April stayed in an uncompleted building on the outskirts of South City.
After escaping from the building, she found a call centre and called someone. After the call, she found the unfinished building and spent the night in the cold.
The night was cruel, but she had hopes for the day. If things went as she planned, she would be out of here. Her final plan was to take her out of the mess that was her life.
“Who’s here?” April heard a voice from outside the house.
Her heart skipped and her first instinct was to hide herself. She covered her face with a scarf and walked deeper into the building. Cobwebs and dust filled the abandoned project and it was hard to breathe properly but she remained undeterred.
“April?” The voice came again and she stilled. “Are you in here?”
Only then did she recognise the voice. A wave of relief hit her and she responded, “In here!” She walked back out and soon came to face with Clarence.
“What happened to you?” Clarence asked upon seeing her state.
April felt embarrassed but appeared confident. “Everything would be sorted. I just need a little help.”
“Aren’t the police after you?” Clarence stepped back. “Is this where you live?”
April got frustrated. “If you could keep quiet and let me talk for a second then we would make substantial progress.”
“I don’t want you here as much as you don’t want to be here.”
Clarence wore a frown. “What do you want from me? I don’t want to be involved in this mess. I want no part in it.” Clarence tried to leave but April held her.
“Don’t walk away from me,” She seethed. “You think you are safe, huh?” April goaded, “I never forget a face and I have been thinking, maybe I am not the only one who would want Colton dead.”
“You must be happy being the one with the most profit in this situation. I helped the public sympathise with you when I put that video out and now I bet you are on your way to becoming the next wife of Rafael Ambrose.”
Clarence pulled her hand away from April with blazing eyes. “What are you getting at?”
“Don’t act silly, Clarence. I always thought you were familiar and wondered, where exactly did I see this pretty face of yours?” April said with a smirk. “I spent three days in a rusty wine cellar, It gave me a lot of thinking time.”
Clarence was unperturbed. “If you have called me to share your weepy stories, I’ll have you know I have better things to do with my time,”
“Colton,” April said and Clarence froze. “It was you, wasn’t it? The one he fucked right in my bedroom.”
Clarence feigned ignorance. “You have lost your mind.”
“I thought so too,” April smirked. “Who would believe that the famous granddaughter of the Whitlock family would have the hots for my cheap thief of a boyfriend.” She tsked, “Ex-boyfriend.”
“I won’t repeat myself.” Clarence pursed her lips. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Of course you do!” April paced around the dusty windowless room. “I don’t blame you though.” She smirked. “Colton had always been a great lay.”
“Are you threatening me?” Clarence asked, shaking with anger. “Who do you think you are?!”
“April Lontoc.” She responded, “But that’s beside the case.”
“You see, for someone who has been sleeping with Colton since you returned to South City, I reckon you would have used a lot of protection.” She tapped her lips, “But then, Colton never liked to use protection.”
Clarence suddenly turned pale.
“He always thought it reduced the performance quality,” April said reverently. “I definitely agree. Don’t you?”
“What are you trying to say?” Clarence said, trying and failing to sound firm.
“Nothing. I’m just amazed at the fact you were able to prevent getting pregnant for Colton and somehow managed to get pregnant after one drunken night with my sister’s husband.”
Clarence stepped forward. Her stance was threatening. “Don’t you dare. This child belongs to Rafael and the world knows that.”
April raised her hands. “I don’t doubt it. I’m just saying it’s shocking.”
“You have wasted my time-” Clarence turned to leave but April’s words kept her rooted to the floor.
“I also wonder what the world would think if they had this information too.” She said with an ashen face. “I can’t be the only one who will find it shocking. Mrs Beatrice would especially find it intriguing. Don’t you agree?”
Clarence’s breathing changed and April spoke more.
“Dearly old Rafael might even be forced to take a DNA test after the birth of the child. That would help clear his doubt… and mine.”
“What do you want?” Clarence ticked, unable to help it. “Is it money? Do you want money? Is that why you are doing this?”
