CHAPTER 3

The car screeched to a halt after about fifteen minutes of driving and Iryna strained her eyes to see where they had stopped. The tinted windows blocked her view however and she closed her eyes once more in the hope that when she opened them again, she would discover that she had been dreaming.

Iryna’s eyes opened to the harsh reality that she was not dreaming. It was real. One of the men caught her by the arm and pulled her out of the car and she squinted under the light of the sun. It was afternoon and they didn’t even care that the day was bright and people would be watching.

They led her towards the door of a mansion and the man in front pushed the gate open. Iryna looked around quickly and did a quick sign of the cross. If she was actually in trouble with the owner of that mansion, then there was no saving her.

They stopped at the entrance of a hallway and pushed it open. The hall came into full view immediately and Iryna marveled at the beauty of the place. The walls were golden with aesthetic designs and breathtaking portraits at almost every corner. They led her past the hallway and stopped at the door of a room.

The man leading knocked at the door of the room twice and a familiar voice wheezed from outside the room.

“Come in.”

He turned the door knob and pushed Iryna in and almost immediately, she went on her knees with her face to the ground pleading for her life.

“I didn’t do anything sir, I swear…”

“Iryna Gallagher”

Iryna looked up at the sound of the familiar voice and she was shocked to see that it was the waiter, Fred Walters. He was lying down on a bed in the room and two hefty men were standing beside him with guns in their hands.

“Fred?” Iryna frowned looking around quickly. “What are you doing here? You were abducted too?”

Fred Walters laughed and coughed for a long time, long enough to make the men standing beside him fret and begin to dial for the doctor.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Fred said stopping them. He sat up on the bed with a little help from the two men beside him and he coughed again.

“I’m happy you actually came Iryna,” Fred said. “Stand up.”

Iryna was too shocked to notice that she was still kneeling on the floor in front of the old man. She rose up to her feet slowly, wondering what was going on and Fred smiled at her confusion.

“I know you are scared,” Fred said. “You don’t need to be. I won’t hurt you. I make the commands here.”

“You…you…you mean that you own this place?” Iryna asked looking around. “That’s not possible. You told me you were retired!”

“Technically I am,” Fred smiled. “My men have been doing the job for me since I retired. I needed to have a taste of something different before I died and that was why I applied to be a waiter at Downtown. They were skeptical about it at first because of my bad social image, but it’s nothing a little change of name couldn’t handle.”

That was when it hit Iryna.

Fred Walters was not Fred Walters. Fred Waters was Federico Waltz, popularly dubbed as the ghost baron because no matter how the authorities tried, no one had gotten close to uncovering his true identity. They knew his real name but no one knew how he looked. His face was not on any database in the whole city.

“You’re Federico Waltz,” Iryna said. “You’re the Ghost baron.”

“I’m also a couple of other things,” Fred smiled. “A waiter for instance. I’ve been a father too although that didn’t work out very well for me.”

“Good heavens!” Iryna almost peed her pants. “I’ve been the subject of interest of a drug lord for a long time.”

“I’ve been watching you Iryna,” Fred said, his eyes fixed on her. “Since the evening you walked into that bar, you have been more than a friend to me. You’ve been like a daughter.”

Iryna was silent as the drug lord continued to laud her with praises.

“You offered me a slice of pizza that night remember?” Fred laughed. “I knew how hungry you were but I couldn’t help but join in. It was really tasty.”

“So…you’re saying it was all a test?” Iryna frowned.

“I saw my late wife in you, Iryna ,” Fred said, his eyes getting blurry with tears. “She died in a plane crash twenty years ago. My four year old daughter was on that plane too. Her body was never found.”

The guards standing around Iryna shifted uncomfortably. They obviously did not expect that Fred had made them abduct the lady just to laud her with praises.

“I try to be my best,” Iryna said. “I try to help the people I can.”

“I know,” Fred smiled. “That is why I chose you for this. I might be running an illegal business in the eyes of the law but my heart is clean. Can you help me Iryna?”

Iryna stared at Fred on the bed wondering what he meant by help.

“I’m dying Iryna,” Fred said and coughed. “Stage four cancer…”

“Oh my God,” Iryna muttered. “I’m so sorry.”

“No need to be,” Fred smiled. “I have enjoyed my life. What I want now is for you to take over from me, keep running the empire and help me in the search for my daughter. I believe she’s still alive somewhere.”

Iryna stared at him on the bed and that was when it hit her. “That was why you wanted to get married to me. You want me to inherit everything…”

“I have the documents here,” Fred smiled and produced a paper from his pocket. “I have over thirty companies spread across the world. I have no heir to pass it on to. Help me, Iryna. All you have to do is to sign the document. It’s a contract marriage and you don’t have to worry about me laying my fingers on you because I wouldn’t. I’m still mourning my late wife.”

Iryna’s hand shook as she took the document from Fred. All her life, she had lived as a pauper and now she was being begged to be the richest person in the whole city? It was almost too much for her to handle.

“Help me find my daughter,” Fred said handing her a picture. “If you do, she would have 50 percent of the shares in all my companies. You can have the rest. I’m hoping on you, Iryna . I trust you.”

Fred started coughing again and his guards attended to him while Iryna looked on.

She couldn’t believe her luck. In her hand was the key to all her success and all she needed to do was sign.