Chapter nineteen

AYANNA 

Mother sat silently in a rocking chair staring into space absent-mindedly as she rocked herself back and forth. The book in her hand was almost falling off. She didn't even notice me standing behind her until I called out to her.

"Mother."

Her head hastily whipped in my direction. Mother shut to her feet so fast she almost tripped on her long flair skirt and the book in her hand fell to the ground.

"Ayanna," her voice sounded hoarse. Like she's been crying. Her eyes were bloodshot. Her face pale and she looked thinner than before.

"Oh my God my daughter. You're alive."

She hugged me, fresh tears spilling from her eyes and dropping onto my shoulder. "I thought you died. The news said something bad happened to you. I thought...I thought," she paused wiping her tears.

"Your father was... He wouldn't let me look for you. He said to let it be that the police were investigating. What happened to you? What caused the accident?" 

I pulled away from the hug and wiped her tears with my thumb, faintly smiling at her through tears. I couldn't bring myself to tell her that my brakes had failed. That perhaps our mechanic might be trying to kill me. She'd worry and I didn't want her to.

"It's okay Mother, I'm here now," I said instead, pulling her toward the rocking chair. I slower help her into it and took the space beside her.

 That night, I stayed with mother. Father wasn't home. Mother and I recounted how the past few days had been and how Father was planning to expand his tech company. According to mother there was a new force backing him up_ someone powerful.

"Mother," I held her hands in mine. "I found someone powerful to back me up too. Wait for me a little longer. I'll rescue you." 

Mother looked at me, doubt in her eyes and I heaved a sigh. "He's very powerful mother. Even more than Alex and Father. Rain Blackwell, he'd help me defeat them and everyone who stands against me." 

Mother's eyes widen upon hearing his name. She clutched my hand tightly shaking her head with a frightened expression.

"Ayanna you can't. Anyone, but a Blackwell. You must stay away from him." 

"But mother he may be our saving grace."

"The devil may seem like a saving grace at first. But then he takes more than he gives. Listen to me Ayanna. The Blackwell's are more dangerous than your father and Alex combined." 

I try making mother tell me why she was so terrified of the Blackwell's but all she said was that it was no secret. Everyone knew the danger lurking within the Blackwell family but from the way mother sounded it seemed as though she knew them on a personal level.

I was only going to stay the night and leave but then father didn't return home for two days. On the second night, I slept beside mother and woke up after an hour tormented by nightmare. I keep seeing myself toppling off a cliff. Not just tonight, I'd been having nightmares about drowning since I left the hospital. Heaving a sigh, I stood up to get some water in the kitchen flinching when I saw father in the living room. His gaze met mine just as I put the cup in my mouth and I almost choked.

"Ayanna," Father called with a surprised look on his face that quickly disappeared as he stalked toward me. He gently set the briefcase in his hand on the couch then look me up and down slowly with a scowl on his face.

"I see you are alright. At least your mother would stop her nagging," he said, displeasure flashing across his gaze.

"Anyway now that you're here, we can talk." 

What! Is he for real. I stared at him in disbelief. I'd just mere escaped dead and I don't even get a 'are you okay?' from my father.

No relief, no sympathy I'm his gaze. Just the usual unfeeling look he had on whenever he looked at me.

"Kate is pregnant. You should get pregnant too," he said nonchalantly and I gasped staring at him utterly dumbfounded. I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out.

"We can't have Alex willing his property to his illegitimate child, so you must convince a child even if it means you have to put your career on hold." 

I scoffed setting the cup i held in my hand down. "Can you even hear yourself. No what kind of a father are you? I was in an accident, I almost died. But you couldn't even be bother to ask me how I was. I'm your daughter for God sake atleast pretend to care sometimes even if you don't."

Slap!

Father's hand slammed down my cheek. And I gasped clutching my cheek. 

