Chapter 101: Friend?

Chapter 101: Friend? Mari’s hands trembled slightly as she killed the engine. The black car slowed down as it approached, and for a moment, she thought it would drive past. But then, to her horror, it pulled in too, parking a few spaces away. Her breath hitched. "Dad, they followed me in," she whispered. "Should I call the police?" "No. Stay inside. I’m on my way," he said firmly. "Don’t panic. Stay on the phone." Mari clenched her jaw. Panic? That was an understatement. She forced herself to take slow, steady breaths, keeping her eyes trained on the car. The tinted windows prevented her from seeing inside, but she could feel them watching her. She debated whether to get out of her car and find a way to escape or to just wait for her father. But before she could decide, the car doors opened. Mari’s stomach twisted when two men stepped out. They were dressed in dark clothing, and they moved with unsettling precision, their strides purposeful. They were coming straight for her. Her mind screamed at her to run, to get out and make a break for it, but she knew that opening the door would only make her vulnerable. Instead, she hit the lock button again, double-checking that all doors were secure. She raised her phone to her ear, "Dad, they’re right outside my car," she whispered urgently. One of the men stopped near the front of her car, while the other approached her driver’s side. Mari’s heart pounded. "Stay put. I’m almost there," he said, his voice tense. "Do not get out. No matter what." The man closest to her tapped on her window. Mari ignored him. Her father would be here soon. She just had to stall, Mari told herself. Km He tapped again, and her fingers clenched the phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. The man didn’t seem fazed. Slowly, he reached into his jacket. Mari’s stomach dropped. What was he doing? Was he pulling out a gun? Her breath caught when his hand emerged, she felt ice crawl up her spine. A gun. He didn’t raise nor aim it. He just cradled it in his palm, angled low enough to stay out of obvious sight but close enough that she understood the message loud and clear. The man tilted his head, asking her to unlock the door. Mari swallowed hard thinking about restarting the engine and zooming out of there. Why hadn’t she thought about that earlier before they got very close to her car? She mused as she tried to reach for the gear, ready to put the car back in drive, but the man gave a slow shake of his head. Don’t. What if they weren’t alone? What if they shot at her if she didn’t listen? What if they shot at her either way? Mari’s body jolted into action. She fumbled to restart the engine, but before she could, she noticed that the second man was at the passenger side, yanking the door handle. It was locked, but he didn’t hesitate. With terrifying efficiency, he pulled something from his pocket and jammed it into the door’s locking mechanism. With a click, he unlocked the door. "No!" Mari screamed, lunging to grab the handle, but it was too late. The door swung open. She lunged to grab the handle of the door, but it was too late. Rough hands grabbed her wrist, yanking her toward them. While she was trying to fight him off, he automatically unlocked the other doors. Mari kicked wildly, twisting in her seat, but the first man was already pulling open her driver’s side door, trapping her between them. Her phone slipped from her grasp, clattering to the floor. A cloth was shoved over her mouth. No! She thrashed, tried to hold her breath, but the sickly-sweet scent filled her lungs. Her vision blurred. Her limbs felt heavy. The last thing she saw was the gas station attendant stepping outside. Too far away to help, before everything went black. Away from there, as Jamal drove in through the gates, the first thing he noticed was Abigail standing at the balcony where Ryan had been earlier. She stood there watching as though she had been waiting for him for a while. Jamal’s lips curved as he watched her. Had she missed him? Was that the reason she was waiting out there? He mused, but just as he parked the car, the front door opened, and Genevieve stepped out, dressed in her sleeping robe. "Pete, what took you so long?" She asked, wrapping her arms around herself as she approached him, while Abigail watched the scene with a frown. "Mr Jamal wanted me to have a drink with him," Jamal said as he got out of the car and shut the door. "So he said. What did you both talk about? I hope you didn’t try to matchmake or say anything to him like my father asked you to?" Genevieve asked, since she had been very worried that he would do that. "No, I didn’t. I don’t think I need to do that," Jamal said, and she raised a brow. "What do you mean?" She asked, and Jamal shrugged. "I think he likes you," he said easily and watched as her eyes lit up despite how she tried to maintain her composure. "Why do you think so? Did he say something to you?" Genevieve asked, not minding that she was speaking with her driver. Abigail scowled as she watched them. Although she couldn’t hear them, she hated the sight of Genevieve talking to Jamal dressed in her sleeping robe. She knew very well the kind of person Genevieve was, and she wouldn’t put it past Genevieve to try to seduce Jamal. In as much as she would love to trust Jamal, he was like an innocent baby in her eyes, compared to Genevieve who was like a shark and could just pounce on him and devour him. As though reading her mind, Jamal glanced up at her and held her gaze for a moment before looking back at Genevieve. "Our discussion was confidential. I can’t tell you about it. He told me in trust as his friend," Jamal said, and Genevieve snorted. "Friend? Did he say you were friends?" Genevieve asked with a raised brow and Jamal nodded. "Yes. He asked me to be his friend," he said, and she eyed him doubtfully. She wouldn’t put it past Jamal to ask Pete to be his friend, seeing as he had suggested they ask him to join them for breakfast that morning. Why did Jamal seem to like Pete? She mused, and then decided that if Jamal liked Pete, then maybe it was best she liked him too and treated him as Jamal would treat him. "I see. Still, I’m your employer. Shouldn’t you tell me what my friend said about me in my absence?" She pressed. "I’m sorry, I prefer to keep people’s secret a secret unless they tell me otherwise," he said, and she looked at him for a moment. "Does that mean you won’t tell my dad what he told you too?" She asked, and he nodded. "Alright then. I won’t keep you. Thanks for today. Goodnight," she said, and just as she turned to leave, Jamal stopped her. "Am I driving you tomorrow or would you rather drive alone as you did today?" He asked, and she turned back to him. "Hm. I’ll let you know by morning," she said, and then turned to leave but hesitated again. "By the way, how did it go today with Abigail? Was she able to go shopping as she planned?" "No. There was no time for it. Your father kept calling so we had to come back. But he had them deliver some clothes to her," he said, and she nodded. "I see. I hope you were polite to her. You better not look down on her because she is mute," Genevieve warned before walking away. As she walked away, Jamal looked up, and groaned inwardly when he saw Abigail glaring at him. The moment their eyes met, she turned and walked inside the house. What had he done wrong now?