~Third person POV~ ["Mom?" The little boy peeps through the room holding the result sheet in his hand. He tilts his head in to see if she is still there. She didn't say 'Alexlander' like she used to so he squeezes himself through the small opening of the door even though he could have easily opened it wider. He walks into the room looking around if she was inside but there is no one. "Mom?" He calls out again moving towards the bathroom door. She would usually sit down on the bed staring at nothing; she has never left that spot, so where could she possibly be? The little boy tries to reach the handle of the bathroom door but it is too high for him. He knocks on the door numerously but he didn't hear anything. He turns around and walks out of the room heading to his father's room, maybe she's there. "Father!" He knocks hard on the door but no one answers. As he reaches to knock again, his older brother, William, approaches him. He quickly runs to him. "William, I can't find my mother. I wanted to show her my performance at school." He says to his 12 years old brother who stares at him as he waves the result sheet in front of him. William chuckles, "What's the use of showing it to her if all she will do is stare at it like a zombie?" The little boy grits his teeth in anger, "I have told you not to call my mother a zombie again." He glares at his brother. "Then what is she? She's nothing but a living corpse." A zombie. That's what everyone calls his mom and it breaks the boy's heart everytime. "Lexis!" He turns around as he hears his name. His eyes meet Erica, his friend, walking towards them with a smile on her face. The little boy's face beams with hope as he decides to ask her, maybe she would know where his mother is. "Lexis, what is the matter?" She asks stroking his head. "Erica, did you see my mom?" The little boy asks her with glossy eyes. "Your mom?..." The six year old girl tilts her head as she wonders herself, where his mother could be. "I don't know. Let's check downstairs." She answers before she starts leading him down the staircase. He climbs down with her and sees his father sitting on the sofa with his right leg over the other. There were capos standing around him while William's mother is sitting beside his father. Confused about the situation, the little boy runs to where she is and kneels in front of her. "Mom? Why are you kneeling? What happened?" "Alexander." It's the only thing that comes out of her mouth, as usual, as she stares at him. He turns to his father, "Father, why is mom kneeling? Her knees would hurt." He says to his father. His father scoffs, "Alexander, how many times will I tell you this woman is not your mother? She's only a living corpse who has become an exhibit to all of us." Hia father scolds him. He stares at his father confused at the situation before his eyes. "Get the gun, Lexis." His father says to him and he turns to his father wondering why he would tell him that. "Get the gun." His father says again and he knows at once that this time, he means it. He walks to where the pistol is and takes it from the table. This wasn't his first time holding a pistol; his father had sometimes shown it to him and his brother but has never taught them how to use it. "Help your mother Lexis. Life is already hard enough for her and she can't continue to live like this. She has become a problem for us and I don't want her to become a problem to the family in the future. So help her out." The little boy stares at the pistol in his hands before turning to his father. "How will I help her?" He asks innocently. "Just pull the trigger, and she will live a peaceful life after that." He looks at the pistol. Pull the trigger? The little boy knows very well one would stop living if he does that. He had seen father do that to people times without number, and he has never seen those people again. He lowers the gun and turns to him. "She's my mother. She will get hurt." His father slams his hands on the table and springs up. "Stop being such a weakling and shoot her!" He yells at the little boy. He shakes his head abruptly. Why would his father ask him to do that? "No." Tears start to form in his eyes as he shakes his head furiously. His father grips him by the arm, "End your mother's suffering Lexis; help her." The boy still shakes my head, "I won't do that, it's bad. I won't hurt mum." "Fine, then. I'll ask someone else to do it." His father says before letting him go. He turns to his right hand man. "Just end this." He says before returning to his seat. His right hand man nods before bringing out a gun from his pocket and points it at his mom. The little boy's eyes grow wide in fear and he runs to grip the man's leg. "No, don't. Don't hurt my mom." He cries loudly struggling to stop him but he didn't even spare him a glance. He pulls the trigger and is ready to shoot his mom but he runs to the front of the man blocking his mom. "Get away from there, Lexis!" His father screams but he didn't move. Suddenly, he runs to the right hand man and grips the gun from him but he is smarter for he still hold on to it tightly. He is little and couldn't do much but struggles to take the gun away from him. The man grabs both of his hands and turns him