C

Kimberly let out a clumsy yawn and covered her mouth with the back of her left palm, suppressing the yawn. She gazed at the golden wall clock that hung above her head. She was seated before a square table in her study room.

"Midnight?" she mumbled in disbelief and instantly gathered the scattered documents on the table. She placed them in a single file. That was enough for the night.

It had been two weeks since she fired three of her maids and she had to admit, she had regretted her decision because the last maid had also quit and her house was looking rather disorganized.

She ended up hiring temporary staff from home service.

She stood up, stretched up her hands to the sky and another yawn escaped, followed by a slight groan. She stepped into her fur-covered flip-flops and headed to her room, rubbing her drowsy eyes with the edge of her palms. She had changed into her overall pyjamas right after dinner.

After dinner, she slipped into the study room to go through the proposals her clients submitted only to realize that she had spent the last four hours working on them. As a strict businesswoman, Kim never rushed any process, she ensured all the T's were crossed and the I's dotted. Or a repeat of Jeremy Williams could occur and she couldn't deal with that at the moment.

Pushing open the door to her large bedroom and turning on the lights fell with her face on the extra large bed. She always slept with the lights on and at that moment, all she wanted was an undisturbed snooze. With the file forgotten, Kim pulled the thick grey blanket to her chest and tucked her soft square pillow underneath her head. She laid on her back, shut her eyes and drifted off.

...............

"Run Kimberly. Run and don't look back!"

Little Kim raced down the dark path panting as she ran with all her might, as fast as her little legs could carry her. She stumbled on a small rock and let out a cry of pain. She managed to stand to her feet and continued running. She may not know where she was sprinting to but her mother had told her to run and run she did.

Hefty steps clicked behind her. Her heartbeat skyrocketed and she increased her pace, wiping the hot tears that streamed down her plumpy cheeks and ignoring the biting pain in her ankle. She saw a bright light twinkling on a straight path in front of her. Frightened bit determined, Kimberly was aimed for the straight path when a figure appeared, blocking her way.

She fell to the ground on her butt and gazed up, trembling. The man bent over and she saw his face. It was the same man who shot her father a while ago. It was the man her mother asked her to flee from and now, he was standing before her. Little Kimberly covered her scared face with trembling hands and screamed.

"No!" she yelled and sprung out of the bed. She looked around and realized that she was in her room, dressed in her overall pyjamas.

Heaving a deep sigh, she wiped the beads of sweat that clustered on her forehead and upper lip despite the air conditioner. She grabbed her phone which was resting beside the flower vase on the table and swiped up. It was a few minutes to 2 am. Taking deep breaths to steady her heart rate, she rose from her bed and walked toward the refrigerator in her room.

Pulling out a bottle of water, Kimberly sat by the edge of her bed and wiped the stray tears making their way to her cheeks. She was stronger than this. She had ensured years of pain and torture from her nightmares, she could endure some more.

Even though the nightmares forced her to relieve painful memories, they also allowed her to gaze at the murderer's face, the man who took everything away from her. She could forget everything in the world but not that ferocious face.

She had taken an oath to exert her revenge. She would get her hands on him and make him suffer. He would pay, she would make sure of that with every fibre and everything she could do in her power to get him.

"Coffee!' she mumbled and strolled to the kitchen.

She needed sleep more than air but she wasn't going to subject herself to the torture of her nightmares. It was pointless and It had successfully ruined sleep for her. Al the more reason to find the killer and get rid of him.

And while that seemed impossible at the moment, She would get herself a cup of coffee from the kitchen and try to stay awake the whole night as long as she got to escape from the torturous dream.

After fixing herself a cup of coffee. She leaned against the counter and took slow sips. She was still thinking about the man who took her family away from her when the thought of the man at the club slipped slowly into her thoughts.

She stared down at her coffee and bit her lower lip. Green eyes flickering in uncertainty. She hated men and all they represented but there was something about that man. Far from his physically built self, his offensive words and his tough personality, there was something in him she couldn't bring herself to hate.

Flashes of events from their night together forced Kim to move away from the counter. Sex for her was one-sided. Her satisfaction was all she was after and she didn't give a hoot about what her partner felt or wanted. This man, her body shivered at the thought of him. He touched her in places no man ever did and for the first time in forever, she wanted him to take over. She remembered the way he dug his head into her thighs, the feel of his thick wet, talented tongue flicking at her flesh as he ate her till she convulsed.

Kimberly turned away with an angry look on her face and shook her head in disappointment. She didn't even know the jerk's name yet he gave her orgasms she never thought she could have.

Restless at the thought of him sliding between her thighs and how much she wanted him to do so again, she emptied the whole content of the mug in her mouth.

"Wide awake!" she declared and returned to her room.

Kimberly grabbed her phone and the file containing the proposals she was working on and marched to her study room. It was time to get busy till dawn.

...............

Kimberly was awakened by the continuous sound emanating from her phone. She dozed off in the study room, seated, her head on the table. She opened her eyes slowly and turned off the alarm. It was 7 am. Time to get to work.

Tucking the file under her armpit, she staggered back to her room and stared into the mirror.

