Chapter six

"Welcome back Mr. Tynara" Andrew's old nurse greeted him with a smile as he climbed down.

"Thank you ma'am Teresa!" he greeted back.

"You had a wonderful day?"

"Oh ma'am, I can assure you it was terrible".

"Terrible?" her facial expression deepened in a state of worry and concern.

"What do you mean son?" Jason didn't mind being called 'son'. Ma'am Teresa was just another servant like the many Jason had but she had worked for the man whose name he bore.

That same man who had pulled him out and made him the man the world now celebrated, for that reason, he had to respect the old woman and why not, even be a son to her.

"No. Nothing to worry about! ok " Jason chuckled as he removed his jacket suit "I was just hungry!"

"Oh, dear! Fortunately, I'm cooking dinner.." she smiled.

"Oh really?" Jason knew very well what those special words meant and he just let the familiar feelings burn him in out.

"So what are we having tonight?" He continued.

"Soup! just like the way you love it" she said.

"Chicken noodle soup and grilled vegetable panini"

With the famine in Jason, his mouth watered uncontrollably. He smile-smirked, with raised hands, he said.

"Can't wait!!" He made some light steps but she stopped him with a "mmm nnnn, dinner's not ready yet"

"Oh!" he said feeling stupid. "But get me something to keep me alive till then," he said in a feign sulk.

"There's a salad. you care for some son?"

"Anything!"

He paused long enough to hear her chuckle. Then turning to move again, he was about to ask the old lady after Angelina when his eyes caught sight of her silver Mercedes Benz carefully parked a few meters from where he stood.

She must have come back a few hours ago.

"Madam Tynara is at home sir, in the room " Ma'am Teresa said as she saw his gaze.

Relief flooded over Jason. Ma'am Teresa had said that she was in 'the room' and not 'her room'.

He knew that she wouldn't use the definite article if Angelina wasn't in the room he(Jason) would be sleeping.

"Okay" then he moved out of the lot with Vlad holding his briefcase.

"Vlad?" he called to the strongman as he rushed past him to open the door.

"Yez sir!"

"Can I ask you a question?" Vlad made the 'you have already asked look' at him but decided to accept anyways.

"Yez sir. Alwez at yur service" He made a gesture for him to enter but Jason didn't move an inch. He just leaned at the door. Facing the puzzled bodyguard, he wore that smile which he knew was an assurance that all was well.

"Have you ever fallen in love Vlad?"

"Sir?" He was startled as if stung by a bee.

"No! not what I meant" Jason defended. He didn't want to make the man feel inferior or anything unusual. Jason had equally been like him, just a few years ago, hell, he'd been far below him. He knew exactly what effect some sort of questions had on people below his social status. To calm down the situation, he remained quiet for a while, gave the bodybuilder time to recover from any effect Jason's words must have had on him.

When the air was cooler, he tried once more, but this time in a calmer voice.

" I just want you to tell me something" then he leaned closer.

"See! I'm madly in love with Angelina. But something doesn't feel so right and I......."

"Whatsit ye want me to say sir?" He snapped suddenly. Jason was quick to notice traces of anger on his face and his voice.

But then, Vlad too realized and loosened his face. Jason couldn't help but admire the man who stood before him. No big deal, Vlad had professional military training. Jason could swear they had been trained on camouflage art with the stunt the man was pulling.

"Tell. me what you think about Angelina!"

"Sir I think she is a good person" He said with a dark face.

"How would you know?. You barely started working a week ago".

"Is true sir. But I've worked for many rich and powerful people to know a good person".

"What about you. you don't mind telling me...."

"Sir! if you don't mind..." He gestured once more for him to go in.

Jason walked through the door of his now-familiar Armada followed by Vlad.

The fragrance of the living room greeted him fastidiously. The room was designed in a typical middle Italian style. The whole mansion had previously belonged to an Italian magnate who decided to abandon the states for Africa.

Jason had decided to buy it because of its isolation from the rest of the city and quietness.

"Welcome back sir!" Janet Thompson, the Armada's chief cleaner since the time of the Italian, greeted him.

"Thank you, Janet" he grunted.

"Please sir, I would need two additional cleaners to handle the vast buildings"

Jason almost left his mouth agape. He didn't know whether it was his ears playing with him or he heard Janet correctly.

"But you are the chief cleaner right?" he asked. Janet barely nodded her head.

"Isn't your job to employ or dismiss cleaners from here?"

She didn't answer nor looked worried. Instead, she bit her tongue and rolled her eyes with slow steps, walked towards him, and bowed a little.

"Yes I do sir!" she said almost in a dry slow whisper "But I need special orders from you to dismiss anybody I want from this great mansion" she added and then walked to the stairs at the southern wall to inspect work at that quarters.

"Whatzz it tha' jusse happened?" Vlad asked with much perplexity.

"I can't tell dude. You saw and heard everything right?"

"Sir, I can get ridz of har if you don' like har that much," He said unjokingly.

Jason became more perplexed than he has been. Trying as hard as he could, he couldn't understand what 'getting rid of her' meant.

"What do you mean Vlad?"

"I mean, if you don' like having her no more, I can bump off"

Jason couldn't help laughing.

"No No No Vlad. She isn't any threat"

"Okay, sir!" Vlad saluted.

Jason didn't worry himself. He knew Vlad was a soldier turned bodyguard. The man was trained and paid to protect his boss, Jason from every threat against his life but the thoughts of his request to kill Janet didn't quite sit well with him.

Not only because Janet had been working in the Armada long before he bought it without any problems for the Italian but also because he didn't see the crime she committed that merited such punishment.

He climbed the last staircase which had two corridors. One leading down the courtyard and the other leading to other rooms, among which was their private room.

As he walked to the door of their room, thoughts of Angelina once more came to his mind. He stretched his hand and held the knob. He inhaled deeply, closed his eyes, and heard the thudding of his heart.

He inhaled for the last time, opened his eyes, turned the door handle, and opened the door.