Adnan made his way inside his company taking everyone by surprise. No one expected his arrival so they are all relaxing in either not so professional clothes, slacking off at work or eating while working at the same time. His eyes had narrowed on three women he might fire before the end of the afternoon.

He closed the door to his office and relax back against his chair, it's been awhile since he's last visited his farmhouse so he is most definitely going back there soon, maybe later in the day or tomorrow morning? There is so much to be done here too in Nigeria and only when he came back did he realize that he's got so much to cover up before flying to Tokyo.

He removed a blueprint of the Tokyo oil-industry analysis and checked the process. They are doing quiet well, the workers he's assigned there have no issue with them so far. He can spend a little more time in Nigeria before heading off. There are more pressing matters here it seems and the phone call right now just indicated that they are going to keep augmenting. He will annihilate them, he always does.

Answering the call from Bilal Hashem Garo, his number one ruthless guys hidden behind the walls. He does all his dirty works now that Adnan had no time to deal with them himself, he's done that in the past and won't hesitate to go back to the business when the need arise. For now though, everything will be held in the capable hands of Bilal.

"Boss, you in the office?" Bilal asked straight forward, his voice gruff from taking too much toxicity within him.

Adnan checked his time, he was supposed to meet Jibril in an hour but that will have to wait. Any call from Bilal is more important than anything else. Safety always comes first and if Bilal is calling him today to talk to him face to face, something fishy must be going on. His guts weren't wrong after all. He just wanted to forestall the inevitable.

"I'm at the office. An hour for you." And he hung up the phone, stood up to remove the constricting suit and drape it on the executive chair he was occupying.

A knock came on the door before it got pushed open by Bilal himself without waiting for acquiescence, the guy's confidence got him where he is. Reminding Adnan of the first time they met, they fought tooth and nail. Bilal beat him though, for the first time in his life he capitulated on a physical fight and let the man take the victory. He was awfully strong, fast and agile like a real boxer. Well, he was a street-fighter before meeting Adnan who changed his life for the better.

Bilal is barrel chested, a large chest that curves outwards. He is also coltish and gangly, a combination that should frighten any opponent but not Adnan who was going through one of his rare turmoils to give a damn. Round shoulders that bent forward from too much working out, weightlifting and whatnot? He does everything to maintain that huge body of his.

Everyone in the country knows who Bilal Hashem Garo is when it comes to violence. It doesn't matter who you are or what you own, if he is loyal to you then your matters are forever solved. He came from a rich family before his father passed away leaving them with lots of debts to clear off so he joined the streets to fight for the flimsy amount of money gambled. It worked before Adnan met him and changed his job to a much better one? That is left for the society to answer.

Now he gets his allowance monthly, myriad of them too. Whenever the need for his job soar, he is there without being told twice or sometimes without even called. He does his work without leaving a single trail that will locate him. Adnan won't be shocked if the man had killed before in his life, he breaks bones like he would biscuit or crackers.

His robust body came in featuring a cotton wine shirt that stretched across his broad chest and shoulders narrowing to his thin waist. His large muscular legs that looks like a footballer's are sheathed in a straight jeans with loafers closing his feet. As he stood there in the middle of his office all large and taking the entire room, Adnan knew he made the right choice hiring him. He's definitely found something they need to check deeper into.

"Have a sit." Adnan gestured almost impatiently, his expression lacking but eyes excited like the man in front of him.

Bilal sat down and crossed his legs, his hands folded in front of him. He removed his facing cap. "How've you been, Draco?"

"Don't I look good enough? Nothing exciting has been going on." Adnan moved around his chair from left to right in a slow survey.

Bilal's eyes browsed over his friend's face for a brief second, he released a large grin at what he's found. "Oh, you do look quite great. More pleasant than I've ever seen you. Seems like you've got something more than exciting to keep your time."

Adnan relaxed his tensed shoulders, the jet-lag slowly catching up with him. And to think he is used to flying around. "I don't know what you're talking about. How about your life? Still into those toxic stuff?"

