Joey quickly smiles at Stephen and says, "Hi nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you." As she grips his hand and looks at him firmly then looks in Simon's direction briefly which explains everything.
Stephen understands its part of Simon's plan and pretends to greet her as if he didn't know her. "Hi." He says in a very unfriendly tone of voice.
Joey feels his anger but reluctantly smiles and says, "Hello."
After the introductions, Nic takes Joey aside. They're talking very closely as Stephen watches in jealousy. Jeoy can sense his jealousy and really wants to calm him down but she's powerless to make a move.
Alex notices and walks up to Stephen, "Are you eyeing that Joey chick?" Stephen doesn't respond and walks away. "Help me and I can help you get her." Alex says walking up to Stephen.
Stephen pauses for a moment without replying. Alex stuffs a business card into Stephen's shirt. "I'll let you decided." Alex says and walks away. Stephen doesn't reply as he touches the card in his shirt pocket and walks away in the opposite direction.
As the night progresses, everyone seems to be having a fun time until Alex and Francis start having a very loud argument. Supposedly their men are trespassing on each other's territory and have been taking each other's drug deals. Francis's followers pull out their weapons. Nicky pulls out his also.
Frankie walks up to them, "Break it up men! This is Ekin's wedding. Have some respect or I'll arrest all of you." He threatened.
Ekin come over, "Please give respect to me, it's my wedding day." He says to them.
They look at each other and order their men to withdraw the weapons. "You're lucky today, I will give respect to Ekin and not kill you." Francis says sitting back down.
Simon watches them. 'Idiots.' he thinks to himself and immediately has another evil plan. He could kill them then blame their deaths on each other and get away without a trace.
After watching Joey and Nic together more, Stephen couldn't stand it and went into the washroom. He stares at himself into the mirror wondering how everything came to this.
A male walks into the washroom, "Have you decided?"
Stephen looks up, "Yes, I have, but there's still one more mission before I join you."
"When you finish, we'll talk."
"Sure." Stephen nods and leaves the washroom.
~ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ~
Frankie notices that Annie and Simon haven't spoken to each other yet. It was as if they were pretending to not know each other. His suspicion made him more attentive to her.
Annie is bored of Marco's gentleman behavior and finds him too obedient to her wishes. She's had her fun with him and decides she wants to have fun with someone else. Suddenly the thought of winning over Frankie enters her mind.
She eyes him drinking with Ekin and a few friends. She gets up form the seat next to Marco and walks towards Frankie without even looking at Marco.
Marco is still talking to her so he's surprised that she's getting up. "Do you want something to drink or eat?" he asks her. She doesn't respond, so he calls her again. "Annie, are you going to the washroom?"
She doesn't respond again and is walking towards her new prey. Marco's pulls on her arm causing her to turn around. She stares at him angrily! "What do you want!" she asks.
"I'm sorry, I called you twice and you didn't respond so I thought you didn't hear me."
"I heard you. I just didn't want to answer you!"
"Why, what's wrong?"
"We're through! I'm done with you!" she says walking away.
He grabs her again, "What are you talking about? Are you okay tonight?"
She pushes him away. "Let me go, I'm finished with you!"
"Annie, I love you. Why are you treating me this way?"
Everyone looks towards their direction. Ekin was about to go resolve it but Nnadia stopped him. "Let them handle their own emotions." Nnadia advises.
Ekin nods and doesn't do anything. He notifies his men to not do anything also.
Annie pushes him away from her, "I never asked you to love me?"
"But I love you. He said trying to hold her close to him."
She pushed him away again. "There's no such thing as love, get over it! When I'm happy with you, I keep you, when I'm not happy, I dump you."
Simon looks up at them now that they've become loud enough. Frankie observes Simon's behavior towards his daughter. Simon motions Stephen to go break up the fight.
Stephen pulls Marco from grabbing Annie. Marco becomes irritated with Stephen, "Let go this is none of your business!" he yells.
Simon walks up to them and puts one arm around Annie, "Are you okay?" he asks.
Annie nods, "I'm fine." She replies leaning on her father.
