Ella had fell to the side, laying on the chair. "Ow.." she sat up, pressing her head. "Corey..." she whispered in fear that he was dead. She leaned forward and started shaking him to wake up. "Corey...wake up, please don't be dead..." Corey woke up, grunting "I'm awake, I'm not...I'm not dead..." taking his hands to his head to feel the blood on his head, he had a deep cut. "I'm sorry, I had to...." She began to apologize but Corey waved his hands

"It's my fault, I should have turned around like you asked. I was out of line" he didn't want her to feel bad. "If we had run away trust me, he'd find us and that won't be good" she felt bad because the crash could have gone way worse. "It's fine...more worried about the car now..." he said looking at the car, silently praying there was no permanent or serious damage.

Bystanders didn't go close to the car, they watched from afar, taking videos with their phones, whispering and gossiping to themselves. Suddenly a convoy appeared at the scene and they all began to disperse. The area was now surrounded by black cars. Ella's heart dropped as she looked out the window, 'he found us' she thought fearfully.

A guard wearing a black suit and tie got down from one of the cars closest to the wreck and opened the door of the driver's seat. "You!!" he grunted dragging Corey out from his collar, landing him a hard punch and pushed him to the floor.

Ella's eyes widened in worry "Oh no, Corey" she gasped. She staggered out of the car. The first person she saw was her husband Micheal. He was a tall man with a broad shoulders, long hair held up in a bun, a somewhat busy beard and grey eyes, he was very good looking but his aura was very scary and intimidating.

"What's going on Ella?" He walked closer to her slowly. She looked at him in fear, she couldn't speak. "What are you guys doing on this side of town" his voice was in a low menacing tone, scaring Ella even more "Are you trying to elope with this fool?" He asked turning to Corey who was laying on the floor in pain.

He walked even closer to her "Answer me Ella, you know how I hate it when you go mute" he said wrapped his hands around her neck. "No no I uhm...I wanted to get something from-" Ella tried to cook up a lie but Micheal interrupted her, his anger growing sensing her lie. His hands tightened around her neck. "Don't do that. Do not lie to me Ella, I hate lies, you know that" he warned her.

"You were running away." He stared at her, his eyes blank. "Answer me" he said again "You were running away. Yes or no?" He asked her, but she was still too scared to speak "Do not test me" he said through his teeth "Answer me!!" He shouted and a tear dropped from her face "Yes...yes" she answered in defeat.

"Yes? Yes what?" He asked her again, as if baiting her "Yes I tried to run away..." she said. He laughed loudly, moving away from her, releasing her from his hold.

"You really thought you could escape me huh? What haven't I done for you? You are some ungrateful little bitch, running away from me. You are really stupid to believe that you can ever leave my side. Where do you think you could go that I won't find you? You are stuck with me, Ella" he said loudly going close to her again, holding her neck even tighter than he was before.

Ella's pale face had turned red, her lips quivered as she choked "Please please, Micheal" and before she knew it he landed her a slap and shoved her, making her hit the car. Ella fell to the floor in defeat because she knew what was coming.

Ella was a 22 year old with a pale skin, hazel eyes, jet black hair and pink Cupid bow lips. She had gotten married off to Micheal, a mafia boss when she was just 20. Her father was a business associate of Michael's but when her father's business had gone bankrupt and he couldn't pay back the money he owed people, he had no other option but to turn to Micheal for help. But giving Ella to Micheal was the only payment Micheal would accept. Her father was very desperate and so he give Ella to him.

Micheal had tried numerous times to get with Ella before her father's company crumbled. She was not interested in him. She had also heard stories about how ruthless he was and so she continued to reject him. When her father told her she was to marry Micheal she refused, cried and begged her father but her father paid no heed. That was the last time she saw her father, the last time she was free.

They were in the dungeon now, it was dimly lit with no windows, there was tension in the room as Corey was kneeling on the floor whimpering. Big hauty men stood behind him ready to kill him on their boss' command.

Micheal was backing them staring into the space with his hands crossed behind his back, his hair was now let done, no longer in a bun. Ella was standing beside him, tears rolling down her cheeks.

She gathered the courage to speak, "Micheal please spare him it was I that-" Ella could not finish her words when Micheal turned and gave her a slap.