around to face his mother. He pulls the trigger and leaves the gun in his little hands. He falls backward as the bullet leaves the gun making a loud sound. He stands up from the ground and stares at his mother's lifeless body on the ground. She is lying down on the floor with blood all over. He looks at the gun in my hand and realization dawns on him. " I shot her, I hurt mom." The little boy's hands tremble as he stares at the lifeless body of his mother as tears roll down his cheeks. He fell on his kneels and curl himself up as his body shakes hard. ********** *Present* "Underboss! Underboss! Please wake up! Please!" Erica screams out as she tries to wake Lexis up. His shirt is soaked with sweat and he keeps moving his head from side to side in discomfort. She could see him struggling in his sleep and she doesn't know what else to do. She has Ben trying to wake him up for the past 15 minutes. "Underboss! Lexis please!" She continues shaking his shoulders and that's when his eyes suddenly opens and he gets up from the bed gasping for air. "G..Get me....Get..." He struggles to say. Erica quickly nods understanding he's trying to say. She checks the table beside my bed and opens the cupboard bringing out his pills. She gives it to him before giving him a glass of water. He sighs placing his hands against his forehead. "Is it the nightmare? Has it started again? You should really see a therapist." Erica says with panic in her voice. She has times without numbers, told him to visit his therapist but he kept refusing. It's clear that he is still suffering from PTSD(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) but he keeps denying it. He shakes my head, "It's fine; it's just a nightmare." It's been a week since he last had the nightmare. It just comes and goes. He cannot recall the last time he has had a good sleep without battling for breath. It has only been two hours since he managed to close his eyes and the nightmare came again. He climbs down from his bed and takes the coffee Erica already made from the table and walks over to the window. He takes a sip from it and stares through the window. "I have a feeling the consigliere is up to something, underboss." Erica says behind him. "He's always up to something, just leave him be." "I just feel..." He cuts her off, "His plans are as stupid as him. Nothing good ever comes out from it, so why would it be different this time?" "He brought in a girl and didn't even take her to the hideout but to his room. That just keeps me wondering..." He sighs, "He has probably found interest in her. He will get rid of her when he's tired. His crazy wife might even do that before he does." "About your nightmare..." Erica starts to say. She cannot help but worry. It is not ideal for him to keep depending on these pills but she knows well that he does what he wants and would not listen to her. He is punishing himself and she knows it. "Let's not talk about that. It's no big deal; I have just been stressed lately that's why it came back." She simply nods in obedience. "Have the supplies been transported?" "Yes underboss and the money were paid in full." She replies. He nods and walks over to the table and takes out a cigarette from the pack before sitting on the couch. His phone vibrates on the table and he takes it to see who the caller is. "Father." He says curtly to the speaker, bringing out the cigarette in his mouth, curling out smoke. "I have arrived at the mansion, come over." His father says from the other side of the call. He sighs and plays with the piercing below his bottom lip. He needed his quiet time so he left the family mansion and came to his even if it's just 40 minutes drive from here to the family mansion. "Yes." He withdraws the phone from his ear and hangs up before placing it on the table. Erica bows and exits the room while he places the cigarette butt into the ash pan and stands up. He takes off his night robe exposing his tattoos and scars. Most of his scars were from fights and gunshots. He trails his hands down his torso and traces the line of his tattoo there. He sighs and walks into the bathroom. After he's done freshening up, he picks out a black suit from his closet and puts it on. He takes out a Rolex from his wristwatch drawers and puts it on. He climbs down the golden stairs that leads to his sitting room. The first two buttons of the black shirt underneath his suit shows his hard chest. "Good morning sir" Ron, his personal assistant at the company, greets him, but his shaky legs and pale face didn't escape Lexis's notice. "Sir, the maid had refused to resume work again, I..." "You tried everything you could but you couldn't stop her, I know" Lexis finishes for him, since he already knows what he's restless about. He looks up at Ron who looks away as he gets uncomfortable with the long stare Lexis is giving him. Ron is an average tall young man with a good looking face he's confident about but he can never compare to his boss's good looks. The man's features are from another world. Lexis stretches his hand forward and Ron gives him his phone. He only uses this phone outside the mafia business. "I do not need a maid anyway, it's very uncomfortable. I have you anyway." Ron's eyes widen