God forbid that anyone saw her like that. She mused as she eyed the dark circles underneath her eyes. She would need lots of makeup to conceal them.

Throwing the file on the bed and grabbing her towel, she walked into the bathroom.

About an hour later, Kimberly was standing before her large dressing mirror, fully dressed, adorning her left wrist with a Rolex.

She stepped into a pair of red heels, adjusted her short orange striped maxi dress and grabbed her bag. Kimberly made her way to the dining and saw two of the temporary domestic staff she had hired, smartly dressed in their uniforms setting the table.

The male staff pulled out a chair for her to sit on after mumbling a curt "Good morning, ma'am." His colleague, a woman curtsied and she gave them a brief nod before digging into her breakfast

"Do you need anything else ma'am?" the lady asked.

"No," Kimberly replied. They nodded and took a few steps backwards, their head lowered behind her.

Kimberly stirred her tea into circles with a spoon. She lifted the saucer with her left hand, her right hand on the cup handle and was about to take a sip when a thought struck her. She instantly dropped the saucer and pulled out her phone from her handbag.

"Detective, I emailed you last night," she said immediately after the phone call was picked up. "It's Kimberly Lockwood."

"Kimberly Lockwood? The name rings a bell." replied the detective from his end. He was a middle-aged man who was highly recommended for private investigations by high-class folks.

Kimberly smiled. He was full of crap but she would tolerate his presence as long as he proved useful. "How about we meet up in my office? 2 pm is fine with me and We can have lunch together."

"Miss Lockwood-"

"Detective," she drawled " l want you in my office today. This investigation must commence immediately. I've waited far too long," she stated and glanced at her wristwatch.

"2 pm then." He murmured gruffly.

"Good." She said with a tone of finality and ended the phone call.

It was time to finally seek justice for her parents. Power and money were the obstacles that hindered her from her quest but now she had it all. It was time to bring the murderer to the book.

Kimberly smirked and went for her cup of tea.

Tyler covered his head with the hat attached to his fur coat and dipped his hands in his pockets. With his head lowered, he marched to the hotel parking lot. Dark spectacles covered his eyes and he kept his gaze straight as he neared his car.

Steven was seated in the car, the windscreen rolled down. He was slightly hitting the speedometer when he saw Tyler approaching the parking lot. He sat up and wheeled the vehicle closer to Tyler, grinning.

Tyler was sure the guy had a medical condition, because how else could someone grin so much and have his face fall off?

He greeted Tyler with a nod and took a proper glance at his outfit. Black coat on black gean trousers over a black tee shirt and then he had to put on his black spectacles?

"Shouldn't we tone down the black boss? It's like 200 degrees out here." Steve chuckled as his boss took the front seat.

"Today, the cat will be chasing the mouse," Tyler announced.

Steven, well acquainted with Tyler's slang nodded in understanding and asked. "So who are we stalking?"

Tyler dipped his hand into his coat and pulled out a photograph. It was taken the previous day by his men from a distance.

Steven snatched the photograph and smiled. "I see...Kimberly Lockwood."

Tyler grinned and snatched back the photograph. "It appears you know her."

Steve gave Tyler the look that says 'oh come on. He chuckled. "Heard you had the hots for her. All the men know it. And who wouldn't know the CEO of Lockwood Empire in this city? She's renowned, boss"

Tyler arched a brow in surprise and gave Steven a level glare. "You seem to know so much about her." He gritted through his teeth and Steve, taking note of his boss' tone, wiped the jokester look away from his face.

"Sorry boss."

After about a thirty-minute drive, Steve pulled the car to a stand behind a restaurant opposite Lockwood Industries. Tyler took off his glasses and glanced at his wristwatch.

He stabilized his gaze on the straight path that lies opposite them. A few minutes later, a range rover pulled off in front of the building. A chauffeur, Andrews Tyler thought wrily, dressed in a black tuxedo ran out to open the back door. From their hidden spot, Tyler and Daniel saw Kim hit the ground. The driver took charge of her bag and she swayed her hips rhythmically after him.

Oh yes, my precious. He thought, eyes glued to her prominent backside as they walked into the building.

Tyler pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from the car cabinet.

"You have a pen?"

"A pen should be right there," Steven replied

Tyler pulled out the pen from the same cabinet and stretched the paper. "So our little mouse comes to work at 9 am." he scribbled and looked up at Daniel with the pen rubbing his lips. "You think maybe the time of her arrival could be subject to change?"

Steve gave him a blank look that showed Tyler he thought his boss was crazy.

"What next? We find out when goes for potty breaks?" He grunted.

Tyler pushed the car open and stepped out. He moved to Daniel's corner and rested his hands on the car, an impish but deadly glint in his eyes. "No. You'll figure when she goes for Lunch breaks."

"How am I going to do that? Boss, I'm to sit here and do nothing till lunch hour?"

Tyler threw the paper and pen on Steven's lap. "You got somewhere to go?" his vicious eyes glaring in distaste.

Steve held his tongue.

"I'll be back. I want results by the time I return so stay sharp and fix your eyes on the target. And I mean her, not her ass." Tyler dictated and walked away.