"Ella, you are on thin ice here don't forget that you are alive by my mercy. You betrayed me. You continuously put me in a position where I have to punish you" Micheal said with his eyes glaring at her with so much anger she took a step back holding her cheek with one hand.

Micheal walked to Corey with bloodshot eyes and held his hair "Who the fuck do you think you are coming to my house and trying to take my woman from me?You want to steal her from me huh!!!" his voice roared echoing in the basement.

"Please...it was a mistake. Please give me a chance. Please" all Corey could do was beg , he was so weak. He was close to being unconscious from all the beatings. All he was worried about was his little sister who was really ill in the hospital. If anything happened to him she would be all alone.

"Please? A Chance? You should have thought about who you were messing with before you decided to play Batman. You are nothing. Hear me? Nothing!!" His voice became progressively louder, echoing through the darkness. He kicked him again this time he fell to the floor. "Do you know who I am?!! Micheal, I am Micheal and no one dares to cross me. But you, you have decided to be the scapegoat.

"Please" he weakly begged "I have a sister, please she's really sick please please I won't make this mistake again" he continued to plead in a low voice.

"Get up!!" he shouted again, as Corey stood up weakly, Micheal gave him punches with both his hands then he stopped abruptly breathing heavily, running his hands through his hair.

He walked towards Ella grabbing her arms "You are very lucky I am not tired of you yet" he said scowled "Finish him off" Micheal then said as he walked away. Before Ella knew it the guards began to shoot at Corey at once and just like that Corey's lifeless body was on the floor.

In a dark room, strokes of brushes could be heard. A tall figure with broad shoulders was sitting on a stool, painting a bit violently. He was shirtless, exposing his perfectly chiseled abs. He had a baggy jean on, with his boxers brief slightly peaking out.

Some of his wavy hair stuck to his face due to a little sweat on his face. He had some streaks of paint on his face and body too. He had muddy green eyes which were calm but stern. His breathing was calm as he painted,the canvas vibrating with every stroke.

The painting was almost finished, it was room. The room didn't not have a particular color as it was white. There were stains of red giving the illusion of blood all over the room. A little boy standing in the middle of a pool of blood.

Then, there was a knock on the door. He stopped. "Come in" he said with a deep voice. He turned to the door, it was his right hand man, Kingsley at the door, he turned back to his painting.

"Mr Colins is at the foyer, Sir" Kingsley said. He sighed, dropping his paint brush. "I see. I will clean up and be downstairs soon. Move him to the Parlor. Let him think he is important at least " the man said "Sure, I will" Kingsley nodded slightly and left the room. "This man..." Christian shook his head.

In a clean, crisp black T-shirt that wasn't buttoned all the way up, with his chiseled chest peaking out and a pant trouser, Christian walked down the stairs with authority. Approaching the parlor, he stared directly at his visitor with a blank look.

"Oh Christian my boy, I was just telling your maid how beautiful she looked. Come on you should give her to me as we would soon be business partners" Mr Colins, a man in his mid-40s said chuckling loudly, eyeing the curvy brunette servant in her maid's uniform.

Mr Collins was a short man in his mid-40s, his hair line already receding. He had a somewhat big tummy which was being suppressed in his tight T-shirt. Mr Collins was Christain's godfather's friend. He had been in business with him for a long time. His godfather had suggested to Christian to work with Mr Collins.

"My servants are not your play thing." Christian said sternly as he sat on the single couch "Leave" he said without looking at the girl; she bowed and left.

"Now, Kingsley here tells me you're being stubborn about releasing the ownership papers to us" Christian said crossing his long legs. Kingsley was right beside the chair Christian sat in, his hands crossed behind him with a blank look.

"Well, you see, my price has gone up now my boy" Mr Collins said shifting a bit on the couch and looking at Kingsley with some sort of annoyed look but Kingsley barely looked at him.

Christian's lips twisted in annoyance, "Mr Collins, we had an agreement, 50 million for the estate." Christian said staring the statue of an angel at the corner of the large parlor, tapping on of his hands on the arm of the chair.

"My boy, another competition wants this estate and he was even willing to pay 30 million more than you offered. But because you are my boy I am here making you another offer. Of course I would increase the price. Come on just pay and I will release the ownership papers to you" Mr Collins said.

"This isn't much money in your eyes, pay the 100 million and the papers are yours. Consider me, I'm practically like your godfather too you know...I would profit a whole lot if you pay" the man continued.