Bilal's smile yaw malicious, his eyes brimming with danger. "What can I say? I cannot live a day without them so yes, still hugging them dearly."

Bilal Hashem Garo does all sort of drugs from little marijuana, skunk, those ugly week, cocaine, alcohol and everything in between. He's always been high on something and whenever you see him sober, he meant business like right now. He is always inebriated, taking all of them at the same time until he cannot remember his name or where he is from. Normally that happens in the safety of his one bedroom apartment.

The one time Adnan visited the place after calling him a billion times and he didn't pick, he went to check on the guy. Entering the apartment, Adnan had to close his nose and mouth tightly. The air conditioning is blowing but remains of smoke and the air malodorously thick.

"Which explains why you are looking like a horse right now. Don't you have any other thing to do? Perhaps start a business with the little you have?" Adnan tilted his head to the side, playing with a pen he's caught in between his fingers.

Bilal shrugged his massive shoulders nonchalantly, also relaxing on the chair to watch his friend keenly. "I will think about that when the time comes. I'm currently not taking care of anyone so I'm good to go."

"That doesn't sound healthy coming out from your mouth."

Bilal chuckled, they both know each other a little too much to know when they mean the exact opposite thing they are talking about. "It shouldn't. I don't like the idea of taking care of anyone apart from my family so yeah, unhealthy fuck."

"That's great to know. Down to business then?" Adnan leaned on the table now, folding his arms on it while his spine stood straight.

Bilal did the same, blinking his eyes a few times. The soberness is getting to him and any minute he is going to request rolling something. Adnan won't let that happen though, the smell lasts for more than just a few days. He is not being a hypocrite at all since his cigarettes doesn't smell like his skunk. What would Jannah say when she smells that? She's already called his cigarette burning feet, what about Bilal's weed?

"Yes. I've been hacking through your stuff for the past three days after been away for a while. Pecuniary, budgeting, commercial, surveillance, security system and staff. Something is off with the security force, I don't know what is it yet but I'm digging deeper. I found out you were back in town few minutes ago so I thought I should inform you about it." Bilal hit his two fingers on the table, watching Adnan some more in case he has any idea what has been going on.

Zilch. He didn't expect that to be the problem too. "Why are you yet to find anything? You've never worked like that before? Is this serious?"

Bilal gave another shrug, his hand moseying to crack his hawkish nose. It's been broken more than twice. Adnan did the honor of one wreckage. "Not too serious, I suppose. I am yet to find anything because whoever it is that wants to blitz is not yet ready leaving me plenty of time to investigate and play around."

"I want to know everything as soon as you find out. It's been a while." Adnan flexed his shoulders behind him, enthusiasm laced on his features for some blood.

"I know right!" Bilal shared the same felicity, he loves working alongside Adnan, he is a good fighter when he wants to be. "I need some coffee, anything strong to stop me from rolling my skunk right now."

Adnan made a face, the guy is something else. Taking the intercom beside him, he called his new secretary to inform her. "Get three cups of coffee. It should be very strong."

"We are going to tighten your security for now both around you, in your home and the company here too of course." Bilal went on, his hands twitching to hold something or beat the crap out of someone.

"I can take care of myself." Adnan reminded with a raised brow. Bilal is shocked at the display of emotions but he is not one to talk about stuff like this so he kept his mouth shut.

"I know that. It's not about you only though." He's found out more than he needed to know few days ago from a legit source.

"Who are you paid to protect?"

"Yourself and your family. We have your mother, brother and sister..." He knowingly trailed off turning on the suspense in the air creating tension that is probably going to be anticlimactic when it comes to Adnan.

"Spill." Adnan ordered half knowing what Bilal is about to say. He found out about the other family he is hiding, the guy is kind of slow.