Marco screams, "Annie, he's not good for you. He's a Triad leader. He's an ass!"
Annie becomes insulted and slaps Marco. He suddenly can't think anymore and falls to his knees. He was confused as to why she slapped him.
"How dare you call him an ass! He's the best in the world so don't ever say anything bad about my father or I'll kill you!" she yelled.
Marco was in denial. "It can't be, you're Annie Man! He's Simon Yam!" Marco yelled.
"I took my mother's last name because daddy wanted to remember mommy!" she yelled insulted as she walked away.
Now Frankie assumed Annie had nothing to hid and wasn't so suspicious of her anymore. He came to help Marco up. "You okay man?" he asked.
Marco was all shaken up and confused as ever. He couldn?t handle that Annie was Simon's daughter nor did he believe it. He couldn't handle that she just dumped him. It was all too much. Frankie assisted him to sit and offered him some drinks.
"Forget about her. Let's just drink!" Frankie said. Marco nodded and drank with him. The two of them, Jordan, Michael, Jerry, Chris, and Sam ended up getting really drunk.
~ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ~
Louis and Ada walk over to the bar area near the dance floor.
"Thank you for everything you've done. My father is getting a lot better in the hospital. I'll repay you all the money as soon as I can." Ada says.
"It's okay, take your time. I"m not in a rush to spend it."
"Are all wealthy man like you?"
"No they?re not as handsome as me." He joked.
She laughed playfully, "No I mean as generous."
Louis shakes his head. "I don't know." He replies.
Ada nods and looks around the room. They're in a corner and can see almost everything.
A waiter walks by with a tray of champagne flutes. Louis takes two and hands Ada a champagne flute, "Champagne my dear?" he asks in a suave manner.
Ada smiles taking the flute from him. "Thank you, this is a great wedding banquet."
"You think so?" he asks with curiosity.
"Yeah, your brother and his wife seem so happy. They must be in love." she replies.
"Maybe it's not about love?"
Ada raises an eyebrow. "What might it be about then?" Ada questions afraid that he knows something about their plans.
Louis grins, "I don't know status, wealth, power. It could be all or just a combination."
"So you suspect..." Ada was saying but was cut off by Louis
"No I don't suspect her, I trust my brother's choice."
"Then why did you just say that?"
"When you have as much power, wealth, and privilege as we do, you have to be careful."
"Do you suspect me?"
Louis came closer to her. They were face to face apart by only about two inches, "I was, but I'm more suspicious of Kristy." He said pointing towards Kevin and Kristy dancing on the dance floor.
"Why are you suspicious her?"
"When I first started out with her I already assumed all she wanted was money, but I'm surprised she doesn't take much money from me."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
Louis smiled at her, "You seem defensive of her today. I thought you didn't like her. "
"I don't, but I wanted to understand why you aren't suspicious of me anymore."
Louis leaned in closer to her, "Because you're much more mesmerizing." He replied.
Ada looked down and back closer into the wall where she was trapped. Louis tilted her chin up and moved closer to her lips and kissed her. He pulled her towards him enjoying his moment of bliss.
Ada wrapped her arms around him. She realized she wanted to kiss him also. This was no longer an act on her part. She moved closer to him pressing her lips gently but firmly on his. He pulled her closer caressing her body as she came closer.
Kristy didn't want to accompany Kevin but it was her only way to be at her sister's wedding. She lifted her head from Kevin's shoulders and saw Louis and Ada. She frowned with jealousy and pain. She wondered if Louis ever liked her or was she just another woman he slept with, another name to the list, another broken heart.
~ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ~
Nic walks with Joey out onto the restaurant's terrace. "Isn't the sky beautiful tonight! It's such a wonderful night for my brother and his wife."
"You seem so happy for them." Joey said softly.
"I am." Nic says looking into the horizon. "My brother has been waiting for this day. I remember he used to tell me that he wanted to find the right woman so he could make a wonderful life for me and Louis. He said his wife would be able to take care of us. She would mend our clothes, cook for us, teach us manners, and a lot more."
