Chapter Twenty - Five


    At the shelter, Danie was helping to serve the needy. She even helped prepare the meals, thanks to


    Jones, who had coached her from what he learnt from Danica. She was excited about the new task.


    Jones couldn''t help but admire that Danica was gradually being herself again. Danie put on a smiley


    face in front of the people, serving with all humility. It was a wonderful sight for Jones who felt that he


    was falling in love with Danica all over again.


    He began to think that even if she couldn''t recall anything, at least they were still attracted to each


    other and therefore he could propose to her. He went over to help her with the kids. Together with


    Danie, they talked to the children about Jesus and his salvation.


    They enjoyed seeing the excitement in the eyes of these children, as Jones and Danica gave them


    parcels that were used clothes with snacks, books and a little Bible, neatly packaged. They made sure


    to include their contacts for the children to reach them anytime they could. Jones hoped that one day,


    he would give these kids a better life. He even had ns of adopting some of them when he started his


    own business and had more time on his hands. He didn''t want them to end up the way he did as a


    child. It was a miracle he found salvation and a new life.


    When he thought about it, he turned cloudy. "Are you alright? You''ve turned quiet." Danie was


    genuinely concerned. She had never seen him in that state. Therefore, she was disturbed. She moved


    to sit by his side on a swing while the children yed in the grass, giggling excitedly.


    "I''m fine, I''m just hoping for a better life for them," Jones didn''t look at her. He was ashamed to show


    his teary eyes and didn''t look up while he spoke.


    Danie was even more disturbed. She thought she must have offended him or he found out


    something but was relieved that that wasn''t the case. "Well, I''m nning on adopting some of them


    once I can afford it," she said out of the blue, her lips stretching into a smile, as some of the kids yed


    hide and seek while standing in the open and not hiding from their opponent. Jone''s eyes lit up.


    "That''s just what I was thinking too. I think the kindness inside your heart is just the same even with


    your lost memory," he red delightfully, returning Danie''s smile in the process.  Danie was


    secretly excited that her ying Danica was getting real but the point is, she was enjoying it too. She


    loved the attention people showered on her. That was all she ever craved but didn''t have because


    Danica was always in the limelight.


    "These kids are wonderful. Who wouldn''t  want to adopt one?" Jones subconsciously held her hand,


    squeezed it a little, in appreciation. He wanted to say something but caught sight of Herty strolling in


    their direction. He wanted to confess to her but the opportunity was ruined so he said instead, "thank


    you," then turned to Herty, "how is your training with Pastor Lawson?"


    "Much better. He gave me some scripture to meditate on but you won''t see me tomorrow. I have


    something urgent to attend to," Herty revealed.


    Danie frowned, "What is that?" She abruptly asked. She knew that Herty wasn''tfortable with her


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    rtionship with Jones therefore, she felt ufortable.


    "Just something I have to do for my parents because they will be returning soon from France," Herty


    told a white lie because she didn''t want to reveal things to Jones.


    "All the best and call me when you need anything," Jones said with concern.


    "Okay."


    *******


    On the field, Loney''s workload had increased overnight, thanks to the new contract. Therefore,  his


    presence was greatly required. He had to take turns, supervising his project managers to ensure that


    they were on the same page. Regardless, there was one name and image constantly on his mind,


    Danica. He was supposed to see her today and he didn''t intend to gote now that she knew who he


    was.


    Still, work took longer than he expected and it waste already. He wanted to call her to tell her he


    wouldn''t be able to make it and that their meeting should be postponed to tomorrow but realized he


    hadn''t given her phone ess yet. Now, he had tomunicate again through Paul but he felt it


    wasn''t right. Suddenly, he wanted to keep their affairs private. He couldn''t tell the reason for his sudden


    change but rted it to the fact that he mistook her for Danie the first time which made him slightly


    fearful at the time. But thinking deeper, he couldn''t get the assurance of what he wanted for Danica.


    Her reason for being there was for the baby.


    Whichever way, he couldn''t prevent his mind from drifting towards her when he had a little time. He sat


    in his truck, which was the most convenient today because some of the field locations were muddy due


    to the heavy rain. He didn''t change his field clothing since he was going to the mansion.