as he swallows hard. His boss is going to make him do the work of the maids? No, he would have to find a maid as soon as possible. "Sir I can just em..." "What are my schedules Ron?" Lexis asks making his way to the exit of the room and Ron runs behind him. Ron brings out a book from his bag and starts going through them. Lexis shakes his head as he stands waiting for the door to recognize his face. "You have a meeting today at 3:00pm and you also have to be at Japan in 3 days time by 6:00am." Ron says as he reads through the book smiling from ear to ear like he had done the greatest thing. "Good." He says curtly before going out. Ron follows suit immediately. "I will be at the company later, I have something to take care of first." He says and heads to the garage. Ron runs to open the door for him before going over to the driver's seat. Ron moves to start the car but he stps him. "Wait." Lexis says and just then, Erica comes out and slides into the passenger seat beside him before Ron starts the car and drives them to the family mansion. Lexis steps out of the car and walk into the house. He goes straight into his father's meeting room. His father, Richard Lawal, sits at the end of the table with William sitting beside him. Lexis sighs and walks over to sit. "You should at least say hi to your father." Richard says with playing with his beards. Lexis didn't say anything but simply plays with the golden ring on his thumb. "Why did you call us father?" William asks shifting in his chair. Richard turns to him, "How are you making preparations for the girls? "That's no big deal father." Richard nods before turning to Lexis, "You are over 28 years, Lexis. You are not getting younger, if you want to attain the position of a boss, you should start preparing to have a family. Alhaji Bawa has a very beautiful daughter, her name is Rahila. He recently claimed some estates and ranks in businesses outside his family. You know how it works, money makes the rules. His family is not only rich in business but also have strong alliances with gangs and mafia families in the country and even aboard; I believe you already know that." Lexis sighs and rolls his eyes. Rambling; that is all what his father is doing-on and on and he's already near the verge of insanity. He squeezes his right hand in a fist and his other hand pounds on the table, leaving a cracking echo sound in the room. "Let's not do this father." He snaps, his hoarse voice silencing Richard who stares at him in shock. William shifts uncomfortably in his seat as he stares at Lexis who is trying to calm himself down. Lexis lowers his tone to a softer one, "Forgive me father but there's no way l'm considering the daughter of that man..." "This is business Lexis... Look," he frowns. "You will gain so much from this and it would put you on a safer path to becoming the next mafia boss. Alhaji Bawa would be entirely out of the picture." Lexis licks his lips and inhales deeply as he closes his eyes. Lately, his father had talked about nothing else but her. His father only cared about money and nothing else, his greed has no end. It did not matter to him if Alhaji Bawa brings nothing but trouble. He is okay with with whatever as long as he gets his money. "I can't just bring in a strange woman into the family, father. Do you expect me to trust her as my wife knowing very well how untrustworthy her father is?" "That's only because you haven't met her yet. How do you know if you can trust her when you never try? You might actually like her, you don't know." Lexis looks at William and shakes his head his head as his father says that. "Why the f**k are you staring at me like that?" William asks glaring at him. He has been trying to keep calm but Lexis keeps throwing him glances, shaking his head at him. Lexis didn't say anything but simply shake his head, "| have to get to the company now father, if there's any important business, call me." He stands up from the chair. Richard's brows narrow, he purses his lips together, "We will have this discussion later then." Lexis shakes his head and let out a frustrating breath. "I wouldn't mind meeting the woman if her father isn't Alhaji Bawa. I know you like him but that man brings nothing but trouble and you clearly know that. Find another woman or I'll choose my own wife." "Heh, choose your own wife? Just marry her Lexis. Your brother also told me he wanted to choose his own wife and I allowed him but what happened after that? There's never a day that they don't fight and she would run away at the slightest of issues." "If she hadn't been the daughter of Martin Akinwole, one of the biggest business tycoon in the country, would you have allowed me marry her?" William asks with a frown on his face. "At least I gave you an opportunity to marry a woman of your choice and you ended up marrying someone who isn't wife material. I still can't stand her." William rolls his eyes."Well then, I could just marry Rahila instead." William teases and Richard only shakes his head at him. He turns to lexis, "Let's talk about this some other time. For now, there's something I need you to take care of. Sit down." Lexus sighs and sits down "Speak father." Xoxo Don't forget to comment, I love you all.