"And a little birdie told me about your wife and daughter. Dude, really? A wife and daughter hidden in that castle without my knowledge? Am I not trusted even though I am your chief security?" Bilal feigned hurt albeit not caring one bit about his boss's secrets, everyone has got one or two.

"Who told you about them? Certainly not Mr. Bakri because you both don't tolerate one another." That is putting it lightly because they hated each other.

Bilal's expression yaw murderous. What happened between them is a question Adnan refused to ask since it occurred about two years ago. He knew how much Bakri loves creating problems for himself so he thought it was one of those things. The truth is, their hatred ran deeper because of something from the past. Bilal won't tell him if he doesn't want to know. That is how professional he wish to keep their relationship.

"Oh, please. Not that locoweed." Bilal commented eying the secretary that's been asked to bring the coffee. She is jumpy which meant she won't last long with Adnan.

"Here, Sir." Her hands are shaking, her tall figure lowering to keep the tray in her hand on the table. Adnan dismissed her without raising his head to look at her.

"Then who?" He persisted, nibbling on his forefinger while watching Bilal look at his secretary in a way he didn't like.

"My sweet stepsister works for her, Aisha." Bilal's attention yaw back to Adnan, a mysterious smile taking over his face. That secretary is in trouble it looks. No one can stop Bilal but he never rapes.

"I don't know her." Adnan took one cup of coffee from the tray and started nursing on it.

"You shouldn't. It's not important." Bilal dismissed with a swipe of his hand.

Adnan got lost again in another thought yet again, of Jannah like always these days. It was that day after their truth or dare game when an onslaught of pain manufactured an excruciating outcry from her while they were still lying on the net. Startled, Adnan turned around to see her clutching her stomach while moaning in agony. He was lost for a minute.

He gathered her back in his arms in perplexity though he took her hands away from her lower abdomen and started kneading the place himself. She went limp on his chest, her arms around his neck tightening in a semi-grip, he didn't stop her. His hard chest was comforting, and his hands slowly chased the painful tremors that ran through her limbs, and it was the nicest, warmest feeling she'd ever known. She needed this. Just for a few minutes.

His thoughts were in anarchy. His body still smoldered with the feeling of Jannah's slight weight in his lap. Before she had fully come back to herself, he had kissed her silky cheek, damp with salt tears. He wanted to kiss her again, everywhere, for hours. He wanted her naked and exhausted in his arms. After all his past experience, physical pleasure had lost any trace of novelty, but now he wanted Jannah in ways that shocked him.

He wouldn't have it any other way though. She is his wife, legally. He never expected things to change after all that's happened to him in the past, his ex-wife and everything. Jannah is changing everything in just a matter of days. After that memory loss of hers, the life itself changed into kaleidoscopic void of teetering colors. Though something is still missing.

But who initiated the kiss that followed? He had no idea and he does not give a damn. His mouth was startlingly hot, almost clumsy with urgency. He explored her as if he couldn't get enough, trying to assuage a hunger that would never be satisfied. Jannah had trembled in surprise, meeting his aggression with a surrender that only inflamed him more.

"We cannot..." She had trailed off, panting as his lips narrowed to her cleavage making her hot.

"I know." He shushed her with his mouth, kissing her for the next thirty minutes while breaking away once in awhile to breath.

"I love th..." When he heard that, he immediately covered her mouth with his again with brutal force. She shouldn't ruin what they have with a confession, he won't take it.

Not that she wanted to say she loved him, Jannah was wise to never think about that. It is obvious that she loves her husband with the way her eyes radiate light whenever she talks about him. But that doesn't mean she is going to confess her love to him, she's got little of pride too.

He'd been taken apart by her and reassembled differently. Outwardly, everything seemed to work well enough, but he wasn't the same inside. Only time would tell the ways in which she'd changed him. But he was fairly certain he wasn't the better for it.
He forced his mind back to what it should be focusing on: Business. Recalling he had a meeting to attend that afternoon-and would first have to go home to change into dry clothes-he glanced at his pocket watch and frowned.