    When Loney drove through the highway, he noticed a Toyota hignder at his posterior. He wasn''t


    suspicious initially since he hadn''t stepped on anyone''s toes after Ray left. However, he realized that


    when slowed for the car to overtake, it wouldn''t but would rather slow down too. His security nerves


    kicked in, automatically pressing the elerator harder.


    He realized as he sped that, the driver of the car behind him sped too, therefore, he unlocked the


    doors, pressed the brake instantly, opened the door and jumped out of the car. The driver of the car


    behind him didn''t have time to halt, not having been able to predict it, and crashed into his car. Since it


    waste, the highway was quite lonely. Still, it would just be a matter of time before the police got there,


    thanks to the street cameras.


    Loney wasn''t going to let him off easily. He stood up and limped towards the Toyota hignder. He had


    sustained a few injures and was bleeding but much better than the driver who appeared dazed but was


    conscious. "Who sent you?" Loney roared, dragging him violently from the steering wheel to the floor. It


    wasn''t the first time something like that happened. The man hit the floor with a thumb but he was still


    conscious. "Fuck you!" He yelled and spat out blood.


    Loney balled his hand into a fist and punched his face, "I didn''t hear that. Now who sent you?" the man


    shook his head, blood oozing from his nose. Dribs of pain caressed him, he wanted it to end. "Fuck


    you, Loney." When Loney realized that he wouldn''t speak and he knew who he was, he wasn''t ready to


    let go even when the police could be there at any point in time. He searched the man''s pocket till his


    hand felt something hard and dangerous, a pistol. He pulled it out, "do you want to die just like that?"


    He pulled it and pointed it to his head.


    The man shook with fear. He has a family and didn''t want to die. "You will still kill me if I tell you. That''s


    all you people do," he spat with no measure of regret in his voice.


    "What if I tell you I won''t?" Loney had no intention of killing him. He only wanted to know the one who


    sent him because he perceived the man before him to only be a pawn.


    The man, for the sake of his family, decided to take a risk and trust Loney. "Mr Somo paid me to


    eliminate you."


    Loney wanted to ask more questions but heard the police sirens from a distance. He pulled away from


    the man, sat back into his car, the side now damaged as a result of the ident. He sped at top speed,


    veered off the main road into a dark tunnel. The police couldn''t trace him and arrested the man in the


    Toyota.


    Danica was worried. From her conversation with Loney, she didn''t expect thattter to hide anymore. It


    was almost midnight and he hadn''t shown up. She woke Paul and made him call Loney around 10 pm


    but thetter did not answer. Paul was unperturbed, knowing how his friend was and went back to


    sleep.


    Danica went back to her bedroom andid on her bed. Just as she was about to sleep, she heard


    movement. Since it waste and quiet, any little sound made twice as much noise. She went out of her


    room but didn''t see anybody, not even the guards. Since Paul confirmed his rm system to be on


    point, they didn''t need to be awake anymore. Loney knew how to deactivate it to not wake anybody so


    he did so. However, the light to the living room went off immediately she stepped out.


    Suspicion grew in her as she pressed the switch. There was no one there but just bloodstains on the


    floor. Her heart thumped in her chest. She wanted to call James or Mabel but thought otherwise. She


    took a mop since the servants were all asleep and began mopping the blood off the floor. She followed


    the trail of the blood up the stairs to a door, and a room she had never entered before. After mopping


    the blood in front of the door, she contemted whether she should knock or just open the door.


    She decided on the former and knocked gently. No voice was heard. She turned the knob and saw a


    few drops of blood on the floor but she was equally amazed at the interior of the room. It was nothing


    she had ever seen. At first, she thought her room was the most explicit but seeing this, hers felt


    outmoded. Loney''s cologne exhumed the room and she feared that something terrible happened to him


    but worse of all, she feared that he was a murderer and killed someone, or he was a spy. Both options


    didn''t seem tooforting to her.


    She heard the sound of the shower and knew he was in the bathroom but she couldn''t decide whether


    she should leave or stay and she wondered what would happen if he found out she was there. Both


    options didn''t seem right. Therefore, she mopped the blood quickly and turned to leave. As soon as her


    hand touched the knob, a deep alluring voice sounded behind her, "wait..."