Christian knew the man was just being greedy, he had already paid for the estate and now he wants him to pay double. Just because another person wants to pay more for it. There was no way he was going to agree to such demands.

He turned to him "Now why in your right mind would you think I would pay you again for something that is already mine" he said, he was beginning to lose his cool at the thought of someone trying to scam him.

"My boy-" Mr Collins was about to say something but Christian cut him off by raising his hand gesturing him to stop talking.

"You have grown too comfortable calling me that, old man. You have a lot of audacity coming into my home, making stupid demands. Christian continued to speak "I have been incredibly patient with you as you are my uncle's business associate but you are proving more dumb than you already are "

"Don't test me old man, don't think you have an advantage over other realtors just because of Mono. You are deluded to think that" Christian's eyes stared hard at Mr Collins as if daring him to speak back.

Mr Collins was offended by the words coming out from the mouth of someone he could father, but he knew he was going to be face-to-face with death if he continued to push the man's buttons. Christian though was calm and somewhat level headed he was not one to mess with.

"I paid in full for that estate. 50 million dollars. I have my construction team waiting for my call to go ahead and here you are talking about some competition , who I don't give a flying fuck about, telling me to pay extra. That's a lot of audacity even for you Collins." Christian's voice was still calm but there was an underlying anger in it.

"My bo- I mean Christian....sorry. Christian, I am a business man I have to consider my options and think of profits" Mr Collins tried to explain to Christian calmly, hoping he would by some miracle understand.

"Do you want your head on a spike?" Mr Collins shivered at the sudden threat, his eyes wide at Christian's words. He shook his head vigorously.

Christian finally stood up "I am giving you a week,no, 72 hours to get my fucking papers. I don't give a fuck about no fucking competition all i want are my damn papers. Do not try to be sly with me" the way Christian spoke was calm but his eyes told Mr Collins a different tale. Christian didn't give him chance to reply and he walked away with Kingsley right behind him.

"Do you want me to look into this so called competition?" Kingsley asked Christian looking at him, trying to decipher what was on his mind. Kingsley too was a tall man, almost as tall as Christian tanned skinned, with dark brown eyes and a stubble beard.

"There's no need to. I could care less. It should be the fucking president for all I care, my interest are the papers. We shouldn't be the ones to bother about this. Let him run around like a headless chicken. He thinks he can play smart with me. He would be face to face with the devil if he doesn't get what we need by the end of the week" Christian was relaxed about the whole thing, which told Kingsley that what he had in store for Mr Collins would send him to his early grave.

In his home office Mr Collins sat in worry, a glass of whiskey in his hand as he thought of the possible way of settling the matter. His original idea was to sell two separate estates but get extra cash from them, but Christian wasn't budging. 'I knew this would be a bad idea' he thought to himself taking the last gulp of the drink.

He decided to bring the papers for another property to Micheal worth a less than what Micheal had actually paid and give Christian the first deed so he wouldn't lose on both ends.

This was his best option because if he gives Micheal the first deed Christian would definitely kill him. Getting on Christian's bad side was the worst way to die. Micheal wasn't one to notice the smallest details as he was very rash and sometimes thoughtless and he was banking on that, he just hoped Micheal wouldn't notice the switch.

A maid knocked on the door, "Sir? The car is ready" she informed him with her head bent low. "I am coming" he waved her to leave. Mr Collins left his home office in a rush, he wanted to get everything finalized to get the targets of his back.

Less than hour later he was driving into Micheal's compound. Turning off his ignition he sat in his car parked in Micheal's compound. His head on the steering wheel. He was nervous, beads of sweat on his forehead.

He was now stuck between Christian and Micheal, two of the most notorious men. 'God help me, if this works this would be the last' he said to himself with a loud sigh.

He had thought the deal would go in his favor and he would get even triple the actual amount of the estate but now Christian has proven to be as smart as everyone says he is.

Taking a deep breath he wiped off the sweat on his forehead and face with his handkerchief, tucked it back in his trouser pocket and then he got out of the car. Entering the house he was welcomed by the butler who directed him to the parlor. Micheal wasn't there which he was both happy and unhappy about. He wanted to get things done and over with.

After what felt like hours to Mr Collins Micheal had finally came. He was in a red robe with his boxers brief still visible, he had no shirt on exposing his somewhat hairy chest. Micheal sat on the chair that almost looked like a throne, his legs crossed, giving a domineering gaze to Mr Collins which made him more uncomfortable.