A winning smile grew on April’s face. She had Clarence exactly where she wanted. As expected, she didn’t miss the target.
“Of course not!” April waived. “I have a lot of money. It would be greedy to want any more.” She shrugged. “I just need a little help.”
“The police are searching for you,” Clarence informed. “I don’t want to be a part of that.”
April laughed. “Don’t worry. I assure you won’t get in trouble. My plans never fail. You can trust me.” Her gaze hardened. “Can I trust you?”
Clarence swallowed and asked for the nth time. “What do you want?”
“Now you’re talking,” April gestured for her to come closer. “We have a lot of things to do. But first, get me out of here, will you?”
April stepped away from her. “I’d like a house. Somewhere private and beautiful. A place the police would never find me.” She demanded. “Not to worry, I’ll be out of your hair soon.”
She held a strand of Clarence’s hair and smiled. “You just have to do a good job.”
That night, April was escorted out of the uncompleted building and taken to a private estate owned by Clarence Whitlock. When the blindfold was removed from her eyes, April smiled at the modern home.
“My name is Gabriel. The housekeeper.” A young man said with a bow. “The home had been designed by the best in the field but if the art is not to your taste, we can change things.”
“There would be no need for that,” April said with a smile. “I love it.”
“Thank you, Ma’am.” The housekeeper bowed his head. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. There are three rooms in the building. You are free to have anyone you choose.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. I need a bath. Make that dinner for two.” April said, walking towards the stairs, “I’m starving.”
Days passed and the police did not relent in their search for April Lontoc. It seemed like she vanished into thin air and left no trail to follow. Clarence was made to search out the storage homes where she stored money and arrange for her safe exit from South City.
One week passed and Clarence secretly visited her hideout with news.
“I need a mobile phone.” April walked down the stairs with a grotesque look. “I can’t keep waiting and hoping you show up here with news.”
“I already told you,” Clarence muttered. “It’s a big enough risk that you are in this place. I can’t have you calling anyone and putting us in trouble.”
“I think you are mistaken, Clarence.” April plummeted on the sofa with a grave expression. “I am not your prisoner. Neither am I obligated to follow your orders.”
“It’s the other way round. I call the shots, Clarence. If I tell you to fucking jump, you jump.” Her face hardened. “Let’s try that again, shall we? Get me a fucking phone.”
Clarence smiled. “I already told you. I can’t risk it.”
April’s eyes widened slightly, shocked at the errant disrespect. “Do not think I cannot ruin your life because I’m in hiding. I did a good job of getting the news of your pregnancy out there while on the run. I have no problem doing it again.”
April gauged Clarence’s stomach with a disgruntled look. “This time around, about the paternity of the bastard you carry.”
Clarence cupped her stomach with a smile. “That’s where you are wrong.” She smiled and got on her feet. “You see, while I ran around, gathering your money and doing your bidding, I had some time to research you.”
“I’ve seen the evils you can do if given the opportunity. I refuse to be another one of April Lontoc’s casualties.”
“What are you talking about?” April asked, and a coldness ran through her back.
“Oh dear,” She walked towards April, patting her hair with a wicked smile. “I guess you didn’t know. Two can play this game.”
“I will ruin you. I will make it so that your life will be an epistle of pain and misery. Do not test me, Clarence. You can check the record. No one tests me and lives long enough to tell the story.”
Clarence wore an excited expression. “Ouuf! You’re so scary.”
She paced around the room with a smile on her face. “It seems you are yet to understand your predicament so I’ll explain.”
“You will never leave this house. If you must, it’ll be your dead body. I got all the money you saved. Five hundred million is an attractive sum. Given you live, eat and breathe freely, I’ll take it as compensation for harbouring you here.”
“Forget about travelling. It’s never going to work. And if you as much as try to escape, I will have my big guy, Gabriel, see to it that your body is never found.”
“And don’t be silly. Of course, you are my prisoner.” Her gaze hardened. “Don’t get it twisted. I could kill you and call it a day. I’ll be doing the world a favour.”