Steven sighed and took the paper and pen off his lap, tossing them. in the backseat. He might as well sleep in the meantime or something.

At two pm, a cab halted beside the car and Tyler stepped out. His coat was in his hand. And dammit Steve had been right. He felt like steak that had been grilled under extreme heat. He knocked on the front window and Daniel rolled down the screen with one hand. He was shoving pasta into his mouth with the other hand.

"Hey boss!" he managed to say with his mouth full of pasta. He opened the car door and Tyler hopped in. Daniel dumped the pack containing the pasta on the back seat.

"So what has our cat been up to?" Tyler demanded.

Daniel presented the little paper to Tyler. "She left the office and walked into the restaurant around 1:30 pm. That's all I witnessed."

Tyler flipped the paper around and stared at the restaurant in front of them. "1:30 huh?"

"Yes, boss."

"Take me back to the hotel. Tomorrow, we will continue." Daniel nodded and wiped his lips with the back of his palms.

. ...........

It's been a week since Tyler and his driver began stalking Kimberly. Two days back, they trailed her back to her mansion after discovering that she leaves the office at 5 pm or sometimes 6 pm. They now know where she resides.

So far, Tyler had learnt that she comes to the office around 8 to 9 am, has her lunch in the SWIZZ restaurant beside her office around 1 to 2 pm and leaves for home by latest 6 pm.

It's Saturday, 6 am sharp. Tyler and Daniel were ready to kick off their little stalking game. They were seated in the car which was parked a few meters away from Kim's mansion.

"There she comes!" Daniel pointed out with a finger.

Tyler sat up and saw Kim jogging down the path toward them. Her hair was tied into a bun and sweats were lined up on her forehead. She was getting closer. Tyler darted his gaze to the fitting workout crop top she wore and his eyes fell on her flat tummy, the crevices on them. He looked up and imagined her nipples calling out to him.

The unsuspecting Kimberly run past them. Tyler turned around and saw her ass jiggling in the blue leggings. He imagined her undressing before him, slowly sliding the flimsy leggings down her thighs and-

"Fuck!" He hissed when it dawned on him that she was disappearing from his sight. He was meant to follow her.

He turned to Steven whose eyes were lingering on Kimberly's backside. His mouth was wide open and he was about to drool.

Tyler gave him a hard wack on the chest. "You dummy, follow her."

Daniel swallowed some air and started the car. They drove slowly behind her and stopped when she walked into the gym across her street.

"Get into the gym, Steve." Tyler spat.

Steve's jaw dropped. "Boss!"

"You heard me right. You will get into that gym. Spy on her. Maybe act like you are lost or want to sign up...I don't care. I just want you in that gym." Tyler almost yelled.

Steve arched his brow. Was his boss infatuated or something? "Boss, I'm wearing casual outfits. Who gets into the gym dressed like this?" he pointed to his blue jeans and white cotton shirt.

"Well, it's your first day and you are not going there to work out. Tell the damn instructor you are here to sign up and don't you dare come out without knowing more about her.

Steve was stunned. He wished he could tell Tyler that he was asking for much.

"Scram!" Tyler screamed and the unprepared Steven jumped out of the car muttering gibberish. When he turned around, he caught Tyler glaring at him.

Tyler restless in the car kept glancing at his watch. After about ten minutes of suspense, Steven finally walked out of the gym. He joined Tyler in the car.

"What took you so long?"

Steve sighed and took deep breaths. "I took so long because you had to send a driver to spy on a princess."

Tyler chuckled. "So what did you find?"

"They call her Kim. That's all I know." Kim began.

"Kim!" Tyler said with a smile. Maybe he'll call her Kim too. "You spent ten minutes in that fucking gym and only came out with a name?"

Steve scratched the crown of his head. "Well, I walked into the gym and told the instructor I wanted to sign up. When he went to grab a form for me, I moved closer to our chic and dropped my phone beside her. She didn't even pick it for me as I hoped."

Tyler laughed. "Dumbass. She's a fucking CEO. you expect her to pick up your phone?"

"But I made it look like we bumped into each other and the phone slipped out because she hit me." Steve defended.

"And how did you know she was called Kim?

"The instructor returned with the form. He witnessed the little accident I staged. Then he said Kim wouldn't you mind picking up the gentleman's phone? She gave the both of us a glare and stepped on the sprinting machine." He explained.

"Damn, she seemed like a tough one," Tyler commented, his fierce eyes lighting up.

"A tough one indeed." Steve retorted.

"Let's head back to the hotel room."

Tyler returned to his hotel room and saw one of his goons waiting by his door. He slotted in the card key and the man followed him inside.

"What do you have for me?"

"There is a vacancy in the security department." the man reported.

Tyler smiled brightly to the man's astonishment. He never thought such little information could gladden his boss's heart. A week ago, Tyler had asked his men to spy on Kimberly's company. They are to report back to him any dealings going there.

"You can leave Scorpion. Tell the guys to stay sharp." Tyler dismissed the guy.

He grabbed the bottle of roaming dog on his table and looked at the drink with a smirk.

"It's time for the cat to finally meet the mouse."