Mr Collins looked up from the stairs where Micheal came from to avoid his gave and he could see a girl with black hair flowing down her shoulders, also in a robe, a black one walk down the passage.

"Oh Mr Collins, My man how I love to see you this bright Sunday afternoon" Micheal who know had a bright smile seeming to be in a good mood, Mr Collins chuckled nervously. He couldn't read the man which made him a bit more fearful.

"Well uh how are you doing today Mr Micheal?" Mr Collins didn't know how to act normal. "Collins, you can call me Micheal drop all that formalities come on where are the papers. I need to get my project on the roll" Micheal said rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

Mr Collins cleared his throat and began going through his briefcase for the papers. Because of how nervous he was, he was finding it hard to find the papers. He could feel Micheal's strong gaze on him.

He found the papers and handed the papers to him, praying silently that Micheal wouldn't notice. Micheal began to go through them, he then paused and looked up to him.

"Collins now I know you're an old man but you can't be that old. This is not the property I am paying 80 million for. Are you trying to scam me?!!" his voice progressively became louder. Mr Collins could not fathom how he would begin to tell Micheal that he couldn't give him the estate.

Mr Collins swallowed hard as he prepared to speak "Well the thing is that property...It was already sold, I made a slight mistake very very small mistake but this property here is the same price very very good-" Mr Collins was interrupted by the intensity of Micheal's glare.

"Collins, that estate is what I want, I don't want any left over I don't care how but I want that estate." His face twisted in anger. "Yes yes I understand that, but that estate is currently unavailable, I was not aware of the sale. I will not be able to give it to you..." Mr Collins voice trailed as he saw Micheal look at him perplexed "You will not give it to me??" Micheal found Mr Collins audacity glaring and insulting.

Mr Collins realized his obvious bad choice of words, he needed to choose his words carefully, so as to not set him off. "This estate is still good trust me. Probably even better than the last one, not a left over at all" Mr Collins' shirt was already drenched in sweat as he nervously tried to explain to Micheal.

"Don't try to be smart with me, that estate is what I want. Got it?!!" Micheal asked loudly, his eyes wide with anger, Mr Collins gulped in worry for his life, "Yes yes I understand" he nodded frantically.

"Get out!!!" Micheal roared his voice echoing in the room "Yes yes I'll do that" Mr Collins said nervously and he hurriedly took his briefcase and began to leave.

Dimitri, a tall blonde, who has a bit skinny walked in, his hands behind his back, in a dark blue suit. "Sir" he said in a low tone bowing deeply. "Find out who the bastard sold my estate to" Micheal ordered his assistant. "Sure sir"

"Sir the food is ready" said a maid, her voice very inaudible. Micheal already annoyed turned to her "Bitch you better speak up before I put a bullet in you throat" he threatened. "Lunch is ready sir" she said very loudly this time shaking in fear.

Micheal stood up ready to leave then he asked "Where is my wife?" he always liked to eat with Ella because she was very beautiful to look at. He felt like she was his prize "I'll go get her now" the maid said leaving hurriedly.

Ella came into the dining room now with a loose red gown with short sleeves stopping right above her knee with her hair tied in a pony tail. She walked towards the farthest seat in the dining room "My dear you know I don't like you far from me when I eat. Come on" Micheal urged for her to come closer. She walked to a seat by his left and sat there. Not ready to cause him to vent his anger on her.

The servants brought in their food. After the maids left Micheal began to speak "How are you my love" Micheal always acted like some darling husband until he was pissed off by something and then he'd blow off on her.

Ella felt like he was bipolar. She looked at him with a blank expression, "I heard you talking to someone downstairs" Ella picked at her food as she spoke "Ah yes some old hag who thinks he can scam me" Micheal said with irritation visible on his face as he chewed his food.

"Mhm, You didn't kill him" Ella subtly said as she took her first bite, Micheal chuckled "No, my money is with him and I don't have the deed yet. I can't kill him. Not yet at least"

Dimitri walked in and bowing to Micheal, barely sparing Ella a glance. "Sir, I found out who he sold the property to" Dimitri began "Christian Estoniel. He bought it at 50 million . But he also doesn't have the deed. Seems as though he is trying to pay Collins extra money so as to not let the property go to you" Micheal drank water as he listened to his assistant give him the information.