Chapter 50: Careful?

Chapter 50: Careful? After the phone call with Jamal and Emily, Mari sighed as she set her phone down on the bed and laid down, thinking about Jamal’s plan. Jamal’s love life was like a soap opera and he never failed to bring entertainment, but now that their conversation was over, she was back to being bored again. She picked up her glasses and put it on when her phone vibrated with a text message notification, and she picked it up when she saw it was a text from Emily. [I guess Jamal won’t be around for your birthday party next weekend.] "Damn!" Mari muttered when it occurred to her that she had not thought about that. It was going to be her twenty fifth birthday the next Friday and they had agreed to go clubbing together to celebrate it. She had been looking forward to it. [I guess it can’t be helped. This means you can’t bail out on me no matter what, okay? So, make sure you sort out whatever you have to do at the hospital.] Mari texted Emily back. With a sigh she pushed herself up from the bed, and tucked her phone into the pocket of her bumshort before heading for downstairs to check on the arrangement being done. As she walked through the hallways, she could hear the faint sound of voices coming from the guest bedrooms. The maids were hard at work, freshening up the rooms for the GEL club ladies. Mari barely paid attention to what they were saying as she made her way past, her mind drifting to how different life had become over the years. She would be twenty five soon and although her career as an ethical hacker was going well and she was financially stable, she was feeling quite empty and restless. She felt like there was something more. Something out there for her, yet she had no idea what it was. As she descended the staircase, and headed for the kitchen, she passed by her father’s study That was when she heard it. A usually tense voice. Her father’s voice. Mari paused mid-step, her breath hitching at the unusual edge in his tone. It wasn’t just serious— it was tense, almost urgent. Frowning, she moved closer, pressing herself against the wall just outside the door. "...And you’re sure they are behind it?" Alex’s voice was low and sharp. "All of them?" He asked after a pause. There was another brief pause. "How much do they know? Have they started asking questions?" Mari felt her heartbeat quicken. Who was he talking about? What was going on? "...What about my daughter? Do you think they know about her yet?" Mari’s breath caught. What? Who was he talking about? And why would someone knowing about her be a problem? She didn’t have time to think it over. Her body moved on its own. She pushed open the study door. Her father, Alex, froze the moment he saw her. He ended the call immediately, lowering the phone from his ear. His gaze locked onto hers, his expression unreadable, but there was something in his eyes— something guarded. "Mari." His voice was calm, but she could hear the remnant of the tension beneath it. "What are you doing here?" Mari folded her arms and raised a brow. "What do you mean? I live here." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Don’t get smart with me. Why aren’t you at your office?" She tilted her head. "Mom’s hosting the GEL club ladies, remember? I figured I’d help her supervise things since she’s busy at the studio." Alex exhaled through his nose and placed his phone down on the desk. Mari took a step forward, eyeing him carefully as she adjusted her glasses on her nose. "Who were you talking to?" "No one." She scoffed. "That didn’t sound like ’no one.’" "It was just a friend." Mari raised an eyebrow. "A friend? Since when do you sound like that when talking to a friend?" Alex’s jaw tightened. "Mari—" "When did you start lying to me?" she cut in. "What happened our honesty policy?" His lips pressed into a thin line. A heavy silence filled the room. Then he scowled with displeasure. "When did you start eavesdropping on my conversations?" he countered. Mari’s chin lifted defiantly. "Since you started sounding so tense and scared." Alex scoffed, "I’m not scared," he said as he ran a hand through his hair, his fingers gripping the strands for a moment before he sighed and moved away from the desk, pacing slowly. "Maybe not scared. Maybe worried is the right word," Mari said as she followed his movement with her eyes. "Dad," she said, her voice softer now. "What’s going on? Are we in danger?" Alex stopped pacing. For a moment, he didn’t say anything. Then, finally, he looked at her and spoke. "You don’t have to worry. I’ll make sure you’re safe. But you need to be more careful." Mari’s stomach clenched. "Careful?" she repeated. "Why? Of what? Of who?" Alex hesitated. Then, decided it was best he told her so she knows how to handle herself. With a deep breath, he said, "I was recently informed that an old friend was murdered. He knows about me and we suspect I was part of the reason for his murder," he admitted finally. Mari’s heart skipped a beat and she could feel the blood draining from her face as her eyes widened with fear and shock, "Murder?" She whispered. Alex nodded, "You don’t have to worry. I am going to tighten the security around you and your mom." "How can I not worry when you sound this way? What’s going on? Who is after you? Is it the cartel?" She asked, her voice dropping to a whisper on the last word. "Yeah. The last two surviving members of the cartel have done their time and were released recently. I guess being behind bars didn’t stop the cartel from running," he rubbed a hand over his face. "Why now? What do they want after all these years? How did they even know you’re still alive?" She asked, confused. Alex’s expression was grim. "Nothing stays a secret forever."