"I should go to sleep now. I have somewhere to be tomorrow" James announced seeing that the time was already thirty minutes past one in the morning. He dropped the game pad on the couch and stood up.

"Let's play another round bro, if you leave I'll be lonely" Dixon pouted.

"I'm sorry but I can't. I have an important meeting tomorrow"

"What meeting?"

"It's a Minister's meeting. That's the sole reason I'm here"

"Oh come on bro, you haven't dropped this pastor thing?"

"Nope. And I'm also not planning to" he smiled.

"Fine. Goodnight" Dixon groaned.

"Do you want to come with?"

"Of course no. And it's a Minister's meeting, I'm not a minister"

"There's a praise session after the meeting"

"Whatever"

"There's a lot of pretty ladies also"

"What do I need to wear?" He asked as he sat up eagerly.

James laughed.
"Don't you ever change?"

"That's not my answer. What do I need to wear?"

"Anything's okay"

"Anything?"

"Sure, as far as you aren't naked and look decent"

"Then let's go to bed" he quickly turned off the monitor and jumped on James.

*****     *****     *****
Mr Jones thoughts kept rolling with each sip of wine.

"Natasha Donald" he mused as he tapped on his glass lightly.

She was a strange person. Very.
She had beaten up his best goons in a twinkle if an eye, with the thin body of hers. It was in the very least shocking.

And also, Hugh Anton. He was sure that she was something more than a chef to Anton. For the fact that he came out on a cold night because of a 'chef' was suspicious and informing enough.

A smirk plastered on his face, he thought of a lot of ways to lure Anton through her.

"I'm going to make this fun. I'm going to get my hands on her" he spoke, his tone filled with excitement.

*****     *****     *****

Mia sat outside the ICU trying to steady her emotions. She was not okay, and she knew it.

Robert sat next to her, his head down. He was too confused to even think.
Anton was the healthiest person he knew; if not a cold, he was almost never sick.
As a result, he couldn't help but be suspicious of the lady next to him. Her expression, he didn't know if to believe it or if it was just an act.

'Was she working for one of Anton's rival?'

'But if she was, she was supposed to have disappeared by now. She wouldn't have brought him to the hospital. Or was it part of the plan?'

Her phone rang, looking at the number, she stood up and went outside the hospital to take the call.
Out of suspicion Robert stood up to follow her and eavesdrop but at that moment the doctor came out and asked to see him in his office.

Mia stood in front of the hospital on a call with Luther.

"I'm sorry I called this late. I was just worried about you and my mind kept telling me something was wrong, that's why I called. But it seems you're okay so I'm relieved. Good night" Luther spoke hurriedly, in fear of any outburst from her.

"Luther" she called in a broken voice and immediately he sat up in fear of the worst.

"Mia, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Where are you now? Are you at the mansion?"

"I don't know what's wrong. He co–collapsed" A tear drop fell as she said that.

"Who? What's going on?"

"Anton" Another tear drop fell.

"How? What happened?"

Her mind travelled back to an hour ago.

His gray coloured shirt had blood splattered on it, blood poured from the side of his mouth and occasionally he coughed out the blood.

She had never been so confused her entire life. She didn't even know what to do.

"Anton? Can you here me?" She asked trembling as she put his head on her thighs.

"Talk to me. What's wrong?"

He tried to speak but couldn't and the blood kept on pouring out.
She pulled her phone out of her pocket but there was no one to call; she only had Anton's number.

She found his phone in his pocket but it was locked with biometrics. She checked his emergency contacts and only found two numbers; CSO and Robert.
Without a second thought, she called the CSO and he picked up on the third ring; half asleep, only when he heard the news did sleep vanish from his eyes as he picked up his jacket and ordered that a car be brought to him.
She contacted Robert also, and the same scenario played out as shock took place of his sleep.

The car came around, Anton was already unconscious as he was helped to the back seat. Mia sat at the back with him, the CSO at the front seat and the driver drove at a very high speed, the almost empty road helping a lot.

It was a thirty minutes drive to the hospital Anton was registered in. Mia begged to take him to the nearest hospital but they didn't, they had their protocols to follow but his heart beat rate kept reducing, hence the panic she felt as she rubbed his hands with hers even though she knew it was no help.

Robert arrived ten minutes after they had arrived and she had to explain what happened to him as they waited for news from the doctor concerning his condition.

As Mia finished narrating what happened to Luther, she broke down into sobs.

"Don't cry, don't cry. He's going to be fine, trust me"

She responded with more sobs, her shoulder rising and falling in the process.

Luther on the other hand, was in a great amount of shock. Ever since he met Mia, she had never cried, not once, but today she was crying and that because of a man. That fact annoyed as well as worried him.
He couldn't help but worry that the almighty Mia, the feisty, nonchalant lady had fallen for Anton.
And if that was the case, then what happens to him, what happens to his love for her?

"Mia wipe your tears and stop sobbing. It's going to be alright, okay?"

"Hmmm" was the only response she could give as she wipe her tears with the back of her hand.

"I think I should head inside now, the doctor might be done" she stood up.

"Okay. Don't worry too much. Take care of yourself and don't cry anymore"

"Okay. Please don't call me again Luther, I'll let you know everything"

"As you wish then"

"Bye" and she hung up, not giving him a chance to respond.

Luther desperately wished he was wrong. He wanted to be wrong in this case.

Mia cleaned up her teary face with her shirt and went inside. As she approached the ICU, she saw Robert leaning on the wall and staring intently at her; not in a good way.

Ignoring the glare, she asked "Has the doctor come out?"

He nodded.

"What did he say is wrong?" She asked eagerly.

"He was poisoned"

"What!" Her eyes stood wide open in shock.

Her moved closer to her and spoke slowly and dangerously.

"He was poisoned through his food"

Mia's eyes grew wider as she quickly broke down the information while Robert stared at her with an accusing expression.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
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Love Grace ♥️