just thinking if I had met you sooner, you’d be my mistress. The devil’s mistress.” He pressed his masked lips on hers, kissing her.
He broke the kiss, and Mrs. Vaughn traced invincible lines on his shoulder. “Now, tell me, why did you come to New York? I know you have no business here.”
He nudged her body away from his. “I’m here to take my daughter-in-law,” he said, his voice sounding like he wanted to put a stop to the conversation.
“Daughter-in-law?”