"Insolent child. How dare you speak to me in that tone of voice. You're just like you mother. No brain, no manners. Look at you, you can't even make your husband love you. Although you're more beautiful than Kate she manage to keep your husband wrapped around her finger and even get pregnant for him. Ayanna Coleman if you dare to lose Alex's property to another woman's child, I'll disown you and send your mother to a mental hospital after all she's of no use to me again." 

My heart clenched tightly in my chest at father's hurtful words, tears threatening to spill out but I held it in. I couldn't break. Not in front of this man with an unfeeling heart. How had mother managed to fall for someone like him. Perhaps like me she had being deceived and only realized when it was already to late.

Without another words, I turn my back on him and walked away ignoring the curses he hurled at me for daring to walk away from him. I returned to mother's room, staring at her sleeping figure. She looked so peaceful while asleep and even when awake she managed to hide her pain so well.

The tears I've been holding back spilled from my eyes as I watched her. She's managed to shield me from father for so long. She even gave up her dreams and fortune just to keep me safe. 

Perhaps I could do the same for her. 

Picking up my phone, I scrolled through my contacts, my fingers halting on a particular one as mother's words replayed in my head.

"The devil may seem like a saving grace at first but he takes more than he gives."

What does it matter even if he takes more than he gives as long as what he gives is want I want. Freedom and revenge on those who hurt my mother and me.

With that in mind, I dialled Rain Blackwell's number. 

RAIN 

I checked my phone every two seconds since the day Ayanna asked for my number hoping that she'd call me yet to my disappointment she didn't. Did she perhaps change her mind? What if she didn't want anything to do with me again? Several thought raced through my mind. I was losing it. 

 "Boss are you alright? You've been staring at your phone more frequently," Mason muttered, his brow slightly furrowed in curiousity. His gaze lingered on my phone for a second before he met my gaze again.

 "Highway fashion is hosting an event. They sent you an invitation." 

 "I don't care. I'm not going," I said, twirliny my phone between my fingers in annoyance. Call me. Call me already. I gritted my teeth.

 Maybe I shouldn't be sitting and waiting for her call. Maybe I should go to her instead, perhaps kidnap her and keep her locked up where only I would have access to her and no one else.

 "Ayanna Coleman is supposed to walk the runway but following the accident she's been replaced by another model. Kate Williams." 

 I paused, my grip on my phone more firmer to the extent my knuckles turned white. They dare replace her with that vicious husband snatching bitch. I scoffed, tossing my phone aside and accepting the tablet Mason held out to me.

 I scrolled, reading the feed, my gaze caught on a picture of Kate Williams and my scowl deepened. Of all the models, they couldn't think of a better one to replace Ayanna 'even if there was no one better than Ayanna,' anyone other than Kate Williams would've suffice. 

 "Mason, I want you to leak the news of Kate Williams being a mistress and have her removed from the show. No one is replacing my woman as far as I'm concerned."

 Mason gave me a look that said I was depraved but I didn't care. 

 "Should I include Alexander Greyford in the scandal?" 

 I recoiled in anger and disgust at the mention of the other man's name. As much as I'd love to ruin him especially after he tried to kill Ayanna, I wanted her to know about it first. I wanted her to give me the go ahead before I made his life a living hell. 

 "No," I answered shoving the tablet back into his hand and picking up my phone just as it beeped with a message.   

 My breath hitched in disbelief the moment I saw who it was from. Excitement filled me instantly.

 *The love of my life*: it's Ayanna. Can we meet." 

 I didn't care if It was already the middle of night. I picked up my car keys ignoring Mason as he yelled something about coming with me. 

 I drove at a full speed, breaking all the traffic rules just so I could hastily get to Ayanna. I knew she was at her parents house. After I dropped her off two days ago she didn't leave. I know because I put a tracker in her jacket and I also had Flex watch the house. I couldn't leave her unprotected after the accident.

 "Come outside, I'll be there in a few minutes."

 Her reply came soon after and I smiled.