"Sound like he wanted a maid or a teacher." Joey comments.
Nic chuckles. "No, for all she did, he said he would love her and make her the happiest woman in the world. He would spoil her with everything and anything she wanted. If she wanted jewelry he would buy it. If she wanted a garden of rose, he would build it. Even if she wanted the moon, he would travel to space to get it for her."
Joey tries to smile hearing this. "So romantic, your sister in law is very lucky."
"They're both lucky, to find each other and be so happy." Nic corrected her.
Joey suddenly she felt so cold. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because her world now seemed very cruel and heartless. There was a time she was truly happy and things weren't so dark. It was 15 years ago when she was six.
* * * BEGIN FLASHBACK * * *
"Throw the ball here. Throw it here!" a 6 year old little girl screamed. (Joey)
"Be careful or you'll fall in the pit!" Another girl said. She was 10 years old. (Ada)
"It's okay." Another girl who was 9 years old said. (Nnadia)
"Here, I'm throwing it to you!" an 8 year old girl said as she threw the ball. (Kristy)
The six year old caught the ball. All the girls were happy and excited. Okay, let's go home now before mom and dad worry about us, the oldest girl said. They all nodded and sang as they walked home on the road they usually took home.
* * * END FLASHBACK * * *
"Hey are you all there?" Nic asked waving his hand in front of her.
Joey snapped back to reality. "I'm sorry, I'm just thinking..." she was cut off by Nic
'Your grandparents!" he said confidently, "They'll be fine. I have the best doctors looking after them. No need to worry."
Joey smiled. "Thank you." She said.
"No problem. I just want them to get well also."
"Why did you help me?" Joey questioned.
"I didn't want you robbing my casinos." He jokes.
She pretended to look surprised. "What are you talking about?" she asked since she wasn't supposed to know his identity yet.
"The Casinos you've been robbing were all mine. I know about it, but its okay because I know it was for your grandparents."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have. I was so..."
"It's okay." He says putting his fingers on her lips. His fingers were warm yet gave her goose bumps being so close to her lips. She smiles and he withdraws his finger.
"I really need to repay you for everything."
"Well there is something you could do for me." He said raising his eyebrow.
Joey looked at him intently. Nic flashed her a devilish smile and grabbed her hands to drag her out of the banquet. "Follow me!" he said.
~ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ~
"Let?s dance!" Ekin says to Nnadia as he pulls her to the dance floor.
"I don't know how." Nnadia replies pulling away from the dance floor.
"Come on it'll be fun, I don't know how either."
"No." she says playfully
"If not then we'll just dance here." He said pointing to Frankie, Marco and the others that are all drunk.
Nnadia blushes and they both run to the dance floor. Ekin holds Nnadia tightly on the dance floor. They are cheek to cheek embracing each other. Ekin hums as they dance.
"You're in such a happy mood." Nnadia comments.
"I should be because I'm marrying you." Ekin replies.
Nnadia looks straight in his eyes. "I'm not worthy of your excitement." She says softly.
"Don't say such a thing. You are worth everything including my life." He says.
Nnadia can't take her eyes off him. His comment shocked her. They're forehead to forehead, so close that they're breaths are breathing upon each other.
Nnadia thought of something and asked Ekin, "If you died tomorrow, whose eyes would you want to look into. Who's lips do you want to kiss, who would you want to say goodbye to?"
"Your eyes, your lips, you." He replied without hesitation.
She smiled at him genuinely this time, without an ounce of deceit. "I love you." She uttered. She was taken back by her own words. Could she possible love Ekin?
He leaned in closer to her. "I love you too." He said before he kissed her.
It was a kiss unlike any she's ever had. Being Simon's pawn, she had kissed many men in the past 12 years but there wasn't ever a time where her heart beat this fast or this slow. This kiss made her feel as if the whole world just paused but suddenly a thought entered her mind. Another man. Her stomach curled in anxiety for what lied ahead for her, Ekin, her sisters and the one promise she made.
~ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ~
Copyright © Nov. 2, 2003
IiI Sorrow IiI
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